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Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Sturgeon Rearing

Manistee, MI

In an effort to bolster lake sturgeon, the LRBOI hired Bonestroo (then Northern Environmental) to design and build the only portable streamside sturgeon larvae rearing facility in the world on behalf of the LRBOI.

The LBROI uses streamside larvae rearing, as opposed to offsite hatcheries, to imprint the sturgeon with the unique physical and chemical characteristics of the river, thus preserving the exclusive genetic identity of the river's spawning population. Imprinting also encourages the sturgeon to return to the same rivers to spawn once they reach maturity. This investment by the LRBOI led to a facility design that has now been implemented at multiple locations on Lake Michigan tributaries in Wisconsin and Michigan. In addition, it has become part of a comprehensive effort to restore lake sturgeon populations in Lake Michigan.