After spending the winter in a canal below Milner Dam, a large 7 foot-long sturgeon was just moved from the canal to Lake Walcott. A local angler who was looking to catch a few rainbow trout was surprised when he came across a very large sturgeon that had become trapped below Milner Dam. After his discovery, fishery biologists and enforcement officers from the Magic Valley Region gathered up the necessary equipment to move such a large fish out of the canal.
Using a large sling, which is necessary when lifting a large cartilaginous fish out of the water, Magic Valley staff were able to quickly capture the fish and place it into a large fish transport tank.
Once the crew arrived at Lake Walcott, the fish was given a PIT tag which will allow biologists to identify this particular fish in the future, if recaptured. Other data that was collected was total length and girth measurements, as well as a small fin clip was taken for genetic analysis.
While moving individual fish is not the norm, moving a long-lived fish, like a sturgeon, is worthy of special efforts since this fish can provide angling opportunity for potentially decades to come.
For additional information contact the Magic Valley Region at (208) 324-4359.