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Phone: 573-234-2132 |
| The Service worked with Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and Southern Illinois University biologists to assess pallid sturgeon populations in the Lower Missouri River and Middle Mississippi Rivers from 1996 through 2000. Previous to this joint effort, the last efforts to collect pallid sturgeon were completed by MDC biologists in the late 1970s. Unfortunately, Service biologists determined that the number of pallid sturgeons had declined and that hybridization with the common shovelnose sturgeon had increased. (MICRA Pallid Sturgeon Report) |  Joanne Grady with first pallid sturgeon collected by Columbia FRO staff in 1999. |
Columbia FRO sampled a three mile stretch of river near Hermann, Missouri monthly for one year to assess the potential impacts of the Route 19 bridge replacement project. Recommendations were made to the Missouri Department of Transportation to minimize impacts to pallid sturgeon during construction. (DOT Report)
 Andy Roberts and Andy Starostka running gillnets for Missouri River sturgeon in February 2003. |
Columbia FRO continued year-round monitoring of pallid sturgeon populations in the Lower Missouri River in 2001 through 2004. Adult pallid sturgeon are collected in wintering areas with gillnets. Young sturgeon have been collected by trawling in the summer. Our staff continues to monitor pallid sturgeon populations while working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state fish and game agencies in the Missouri River Basin to establish a long-term, large-scale sturgeon monitoring program. (2001 Report) (2002 Report) (2003 Report) (2004 Report) (2005 Report) |
More information about our role in sturgeon recovery is available at Environmental News Network
For more information on general sturgeon life history, see the Region 3 brochures for pallid sturgeon, shovelnose sturgeon, and lake sturgeon.
Last updated:
July 8, 2008
