Daily Newsletters
Account
Washington Evening Journal
111 North Marion Avenue
Washington, IA 52353
319-653-2191
Conservation Corner: Pallid Sturgeon in Iowa
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
The DNR Fishing Report depends on reports from local fishermen. This past week Lake Geode and other fishing areas close to New London did not send in comments. However, the Department of Natural Resources announced its discovery of pallid sturgeon in the Des Moines River. The discovery came during the DNR’s annual spring sampling efforts. The Skunk and the Des Moines Rivers are favorite fishing spots for southeast Iowa fishermen.
Pallid sturgeon are a federally protected species. The spring sampling has been conducted since 2014. Shovelnose sturgeons and an occasional lake sturgeon have been found. Joe Larscheid, chief of Iowa DNR’s Fisheries Bureau noted “To find a pallid sturgeon was a surprise, but to find a second one in nearly the same spot a week later was truly remarkable.”
Placed on the endangered species list in 1990 due to the continual decline in their populations in the Missouri and lower Mississippi basins. The decline is due to loss of habitat loss, dams and blocked migration routes. The Missouri River has been the focus of the recovery efforts. The official documentation of the fish in the Des Moines River is exciting news.
Pallid sturgeon are one of the rarest and most endangered species in North America. Previous collection of the fish occurred long the Iowa portion of the Missouri River. Nine out of ten of this fish were stocked from a hatchery. Finding two decades old naturally reproduced specimens adds to the excitement. Mark Flammang, fisheries biologist for the IDNR warns “The wild population remains critically small is is not self-sustaining.” The positive nature of the discovery means that fisherman must be able to identify the different species. Sturgeon to not spawn until they are 15-20 years old.
The Iowa Fishing Regulations includes images identifying characteristics for the lake sturgeon, the pallid sturgeon, and the shovelnose sturgeon. Pallid sturgeon have a smooth belly; its outer barbels are twice as long as the inner barbels; and the base of barbels is “U” shaped, with inner two set out in front. Of the three, only the shovelnose sturgeon may be kept – the lake and pallid sturgeon must be immediately released unharmed.
