Basis of Design for a White Sturgeon Conservation Aquaculture Facility

The Kootenai Tribe of Idaho (USA) has been successfully operating a conservation aquaculture facility to restore the Kootenai River white sturgeon since 1999.  However, the current facility has operational deficiencies that limit flexibility to implement changes to restoration strategies based upon recent population monitoring results.  Therefore, the Kootenai Tribe is constructing a new multi-species conservation aquaculture facility that will improve capabilities and expand flexibility of the white sturgeon aquaculture program to make appropriate changes as population monitoring and evaluation results guide future management actions.  During the design-phase, aquaculture regimes that promote post-release survival, growth, and condition were identified by examining long-term monitoring results.  A “Basis of Design” outlining environmental regimes used during egg incubation and larval / juvenile rearing  that promote post-release survival; and a “Biocriteria” listing life-stage specific information such as survival, water source(s), temperature regime, feed, equipment needs, rearing density, flow rates, etc., were developed to guide final design and construction.  The new hatchery design will be presented, and the rationale behind the design will be discussed.  The main objective is to convey some of the main considerations in planning long-term conservation aquaculture programs to restore sturgeon populations.