In the natural world, when two friends reconnect after many years, a small sense of balance is returned to the order of life. In this case, the old friends are the lake sturgeon and its former home, the Cumberland River. As often happens when such a reunion takes place, there were some happy people sporting big smiles. Wild Side Guide Alan Griggs takes us to the homecoming.
Since 2000, nearly 127,000 lake sturgeon have been returned to Tennessee waters. If you see a sturgeon, find a dead specimen, or accidently catch one, please contact the TWRA. Remember, lake sturgeon are considered “State Endangered” so possessing one is illegal. If you do catch one, be sure to release them to the water, unharmed, as soon as possible. Visit the TWRA website to learn more about these fish, as well as how to report them and receive a certificate to document your catch.
The old abandoned building originally used to raise the sturgeon is being replaced by TVA with a new, updated facility with plans for a bigger mussel lab, portable raceways, and a building dedicated to raising more sturgeon.
You can learn more about lake sturgeon at the TN Aquarium and National Geographic websites.
Here is some information on the restoration effort from the World Aquaculture Society.
Learn more about what the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is doing to protect and conserve wildlife and their habitat in our state by visiting their website.
From show 2611.
