Habitat Trouble for Pallid Sturgeon in Northern Plains States
from the National Fish Habitat Partnership's 2015 Through a Fish's Eye Report
Summary
The Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) once ranged throughout the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and requires moderate to swift rivers with both sand and rock substrates. This long-lived species, often living more than 50 years and growing to 90 pounds, requires un-fragmented river reaches to complete its life history. River channelization, bank stabilization, impoundments, and altered flow regimes have all negatively affected this species, which is listed under the Federal Endangered Species Act. The presence of multiple large dams on the Missouri River has truncated the distance the larvae can be free-floating and may cause them to settle out in the reservoirs and perish. Adult Pallid Sturgeon are not able to reproduce in these [...]
Summary
The
Pallid Sturgeon (
Scaphirhynchus albus) once ranged throughout the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and requires moderate to swift rivers with both sand and rock substrates. This long-lived species, often living more than 50 years and growing to 90 pounds, requires un-fragmented river reaches to complete its life history. River channelization, bank stabilization, impoundments, and altered flow regimes have all negatively affected this species, which is listed under the Federal Endangered Species Act. The presence of multiple large dams on the Missouri River has truncated the distance the larvae can be free-floating and may cause them to settle out in the reservoirs and perish. Adult Pallid Sturgeon are not able to reproduce in these reservoirs. Current adult population estimates of this species indicate that there are only 30 adults upstream of Fort Peck Dam in Montana and fewer than 125 adults upstream of Garrison Dam, North Dakota. These two populations could be lost by 2018 if rehabilitation efforts are not successful.
The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) is partnering with the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) to produce the 2015 report entitled, "Through a Fish's Eye: The Status of Fish Habitats in the United States 2015". The information contained within this item is a product of NFHP. The Bureau is neither responsible nor liable for the accuracy or the use of the scientific content within this item. This content is considered preliminary pending subsequent review and approval.
