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Lake
Sturgeon:
Menominee Indian Reservation
 The
lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) is a species
of cultural significance to people of the Menominee
Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. Lake sturgeon in the Wolf
River-Lake Winnebago System historically migrated upstream
to spawn at Keshena Falls, within the current boundaries
of the Menominee Reservation. The Menominee gathered
at Keshena Falls each spring and harvested lake sturgeon,
held a ceremonial feast, and danced the fish dance in
honor of the lake sturgeon. The construction of the
Shawano dam in 1892 and the Balsam Row dam in 1926 downstream
from the reservation contributed to extirpation of this
species here in the 1950s. Despite the absence of lake
sturgeon, Menominee elders have continued to practice
the fish dance.
This
lake sturgeon was tagged with a small piece of wire
inserted
beneath the skin. The reader shown can decode the wire,
and when
cross referenced it can tell the biologist when and
where it was
previously caught, and what size it was at that time.
In 1993,
discussions between the Menominee Tribe, Wisconsin Department
of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
La Crosse FRO, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs(BIA)
led to the formation of the Menominee Reservation Sturgeon
Enhancement Committee. By 1994, the committee developed
and began to implement a lake sturgeon management plan
for the reservation.
 The
primary goal of the Menominee Reservation Lake Sturgeon
Management Plan (Plan) is to establish and/or restore
lake sturgeon populations on the Menominee Indian Reservation.
The La Crosse FRO has been the lead facilitator in all
lake sturgeon management efforts on the Reservation.
Efforts
to restore lake sturgeon have been conducted on two
fronts:
1) Relocating
adults from downstream into reservation waters of
the Wolf River.
2) Stocking
hatchery reared fingerling lake sturgeon into inland
lakes.
Accomplishments
to Date:
From 1992 through 2003 over 62,000 fingerling lake sturgeon
have been stocked into Reservation lakes.
Annual
assessments of inland lakes indicate that stocked sturgeon
are experiencing good survival and growth.
Between
1995 through 2003, over 151 adult and large juvenile
sturgeon have been reintroduced to Menominee waters
of the Wolf River.
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Radio
transmitter implantation.
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All reintroduced
lake sturgeon were tagged with radio transmitters to
monitor habitat use and determine whether or not they
migrate back downstream through the dams.
Since
2002, enough adult lake sturgeon have been present in
Reservation waters of the Wolf River to support natural
reproduction.
The point of contact for this project is:
Ann Runstrom Ann_Runstrom@fws.gov
(608) 783-8433
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