Spread of released Lake Sturgeon: Oswego River basin NY

As part of an ongoing program to restore lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in New York, hatchery-produced juveniles have been stocked into Oneida (8,127) and Cayuga (3,752) lakes, 1995-2004.  Release of juveniles as a restoration strategy assumes movement into available suitable habitat.  This part of the New York Canal system consists largely of a highly altered barge canal, with the majority habitat consisting of relatively homogenous depths,  substrates maintained by regular dredging, and somewhat degraded water quality.  Migration of these fish into the Seneca and Oswego Rivers (Oswego and Erie Canals) is documented.  Measurable local populations appear to be developing in the system upstream and downstream of barriers (lock/dam complexes).  The 2009 average size in the Seneca River was 1.21 m and 9.03 kg.  In the Oswego River it was 1.3 m and 11.94 kg.  The sizes and size distributions of these relatively young fish are contrasted with that of similar age sturgeon in other systems.  These fish are using the availiable habitat and growing well. The canal system offers a suite of human impacted habitat conditions that are unfortunately not so rare within the lake sturgeon’s native range.