Sheriff's Dive Team swim with sturgeon
BCSO Dive Team member encounters sturgeon in the Kootenai River during a night dive in August.
(Courtesy Photo: BCSO)
BONNERS FERRY — Divers with the Boundary County Sheriff’s Dive Team participated in a night training dive in the Kootenai River last week and had some unexpected visitors, officials released in a press release.
Drivers went to a depth of 65 feet with visibility limited primarily to what they could see in the beam of their underwater lights.
The divers had the unique experience of having a few young sturgeon swim next to them.
"With regards to sturgeon recovery in the Kootenai River, you being able to see them and swim with them is proof that they are surviving and KTOIs conservation aquaculture program is working towards the long-term goal of true recovery," said Nate Jensen, who works with the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho sturgeon recovery.
Recovery for sturgeon means surviving to maturity and being able to reproduce naturally.