A new tracking study of endangered pallid sturgeon provides the swimming velocities, depths and habitats of reaches successfully negotiated by migrating fish through a dammed portion of the Yellowstone River. The authors conclude, “designs of fishways or devices engineered for sturgeon passage must consider that sturgeons have reduced swimming capabilities and unique behavioral and morphological attributes relative to other fishes (e.g. salmonids) for which passage structures have traditionally been developed.” Their work can help guide engineering design specifications for proposed restoration structures.
Braaten et al. 2015, Restoration Ecology