White Sturgeon Release into the Kootenay & Columbia Rivers

There is antidotel evidence that White Sturgeon once lived in the Columbia River, up stream from Golden, BC.

"The Kootenay River sturgeon population is endangered in both Canada and the U.S. due to a variety of human impacts, including the operation of Libby Dam that has altered the natural flow of the river. There has been virtually no natural reproduction in the wild since 1974. There are thought to be fewer than a 1,000 adults living on both sides of the border.”

“We know that this is a stop-gap measure but it is a very important component of the conservation effort while we, and many other partners, work toward implementing habitat restoration measures that should provide conditions for fish to successfully reproduce in the wild,” says KTOI’s Fish & Wildlife Program Director, Sue Ireland. “This aquaculture program is critical if we are to avoid this population becoming extinct.” 


“The 10-month old juveniles weigh about 70 grams and are typically between 15 and 25 centimetres in length. They can grow to the length of a canoe and live for over 100 years."

For more information about Columbia and Kootenay River white sturgeon, visit www.gofishbc.com/Sturgeon.htm, www.uppercolumbiasturgeon.org and www.fwcp.ca.