AUTHORS: Sarah Peper, Missouri Department of Conservation; Ryan Swearingin, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Travis Moore, Missouri Department of Conservation
ABSTRACT: Lake Sturgeon are an endangered species in Missouri, Illinois and ten other states. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) began recovery efforts, centered around juvenile reintroduction, in 1984. In 2015 the first wild spawn of the reintroduced population was confirmed in the tailwaters of Mel Price Locks and Dam on the Mississippi River. Despite intense monitoring of the site over the next 5 years, no further spawning events were observed. In 2021, MDC and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) began working together to improve conditions for Lake Sturgeon spawning success at the site. The team received an SRP grant to fund monitoring efforts and to build a hydraulic model of the tailwaters. Using the hydraulic model as a guide, tailwater velocities were modified to mimic those recorded during the 2015 spawn. We observed successful Lake Sturgeon spawning in the first year the project was implemented. Continued success has brought interest in replicating this project at other dams. USACE is currently leading efforts to evaluate all 27 dams/tailwaters on the Mississippi River for Lake Sturgeon spawning habitat suitability.
