For the first time ever the Michigan DNR have stocked Lake Sturgeon in the Titabawassee River.
The move is part of the departments work to bring the Lake Sturgeon populations back to normal levels in the Saginaw River Basin.
Jim Baker is with the Michigan DNR. He said the fish almost completely disappeared from the river.
“This is indeed a historic plant in that we are finally able to start the rehabilitation of the Saginaw River Watershed in terms of Lake Sturgeon.”
Baker said since the passage of the Clean Water Act the Saginaw River Watershed has slowly improved.
“So the river quality is good enough for the fish it’s been a matter of waiting until we actually had some fish to stock in terms of sturgeon.”
Baker said the DNR stocked 193 of the fish.
“We don’t know the future at this point but we hope to be able to continue with some sort of regular stocking program for sturgeon.”
Baker said sturgeon populations have been extremely low for at least one hundred years due to overfishing and destruction of their habitat.
He said the return of the walleye to the basin was a sign that sturgeon could be successfully stocked.