Tours of Black River Sturgeon Hatchery offered on Aug. 20

The sturgeon fingerlings reared at the hatchery are scheduled to be released into the Black River and Mullett Lake on Aug. 20 after the tours conclude.
The sturgeon fingerlings reared at the hatchery are scheduled to be released into the Black River and Mullett Lake on Aug. 20 after the tours conclude.

ONAWAY — The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, along with Sturgeon for Tomorrow, Michigan State University and the Tower-Kleber Limited Partnership, will be offering free sturgeon hatchery tours to the public on Aug. 20.

"Every year we offer free hatchery tours to educate and engage the public about our lake sturgeon recovery programs," said Brenda Archambo, president of the Sturgeon for Tomorrow group. "After the tours, about 1 p.m., sturgeon will be loaded onto a truck and participants can release them into the Upper Black River. After the Black River release, the truck will go to Mullett Lake and release there."

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The hatchery tours will be at the research facility on the Black River, northwest of Onaway, from 10:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 20.

Archambo said the public tours of the facility are traditionally offered once a year, in August, prior to the fingerlings being released into the wild.

More: Lake sturgeon releases add nearly 20,000 fish to Michigan waters

"However, we do try to coordinate tours for Sturgeon in the Classroom students when they release their sturgeon back into the Black River in the spring," she said.

During the tours of the facility, people will be able to see sturgeon fingerlings that are around three months old that have been hatched and reared at the facility in Cheboygan County, adjacent to the Kleber Dam. They will also learn about the history of the prehistoric species of fish and how the DNR, Michigan State University and the other local organizations work together to preserve the fish, its habitat and keep them healthy.

There will be researchers from Michigan State University and the DNR, to talk to those touring the facility about current research that is ongoing to protect the fish and about the biology that makes the species unique. There will also be members of the Sturgeon for Tomorrow group talking about that group's work to restore spawning habitat, the group's outreach programming and conservation to protect the species.

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The goal of this year's stocking of the sturgeon fingerlings into the wild is to release 1,500 of the young fish. Of these fish, there will be 500 released into Black Lake, 500 into Mullett Lake and 500 into the Saginaw Bay Watershed.

Archambo said there will also be sturgeon released into Burt Lake by the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians, who raise Black Lake sturgeon at their hatchery. These will be released during a ceremony at the Sturgeon River on Aug. 27.

The hatchery next to the Black River conducts research to better understand the lake sturgeon species. The work done there is funded by Sturgeon for Tomorrow, the Great Lakes Fisheries Trust, federal funding and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

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The work also helps conservational efforts, such as improving feeding grounds, when to stock the watersheds and how the fish mature throughout their lifetime.

For more information on lake sturgeon and to get involved in rehabilitation efforts, visit SturgeonforTomorrow.org or Michigan.gov/Sturgeon.

The Sturgeon for Tomorrow's 23rd annual banquet is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 10.

"Proceeds from this signature event will be utilized to fund lake sturgeon research, stream side rearing and the hatchery, habitat conservation, Sturgeon in the Classroom and education outreach programming," said Archambo.

More information on the banquet can be found at www.sturgeonfortomorrow.org/banquet.php.

Contact Reporter Kortny Hahn at khahn1@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @khahnCDT.

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Tours of Black River Sturgeon Hatchery offered on Aug. 20