SAGINAW BAY
STURGEON RESTORATION
For the first time, Lake Sturgeon are being released into the Saginaw River system. Be part of the effort to return this threatened species to their home.
About
The Lake Sturgeon is found in many large rivers and lakes in North America, and Michigan is at the center of its historic range. In the early 1800s, Lake Sturgeon were common to all of the Great Lakes, but sturgeon numbers declined because of habitat degradation and commercial exploitation. Today, the Saginaw Bay has what is considered to be a "remnant" population. Learn more here from Michigan Sea Grant.
Project
The effort to restore the Saginaw Bay sturgeon population began in the 1990s with habitat restoration efforts, dam removals, and education. Beginning in 2018, a broad partnership of agencies, nonprofit organizations, schools and more, took the first step of releasing more than 1000 juvenile Lake Sturgeon into four Saginaw Bay Watershed rivers : Cass, Tittabawassee, Shiawassee, and Flint.
Support
Be part of the effort to restore this magnificent species in the Saginaw Bay system. Your financial support helps fund restoration projects, purchase sturgeon food for the hatchery system, and support outreach & education efforts. Please consider a gift and feel confident that you are helping on-the-ground work to bring back this threatened species to a river near you!
Get Involved
Learn more about how you can support the program by helping us raise funds, by participating in one of the release events, working with schools, and engaging with decision makers who help make the projects possible. The sturgeon restoration effort is bringing together an amazing coalition of groups and individuals. Become a part of the team!
Have you caught a sturgeon in the Saginaw River system?
With more than 4,000 "new" sturgeon swimming around in the Saginaw River system, the odds of catching one while fishing is increasing. Be part of the effort to help monitor the restoration effort by logging your catch at this location! Report your catch here.
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Adopt a sturgeon!
Ready to help support sturgeon restoration efforts by adopting a sturgeon of your own? Adopt a sturgeon here.