Encouraged Scientists Find Sturgeon Eggs Controversial Water Release May Have Helped Endangered Fish Spawn

Idaho scientists are boating on the Kootenai River this month, looking for baby sturgeon.

They’ve already found fertilized eggs. If they find proof that the eggs have hatched, it will suggest that the controversial release of more water from behind Libby Dam could indeed save the endangered fish from extinction.

The flows peaked at 38,000 cubic feet per second on May 17 and 18, reaching the top of the riverbanks in Bonners Ferry.

Most of the fish spawned in late May, said Vaughn Paragamian of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

This spring, the researchers placed 100 mats resembling furnace filters into the river. They found more than 160 eggs on the mats, confirming that spawning occurred downstream of Bonners Ferry.

“We were really hoping to be able to sample eggs above Bonners Ferry. That’s the best and most suitable habitat,” Paragamian said.

State and federal scientists believe high spring runoff is what triggers the sturgeons’ move into spawning areas. The long-lived sturgeon stopped reproducing two decades ago, when Libby Dam was built in Montana.

The dam keeps Bonners Ferry from being flooded and produces electricity. It also allows more land to be farmed.

This year’s high flows caused higher pumping costs for farmers wanting to keep water out of their fields, said Wayne Wagoner of the U.S. Corps of Engineers. About 600 acres may not yield crops because of higher ground water, he said.

Also, riverbank erosion at more than 20 sites may have been caused by this year’s high flows, Wagoner said, and the city of Bonners Ferry reported some road damage caused by erosion.

Officials from the corps and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be in Bonners Ferry on Tuesday to assess the damage.

Also Tuesday, the water will start to rise again. This time, extra water is being released so it will reach the Columbia River and help endangered salmon to migrate.

, DataTimes