Extra water released at Libby Dam to help spawning sturgeon

Kootenai River sturgeon are starting to spawn and extra water will be released through Libby Dam in an effort to mimic pre-dam flow conditions.

Flows will start increasing Friday morning, eventually hitting 27,000 cubic feet of water per second on Monday. The flows will remain at that level for seven to 10 days before they start decreasing again. By mid-June, flows should taper to 7,000 cubic feet per second and stay there through August.

Sturgeon populations have declined since the dam altered the river. The increased flows are designed to coax sturgeon above Bonners Ferry into habitat better suited for spawning and egg survival.

A public information meeting about Libby Dam operations takes place from 6-7 p.m. May 26 at the Boundary County Extension Office in Bonners Ferry.