More sturgeon to be released into Saginaw Bay Watershed during public events on Sept. 21

Local, state and federal partners invite the public to a lake sturgeon release celebration on Sept. 21, 2019. Releases will reintroduce 500 hatchery-reared sturgeon into the Saginaw Bay Watershed. Each tributary (Cass, Flint, Shiawassee, and Tittabawassee rivers) will receive 125 fish.

The schedule includes:

 A 10 a.m. release on the Tittabawassee River. It will be held at the Bob G. Caldwell Municipal Boat

Launch in Midland, Mich., and will be hosted by the Chippewa Nature Center. For more information,

contact Dennis Pilaske at dpilaske@chippewanaturecenter.org.

 The 11 a.m. Shiawassee River release will take place at Cole Park in Chesaning, Mich., and will be

hosted by the Friends of the Shiawassee River. For more information, contact Lorraine Austin at

lorraineA@shiawasseeriver.org.

 The noon Cass River release is at the Fishermen’s Parking Lot near the Gunzenhausen Walkway in

Frankenmuth, Mich. at the corner of Guzenhausen and Rosstal Street, and will be hosted by U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service. For more information, contact Michelle Vanderhaar at

michelle_vanderhaar@fws.org.

 From 1-3 p.m., the Flint River release will take place at Mott Park Recreation Area. This largescale event will include a speaker program, educational tables, and the official ribbon cutting for thePaddlers’ Landing. For more information, contact Rebecca Fedawa at rfedewa@flintriver.org.

These events are part of the Saginaw Bay Watershed Lake Sturgeon Restoration, an effort led by the DNR and partners to reestablish lake sturgeon in the Saginaw Watershed through the Cass, Shiawassee, Tittabawassee and Flint rivers. The lake sturgeon were reared at the USFWS National Fish Hatchery in Genoa, WI, and are about 5-7 inches in length. The adult source population for the lake sturgeon were collected near Port Huron. Lake sturgeon are a unique Great Lakes species. They can grow up to 7 feet long and can weigh up to 300 pounds. The slow-maturing fish do not begin reproducing until they are 15-20 years old. Once abundant in many Michigan lakes and rivers, lake sturgeon were nearly eradicated due to overfishing and habitat loss, particularly the destruction of rocky reefs in rivers that sturgeon and other native fish species use for spawning. In recent years, many partnerships and projects are working to restore sturgeon to a self-sustaining level in Michigan. This work includes restoring sturgeon habitat, reintroducing sturgeon into their native ranges, and raising awareness and appreciation for this unique species. The Sept. 21, 2019, sturgeon release events are supported by a variety of partners including Bay County Environmental Affairs and Community Development, City of Frankenmuth, Chippewa Nature Center, Flint River Watershed Coalition, Frankenmuth Morning Rotary Club, Friends of the Shiawassee River, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan Sea Grant, Michigan State University Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, MSU Extension, Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, Saginaw Field and Stream Club, Sturgeon for Tomorrow – Black Lake Chapter, The Conservation Fund, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Learn more about the lake sturgeon restoration efforts and additional partners on the

Saginaw Bay Sturgeon website (www.saginawbaysturgeon.org).