The Department of Natural Resources, Michigan State University, Tower-Kleber Limited Partnership and Sturgeon For Tomorrow will host sturgeon hatchery tours at the Black River facility near Onaway, Michigan, Saturday, Aug. 23. Tours will run from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.Tours are free of charge. Groups of 10 or more participants are asked to pre-register by calling 231-625-2776. Meeting arrangements will be made upon registration. The hatchery is located in Cheboygan County on the Upper Black River on Twin School Road, adjacent to the Kleber Dam. During the tours, researchers from the DNR and MSU will be on hand to talk about lake sturgeon biology, reproductive ecology and the current year’s research. Sturgeon for Tomorrow representatives will discuss restoration work to improve sturgeon spawning habitat, sturgeon conservation and outreach programming. “On the tour visitors will see the 3-month-old lake sturgeon currently in the hatchery, and learn about early life history and how we can all play a role to keep healthy populations of this fish in our waters,” said Dave Borgeson, Northern Lake Huron Unit supervisor with the DNR. The streamside rearing facility is an important component of lake sturgeon rehabilitation efforts in the Cheboygan River watershed. The facility conducts research to determine growth and survival of lake sturgeon, thanks to DNR, federal, Great Lakes Fishery Trust and Sturgeon for Tomorrow funds. Results provide much-needed guidance for managers involved in lake sturgeon recovery efforts, while improving the effectiveness of lake sturgeon culture and stocking efforts. The sturgeon fingerlings reared at the hatchery are scheduled to be released into the Black River and Mullett Lake Aug. 23 after the tours conclude. For more information on lake sturgeon and to learn how to become involved in their rehabilitation efforts, visit www.sturgeonfortomorrow.org, www.michigan.gov/sturgeon or www.fw.msu.edu/glsturgeon.
