No More Virgin Sturgeon
By: Jeff Helsdon
For only the second time in decades, lake sturgeon have spawned in the Detroit River. The fish, which reproduced this spring, used man-made habitat created expressly for this purpose.
Sturgeon were once abundant in the river, but overfishing and dredging to deepen the river for navigation reduced their numbers. Last fall, biologists recreated 12 limestone reefs (a spawning habitat preferred by sturgeon) at the northeast corner of Fighting Island, the largest island in the river.
"Its depth and flow were appropriate and it was known historically as a spawning area," said Matthew Child, director of watershed restoration for the Essex Region Conservation Authority.
Even so, Child expected to wait several years before sturgeon started using the habitat. Instead, he was surprised to see they used four reefs this spring.
