Lake sturgeon populations in missouri have declined since the late 1800S due to overharvest habitat degradation pollution and installation of passage barriers and dams

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) awarded a $361,364 Project Grant under the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (CFDA 15.615) to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). The grant supports efforts to identify and document spawning by the endangered lake sturgeon in Missouri. This is a critical need to inform future management and recovery efforts for the species, whose populations have declined due to historical overharvesting, habitat degradation, and installation of dams. The project will run from October 2024 through June 2027 and contribute to the goals outlined in the 2021 revised lake sturgeon recovery plan. The findings will help guide decisions on stocking, habitat protection, and other management actions needed to restore sustainable lake sturgeon populations in Missouri.

The species life history characteristics such as being slow to mature 20 30 years multi year spans between individual spawning participation 1 3 years for males 4 10 years for females and low recruitment less than 0.001 EGG to FRY survival also contribute to the challenges of sustaining this population. They have been listed as endangered in missouri since 1974 and are currently under consideration for listing under the federal endangered species act.identifying and documenting spawning by lake sturgeon is critical to achieve recovery and is central to many of the objectives in the 2021 revised recovery plan. Therefore the recovery of lake sturgeon cannot be achieved without the documentation of spawning and natural recruitment to a sustainable level. The proposed project would address this critical need and help inform future management efforts. Nearly all decisions related to lake sturgeon recovery e.g. should we stock lake sturgeon. Where are critical habitats we need to protect. Are linked to identifying if lake sturgeon spawn where that is located and if the progeny recruit to the population. In addition there are several habitat based management outcomes that could be informed by this study.