A child's dream: Releasing sturgeon in the Kootenai river

Fins, Kiah, Shaggy, JJ and Daisy were a few of the sturgeon released on Oct. 22, at Deep Creek boat launch. Each of the 75 sturgeon was named by a child before it was released.

Children of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho and of the hatchery staff excitedly milled around the boat launch until it was time to release the sturgeon. Before the fish could be released, Jennifer Porter, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho Tribal Chair, spoke of the importance of sturgeon to the Tribe.

“Sturgeon are our grandfathers of the river,” said Porter. “We lived around the river…this is part of your culture.”

Children either gently tipped over their buckets containing the sturgeon into the river or gingerly handled the wiggling fish and released them into the water. The Kootenai Tribe handed out certificates to each child for releasing the fish. This is the second year in which the children have helped release the sturgeon.

Each fish is tagged, so when caught again, the history of the fish is known, along with its name and who released it. The tag is similar to the tag vet clinics use to microchip pets.

These sturgeon were one-and-a-half years old and raised at the tribal hatchery since they were collected as eggs in the spring of 2009. Over seven inches long and between 2.5 and 4.5 ounces, the sturgeon were good-sized for their age.

“The average size of the fish is pretty good compared to previous years,” said Chris Lewandowski, hatchery technician.

Close to 7000 sturgeon have been released over the last few weeks in the Kootenai River between Troy, Montana and Porthill, Idaho. Sixty percent of the released sturgeon will survive their first year in the river and then 90 percent will survive after that, according to Sue Ireland, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho Fish and Wildlife Department Director.

“That is really good for released fish,” said Ireland. “They won’t spawn until they are 30 though.”

These sturgeon won’t be spawning for another 28.5 years, long enough for the children releasing the fish to be adults watching their own children release sturgeon into the river. With a life span of over 100 years, this is just the beginning of the sturgeon’s life in the Kootenai River.