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The Mountain-Prairie Region consists of 8 states in the heart of the American west including Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a long tradition of scientific excellence and always uses the best-available science to inform its work to conserve fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitat for the benefit of the American public.
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National Wildlife Refuges
Where Wildlife Comes First
Created in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt, today's National Wildlife Refuge System protects habitats and wildlife across the country, from the Alaskan tundra to subtropical wetlands. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Refuge System's 560-plus refuges cover more than 150 million acres and protect nearly 1,400 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.
While national wildlife refuges were created to protect wildlife, they are for people too. Refuges are ideal places for people of all ages to explore and connect with the natural world. We invite you to learn more about and visit the national wildlife refuges and wetland management districts in Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
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Ecological Services
The Mountain-Prairie Region's Office of Ecological Services (ES) works to restore and protect healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plants and the environments upon which they depend. Using the best available science, ES personnel work with Federal, State, Tribal, local, and non-profit stakeholders, as well as private land owners, to avoid, minimize, and mitigate threats to our Nation's natural resources.
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Migratory Birds
Providing leadership in the conservation of migratory bird habitat through partnerships, grants, and outreach for present and future generations. The Migratory Bird Program is responsible for maintaining healthy migratory bird populations for the benefit of the American people.
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Fish and Aquatic Conservation
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program in the Mountain-Prairie Region helps conserve, protect, and enhance aquatic resources and provides economically valuable recreational fishing to anglers across the country. The program comprises 12 National Fish Hatcheries.
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Law enforcement is essential to virtually every aspect of wildlife conservation. The Office of Law Enforcement contributes to Service efforts to manage ecosystems, save endangered species, conserve migratory birds, preserve wildlife habitat, restore fisheries, combat invasive species, and promote international wildlife conservation.
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External Affairs
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Missouri River Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office
3425 Miriam Ave | Bismarck, ND 58501
Phone: 701 - 250 - 4419 | Fax: 701 - 355 - 8550 | Email: steven_krentz@fws.gov
About Our Office
Pallid Sturgeon Recovery | Pallid Sturgeon Profile | Refuge Fishery Activities | Pallid Sturgeon Resources | Staff | Area Map | Open / Close All
The Missouri River Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (FWCO) located in Bismarck, North Dakota, shares an office building with several programs of the USFWS, including, Ecological Services, Habitat and Population Evaluation Team, Realty, Office of Law Enforcement, and Partners for Fish and Wildlife. The FWCO was moved from Valley City to Bismarck in 1990 in response to the increased awareness of the declining populations of native fish in the Missouri River and its tributaries. Our station's objectives are to:
- Conserve, manage, restore and enhance imperiled aquatic resources, focusing on the endangered pallid sturgeon.
- Manage the recreational fisheries of National Wildlife Refuges and other Federal properties.
- Provide technical assistance to tribal governments.
- Communicate fish and wildlife resource needs and Fish and Wildlife Service activities to the public.
A significant portion of our work involves the endangered pallid sturgeon and native fish of the Missouri River system. This work is accomplished by working closely and cooperatively with numerous State, Federal, and private stakeholders on native fish and river issues, as well as collecting broodstock for spawning, planning for augmentation, research on life history and habitat requirements, protection and restoration of habitats.
Fishery Assistance
Duties include providing fisheries expertise and technical assistance to the National Wildlife Refuges and Native American Tribes in North Dakota. The FWCO works with Fish and Wildlife Service field offices, including Ecological Services and National Fish Hatcheries in the Dakotas, as well as several State and Federal agencies. We also extend assistance to other State and Federal agencies when objectives and priorities are aligned and mutually beneficial.
Pallid Sturgeon Species Profile – (Scaphirhynchus albus)
Official Status: Listed as endangered (55 Federal Register 36641) on September 6, 1990.
Description: Pallid sturgeons have a unique prehistoric appearance. They have a flattened snout, long slender tail, and are armored with five lengthwise rows of bony plates instead of scales. Their mouth is toothless and positioned under the snout for sucking small fishes and invertebrates from the river bottom. Pallid sturgeons can weigh up to 80 pounds and reach lengths of 6 feet, whereas the closely related shovelnose sturgeon rarely weights more than 8 pounds. The back and sides of pallid sturgeons are grayish-white versus the brown color of the shovelnose sturgeons.
Historic Range: Historically, pallid sturgeons were found in the Missouri River from Fort Benton, Montana, to St. Louis, Missouri; in the Mississippi River from St. Louis to the Gulf; in the Yellowstone River from Miles City, Montana, to the Missouri River, and in the lower reaches of other large tributaries such as the Yellowstone, Platte, Kansas, Ohio, Arkansas, Red, and Sunflower; and in the first 60 miles of the Atchafalaya River.
Current Range and Status: Today, pallid sturgeon populations are fragmented by mainstem dams on the Missouri River. The pallid sturgeon are scarce in the upper Missouri River above Ft. Peck Reservoir; in the Missouri and lower Yellowstone Rivers between Ft. Peck Dam and Lake Sakakawea; in the Missouri River downstream of Gavins Point Dam; and in the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers.
Habitat: Pallid sturgeons evolved and adapted to living close to the bottom of large rivers with high turbidity and a natural hydrograph. Their preferred habitat has a diversity of depths and velocities formed by braided channels, sand bars, islands, sand flats and gravel bars.
Life History and Reproductive Biology: Sexual maturity for males is estimated to be 7-9 years with up to 3 years between spawns. Females are not expected to reach sexual maturity until 7-15 years, with up to 10-year intervals between spawning. Pallid sturgeons are long lived, with individuals perhaps reaching 60 years of age or more.
Reasons for Decline: All of the 3,350 mile of river habitat within the pallid sturgeon's range have been adversely affected by our attempts to tame the rivers. Approximately 28% has been impounded, which has created unsuitable lake-like habitat and blocked migration routes; 51% has been channelized into deep, uniform channels; the remaining 21% is downstream of dams which have altered the river's hydrograph, temperature and turbidity. Hybridization with the more common shovelnose sturgeon is a threat to the species and may be attributed to the modifications occurring to the habitats used by both species. Commercial fishing and environmental contaminants may also have played a role in the pallid sturgeon's decline.
Recent Recovery Activities: Population augmentation and propagation has been a focus of scientists since the mid 1990's when it was realized that recruitment of juvenile fish into the permanent population is not occurring at levels that will sustain the species. The current populations are composed of older fish that will die off in the near future. Since pallid sturgeons do not reach maturity until possibly 12 to 15 years of age, and spawning interval may be several years apart, we must stock now so that we have adults in the wild when habitats are restored. The juvenile pallid sturgeon we stock today will be the breeding population for future recovery efforts. However, habitat restoration will be essential to realize the recovery of this species. Habitat restoration, life history information and threats to the species remain in the forefront of recovery issues.
What do you do if you catch a Pallid Sturgeon?
Reporting Information: Anglers are urged to report any sturgeon they catch or unintentionally snag. If you catch a pallid sturgeon, please call 1-888-203-9577 (toll free) and leave the following information:
- Date caught or snagged
- Location
- Estimates of length and weight of the fish
- General appearance of the fish
You can leave a name and telephone number so that we can get back in touch with you or you may remain anonymous if you prefer.
For more information, please see http://www.pallidsturgeon.org/
National Wildlife Refuges are managed and administered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to protect fish and wildlife and their habitats for the enjoyment of the American people. The Missouri River Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office provides technical assistance on fishery and aquatic issues to the refuge system through surveys of the fish populations; fish stocking recommendations, activities to protect and enhance fish populations and their habitats; preservation efforts of for threatened, endangered, depleted, and native fish species and their habitats; effectively address invasive and non-native species issues; and provide knowledge of baseline fishery resources and requirements. The Missouri River Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office works with the individual refuges to provide technical assistance on aquatic issues for the management of the waters on National Wildlife Refuges and includes working closely with refuge personnel, State and local agencies and the public, to maintain a recreational fishery for the enjoyment and appreciation of anglers where applicable and compatible with refuge objectives.
Resources
2005 Summary Report of Work Conducted on Missouri-Yellowstone River's Pallid Sturgeon
Morphological Comparisons of Hatchery-Reared Specimens of Scaphirhynchus albus, S. platorynchus, and S. albus x S. platorynchus Hybrids, September 2001 (PDF 732kb)
Pallid Sturgeon Update (February 2007) (PDF 715kb)
Pallid Sturgeon Spawning & Stocking Summary Report 1992-2004 (May 2005) (PDF 3013kb)
Draft Pallid Sturgeon Annotated Bibliography (May 2004)
Pallid Sturgeon Update (April 2004) (PDF 787kb)
Pallid Sturgeon Update (February 2002)
Pallid Sturgeon Update (December 2000) (PDF 1622kb)
Pallid Sturgeon Update (May 1999)
Pallid Sturgeon Update (November 1997) (PDF 36mb)
Pallid Sturgeon Update (April 1996) (PDF 26mb)
Pallid Sturgeon Update (November 1993) (PDF 19mb)
Pallid Sturgeon Update (May 1993) (PDF 16mb)
Pallid Sturgeon Update (August 1992) (PDF 15mb)
Pallid Sturgeon Update (April 1992) (PDF 13mb)
Pallid Sturgeon Update (August 1991) (PDF 13mb)
Pallid Sturgeon Recovery Plan (PDF 9.89mb)
Biological Procedures and Protocol for Collecting, Tagging, Sampling, Holding, Culture, Transporting, and Data Recording for Researchers and Managers Handling Pallid Sturgeon September 2005 (PDF 1623kb)
Archived Station Reports
2001 Pallid Sturgeon Field Activities (PDF 1070kb)
2000 Pallid Sturgeon Field Activities (PDF 1664kb)
1999 Pallid Sturgeon Field Activities (PDF 644kb)
1998 Pallid Sturgeon Field Activities (PDF 1281kb)
Steve Krentz
Project Leader
Steven_Krentz@fws.gov
Wade King
Fisheries Biologist
Wade_King@fws.gov
Ryan Wilson
Biological Technician
Ryan_Wilson@fws.gov
Zac Sandness
Biological Technician
Zac_Sandness@fws.gov
Amanda Goldstein
Fish & Wildlife Biologist
Amanda_Goldstein@fws.gov
Ryan Bart
Fish & Wildlife Biologist
Ryan_Bart@fws.gov
Department of the Interior
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