The%20Decline%20of%20the%20Pallid%20Sturgeon%20(Scaphirhynchus%20albus)%20in%20the%20Missouri%20River%20Basin:%20An%20Ancient%20Fish%20in%20A%20Modernized%20Ecosystem

1
The Decline of the Pallid Sturgeon
(Scaphirhynchus albus) in the Missouri River
Basin An Ancient Fish in A Modernized Ecosystem
Abstract The pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus
albus) has navigated the muddy waters of what are
now the Missouri and Mississippi rivers of North
America for over 70 million years, yet the past
200 years, (but a blink of an eye in the
evolutionary history of the species) have seen
their numbers dwindle, and this unique and
fascinating species is positioned precariously on
the brink of extinction. Anthropogenic changes to
their ecosystem have dramatically altered their
habitat, as the Pick-Sloan Act placed dams on and
altered flow regimes in the Missouri River. This
has profoundly impacted the pallid sturgeon
population, as flow regime is a key component of
the species ecology. Pollution and habitat
degradation have further threatened the pallid
sturgeons tenuous grasp in the ecosystem, while
increased pressures on North American sturgeon
fisheries to augment the worlds demand for
caviar may increase loss of pallid sturgeon
through poaching or by-catch. Ultimately, these
pressures led to the listing of the pallid
sturgeon as endangered in 1990, and efforts have
increasingly focused on learning more about this
unique and ancient fish, as well as on restoring
its habitat. Despite these efforts, this rare
and relictual animal remains imperiled.
Mark A. Davis Department of Natural Resources and
Environmental Sciences Illinois Natural History
Survey University of Illinois Champaign, IL
2
Since the 19th century, the Missouri River has
suffered severe alteration, ultimately degrading
the ecosystem for the native fishes.
3
Since the 19th century, the Missouri River has
suffered severe alteration, ultimately degrading
the ecosystem for the native fishes.
The pallid sturgeon (Scaphirynchus albus) has
suffered severe population declines concurrent
with ecosystem alteration, leading to the listing
of the pallid sturgeon as endangered in 1990
under the Endangered Species Act.
4
Since the 19th century, the Missouri River has
suffered severe alteration, ultimately degrading
the ecosystem for the native fishes.
The pallid sturgeon (Scaphirynchus albus) has
suffered severe population declines concurrent
with ecosystem alteration, leading to the listing
of the pallid sturgeon as endangered in 1990
under the Endangered Species Act.
Success of recovery efforts are equivocal.
5
The pallid sturgeon is a surviving descendant
of the original ray-finned fishes that dominated
the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian periods.
Hrabik et al. (2007)
6

• The pallid sturgeon evolved approximately 70
  million years ago in the Cretaceous period, the
  age of the dinousaurs. They remain relatively
  unchanged to this day, and represent a relictual
  lineage that is likely niche conserved.

7
The pallid sturgeon evolved approximately 70
million years ago in the Cretaceous period, the
age of the dinousaurs. They remain relatively
unchanged to this day, and represent a relictual
lineage that is likely niche conserved.

• The pallid sturgeon is one of the largest
  Mississippi Drainage fishes. A pallid sturgeon is
  long-lived, surviving for decades, and is also
  very slow reproducing, and thus may not reach
  sexual maturity until later in life, and may
  reproduce only every few years.

8
1800 1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Lewis and Clarks Corps of Discovery

• Snag Removal
• Introduction of nonnative fishes

Navigation enhancement
Damming and flow regulation
The Pick-Sloan Act of 1944
Listing of the pallid sturgeon under the ESA
9
Why are pallid sturgeon declining?

• Low fecundity and/or recruitment

Fecundity?
Recruitment?
10
Why are pallid sturgeon declining?

• Low fecundity and/or recruitment

No verifiable verified natural reproduction or
documented recruitment in the upper Missouri
since the early 1970s (Beckman and Elrod, 1971)
11
Why are pallid sturgeon declining?

• Low fecundity and/or recruitment

No verifiable verified natural reproduction or
documented recruitment in the upper Missouri
since the early 1970s (Beckman and Elrod, 1971)
Natural reproduction in the upper Mississippi
River was not documented prior to 1998 (Hrabik et
al. 2007)
12
Why are pallid sturgeon declining?

• Low fecundity and/or recruitment

No verifiable verified natural reproduction or
documented recruitment in the upper Missouri
since the early 1970s (Beckman and Elrod, 1971)
Natural reproduction in the upper Mississippi
River was not documented prior to 1998 (Hrabik et
al. 2007)
Ecological uncertaintywe just dont know enough
about this enigmatic species.
13
Sediment Transport Reduction
Damming of Tributaries
Riparian Habitat Alteration
Invasive Fishes
Depression of Benthic Invertebrate Populations
Shovelnose Sturgeon Fishing
14
Flood and navigation projects probably reduced
pallid sturgeon numbers further by modifying
large river habitats, planforms, and hydrographs
prompting the USFWS to list it as an endangered
species in 1990. Hrabik et al. (2007)
15
Efforts to conserve the pallid sturgeon in the
Missouri River have been ongoing. A restocking
program was initiated in 1990 to augment
populations of pallid sturgeon throughout their
range.
16
In addition to stocking, a concerted and
coordinated effort has been made to change river
management operations. Habitat restoration in the
lower Missouri River is underway, that include
periodic flow modifications and specific
hydro-engineering. The hope is that these
management actions will improve spawning success
and juvenile survival. Has it been successful?
17
In addition to stocking, a concerted and
coordinated effort has been made to change river
management operations. Habitat restoration in the
lower Missouri River is underway, that include
periodic flow modifications and specific
hydro-engineering. The hope is that these
management actions will improve spawning success
and juvenile survival. Has it been successful?
Since 1978, no records of young wild pallid
sturgeon had been recorded, however larval pallid
sturgeon were finally captured in the Mississippi
river in the late 1990s. Unfortunately, none
were collected from the Missouri, and no
juveniles were collected, suggesting that there
remains no recruitment of pallid sturgeon.
18
In addition to stocking, a concerted and
coordinated effort has been made to change river
management operations. Habitat restoration in the
lower Missouri River is underway, that include
periodic flow modifications and specific
hydro-engineering. The hope is that these
management actions will improve spawning success
and juvenile survival. Has it been successful?
Since 1978, no records of young wild pallid
sturgeon had been recorded, however larval pallid
sturgeon were finally captured in the Mississippi
river in the late 1990s. Unfortunately, none
were collected from the Missouri, and no
juveniles were collected, suggesting that there
remains no recruitment of pallid sturgeon.
Currently the pallid sturgeon population is
estimated at 6,000 to 21,000 individuals. In much
of the range, and in the upper Missouri River, in
particular, the population is composed almost
entirely of older, possibly senescent
individuals. Indeed, only around 250 old pallid
sturgeon remian in the upper Missouri River basin.
19
In addition to stocking, a concerted and
coordinated effort has been made to change river
management operations. Habitat restoration in the
lower Missouri River is underway, that include
periodic flow modifications and specific
hydro-engineering. The hope is that these
management actions will improve spawning success
and juvenile survival. Has it been successful?
Since 1978, no records of young wild pallid
sturgeon had been recorded, however larval pallid
sturgeon were finally captured in the Mississippi
river in the late 1990s. Unfortunately, none
were collected from the Missouri, and no
juveniles were collected, suggesting that there
remains no recruitment of pallid sturgeon.
Currently the pallid sturgeon population is
estimated at 6,000 to 21,000 individuals. In much
of the range, and in the upper Missouri River, in
particular, the population is composed almost
entirely of older, possibly senescent
individuals. Indeed, only around 250 old pallid
sturgeon remian in the upper Missouri River basin.
What do scientific assessments of the pallid
sturgeon recovery tell us?
20
(No Transcript)
21
The pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) is
one of the most critically endangered species in
the United States.
22
The pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) is
one of the most critically endangered species in
the United States.
Habitat for the pallid sturgeon has been
fragmented, inundated by reservoirs, channelized
or otherwise degraded.
23
The pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) is
one of the most critically endangered species in
the United States.
Habitat for the pallid sturgeon has been
fragmented, inundated by reservoirs, channelized
or otherwise degraded.
Remnant adult populations are isolated, small,
and composed of older individuals.
24
The pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) is
one of the most critically endangered species in
the United States.
Habitat for the pallid sturgeon has been
fragmented, inundated by reservoirs, channelized
or otherwise degraded.
Remnant adult populations are isolated, small,
and composed of older individuals.
Attempts to propagate and rear the species in
hatcheries and reintroduce them into remaining
habitat areas have been plagued by disease and
uncertainty in propagation and handling
protocols.
25
The pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) is
one of the most critically endangered species in
the United States.
Habitat for the pallid sturgeon has been
fragmented, inundated by reservoirs, channelized
or otherwise degraded.
Remnant adult populations are isolated, small,
and composed of older individuals.
Attempts to propagate and rear the species in
hatcheries and reintroduce them into remaining
habitat areas have been plagued by disease and
uncertainty in propagation and handling
protocols.
The WDAFS Pallid Sturgeon Recovery Review
Committee is concerned that despite
diligent Effortsexisting pallid sturgeon
recovery efforts are inadequate to prevent
functional extinction of the species in the upper
Missouri River Basin. It is imperative that
substantial recovery occur during the next five
years to prevent extirpation of the species in
the upper basin.
26
The pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) is
one of the most critically endangered species in
the United States.
Habitat for the pallid sturgeon has been
fragmented, inundated by reservoirs, channelized
or otherwise degraded.
Remnant adult populations are isolated, small,
and composed of older individuals.
Attempts to propagate and rear the species in
hatcheries and reintroduce them into remaining
habitat areas have been plagued by disease and
uncertainty in propagation and handling
protocols.
The WDAFS Pallid Sturgeon Recovery Review
Committee is concerned that despite
diligent Effortsexisting pallid sturgeon
recovery efforts are inadequate to prevent
functional extinction of the species in the upper
Missouri River Basin. It is imperative that
substantial recovery occur during the next five
years to prevent extirpation of the species in
the upper basin.
Many factors contribute to this critical
situation, including lack of adequate leadership
from the Recovery Team, lack of federal agency
support of recovery efforts, inadequate funding,
organizational problems within the Workgroup,
technical uncertainty relating to capture and
propagation of pallid sturgeon in hatcheries,
disease problems, and lack of progress in
addressing habitat restoration.
27
Several important pieces of legislation apply to
the pallid sturgeon
National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968
The Endangered Species Act
The Clean Water Act
The Pick-Sloan Flood Control Act of 1944
Return to timeline
28
and numerous stakeholders have interests in the
management of the Missouri River.
River States
Industry
Missouri River Management
Tribes
Numerous states (Montana, North Dakota, South
Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas,
Colorado, Wyoming, Minnesota) lie within the
Missouri River basin, all with interests,
economic, ecological, and aesthetic, in the
management of the Missouri River. Many Native
American tribes have deep historical roots with
the Missouri River, and have land rights along
the banks of the river. Barge traffic and other
industry located along the Missour River have a
vested interest in the management of this
ecosystem.
29

Have the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water
Act, and/or the Wild and Scenic Rivers act been
helpful in advancing the conservation of the
pallid sturgeon and the Missouri River Ecosytem?
30

Have the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water
Act, and/or the Wild and Scenic Rivers act been
helpful in advancing the conservation of the
pallid sturgeon and the Missouri River Ecosytem?
The WADFS Pallid Sturgeon Recovery Review
Committee (2004) has indicated that efforts to
recover the pallid sturgeon as outlined by the
listing under the Endangered Species Act have
been inadequate and the pallid sturgeon remains
critically endangered.
31

Have the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water
Act, and/or the Wild and Scenic Rivers act been
helpful in advancing the conservation of the
pallid sturgeon and the Missouri River Ecosytem?
The WADFS Pallid Sturgeon Recovery Review
Committee (2004) has indicated that efforts to
recover the pallid sturgeon as outlined by the
listing under the Endangered Species Act have
been inadequate and the pallid sturgeon remains
critically endangered.
The Clean Water Act deals primarily with point
sources of pollution in the nations waterways,
and while successful in increasing water quality
standards, it does not address the major issues
facing the recovery of the pallid sturgeon.
32

Have the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water
Act, and/or the Wild and Scenic Rivers act been
helpful in advancing the conservation of the
pallid sturgeon and the Missouri River Ecosytem?
The WADFS Pallid Sturgeon Recovery Review
Committee (2004) has indicated that efforts to
recover the pallid sturgeon as outlined by the
listing under the Endangered Species Act have
been inadequate and the pallid sturgeon remains
critically endangered.
The Clean Water Act deals primarily with point
sources of pollution in the nations waterways,
and while successful in increasing water quality
standards, it does not address the major issues
facing the recovery of the pallid sturgeon.
The Wild and Scenic Rivers act has succeeded in
protecting a portion of the pallid sturgeons
historic range in the upper Missouri River basin.
This may ultimately be where the pallid sturgeon
makes its final stand.
33
The pallid sturgeon remains critically endangered
throughout its range. The alteration of the
Missouri River ecosystem, specifically changes in
historic flow regimes as a result of damming of
the river, have exacerbated the species unique
life history to all but eliminate fecundity and
recruitment.
Remnant populations now consist primarily of
older, senescent individuals. Listing under the
Endangered Species Act and other legislation have
provided some relief to the pallid sturgeon, but
much more must be done to conserve this species
that has roamed the waters of North America for
nearly 70 million years.
34
References

• Braaten, P.J., Fuller, D.B., Holte, L.D., Lott,
  R.D., Viste, W., Brandt, T.F., and R.G. Legare.
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  a natural side channel of the upper Missouri
  River, Montana. North American Journal of
  Fisheries Management 28808-826.
• Bajer, P.G. and M.L. Wildhaber. 2007. Population
  viability analysis of lower Missouri River
  shovelnose sturgeon with initial application to
  pallid sturgeon. Journal of Applied Ichthyology
  23457-464.
• Beamesderfer, R.C.P., and R.A. Farr. 1997.
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• Bemis, W.E., Birstein, V.J., and J.R. Waldman.
  1997. Sturgeon biodiversity and conservation an
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  4813-14.
• Bemis, W.E., Findeis, E.K., and L. Grande. 1997.
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• Bemis, W.E., and B. Kynard. 1997. Sturgeon
  rivers an introduction to acipenseriform
  biogeography and life history. Environmental
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• Birstein, V.J. 1993. Sturgeons and paddlefishes
  in need of conservation. Conservation Biology
  7773-787.
• Boreman, J. 1997. Sensitivity of North American
  sturgeons and paddlefish to fishing mortality.
  Environmental Biology of Fishes 48399-405.
• Bra blett, R.G. and R.G. White. 2001. Habitat use
  and movements of pallid and shovelnose sturgeon
  in the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers in Montana
  and North dakota. Transactions of the American
  Fisheries Society 1301006-1025.
• Colombo, R.E., Garvey, J.E., Jackson, N.D.,
  Brooks, R., Herzog, D.P., Hrabik, R.A., and T.W.
  Spier. 2007. Harvest of Mississippi River
  sturgeon drives abundance and reproductive
  success a harbinger of collapse? Journal of
  Applied Ichthyology 23444-451.
• Darby, S.Egt and C.R. Thorne. 2000. A river runs
  through it morphological and landowner
  sensitivities along the upper Missouri River,
  Montana, USA. Transactions of the Institute of
  British Geographers 2591-107.
• Gaeuman, D. and R.B. Jacobson. 2007. Quantifying
  fluid and bed dynamics ofr characterizing benthic
  physical habitat in large rivers. Journal of
  Applied Ichthyology 23359-364.
• Gerrity, P.C., Guy, C.S., and W.M. Gardner. 2006.
  Juvenile pallid sturgeon are piscivorous a call
  for conserving native cyprinids. Transactions of
  the American Fisheries Society 135604-609.
• Gerrity, P.C., Guy, C.S., and W.M. Gardner. 2008.
  Habitat use of juvenile pallid sturgeon and
  shovelnose sturgeon with implications for
  water-level management in a downstream reservoir.
  North American Journal of Fisheries Management
  28832-843.
• Hrabik, R.A., Herzog, D.P., Ostendorf, D.E., and
  M.D. Petersen. 2007. Larvae provide first
  evidence of successful reproduction by pallid
  sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus albus, in the
  Mississippi River. Journal of Applied Ichthyology
  23436-443.
• Hurley, K.L., Sheehan, R.J., Heidinger, R.C.,
  Willis, P.S., and B. Clevenstine. 2004. Habitat
  use by middle Mississippi River pallid sturgeon.
  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society
  1331033-1041.
• Kallemeyn, L. 1983. Staus of the pallid sturgeon
  (Scaphirhynchus albus). Fisheries 83-9.
• Keenlyne, K.D. 1997. Life history and status of
  the shovelnose sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus
  platorynchus. Environmental Biology of Fishes
  48291-298.
• Keenlyne, K.D., Grossman, E.M., and L.G. Jenkins.
  1992. Fecundity of the pallid sturgeon.
  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society
  121139-140.

35

• Resources
• http//www.epa.gov/watertrain/cwa/
• http//www.wdafs.org/news/2004/pallid_sturgeon_pre
  ss_release.htm
• http//www.rivers.gov/
• http//www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/feature/sturge
  on.html
• http//findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ASV/is_200
  0_Jan-April/ai_65068098
• http//www.kxmc.com/t/pallid-sturgeon
• http//www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/sturg
  eon.html
• http//www.omahariverfront.com/articles2003/200309
  14_pallidsturgeon.htm
• http//watercenter.unl.edu/MoRiverMainstem/Shallow
  PallidSturgeon.asp
• http//www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2004/2004-07-13
  -11.asp
• http//fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors/html/articles/2006/pa
  llidsturgeon.htm

36
Derived from the word fecund, fecundity generally
refers to the ability to reproduce. In biology
and demography, fecundity is the potential
reproductive capacity of an organism or
population, measured by the number of gametes
(eggs), seed set or asexual propagules.
37
The Pick-Sloan legislation called for the
Missouri River to be managed for six purposes
flood control, navigation, hydropower,
recreation, water supply and fish and wildlife.
Traditionally, the Army Corps has focused on
flood control, navigation (barge traffic in
particular) and hydropower.
38
The Endangered Species act
39
The Endangered Species act
Authorizes the determination and listing of
species as endangered and threatened
40
The Endangered Species act
Authorizes the determination and listing of
species as endangered and threatened
Prohibits unauthorized taking, possession, sale,
and transport of endangered species
41
The Endangered Species act
Authorizes the determination and listing of
species as endangered and threatened
Prohibits unauthorized taking, possession, sale,
and transport of endangered species
Provides authority to acquire land for the
conservation of listed species, using land and
water conservation funds
42
The Endangered Species act
Authorizes the determination and listing of
species as endangered and threatened
Prohibits unauthorized taking, possession, sale,
and transport of endangered species
Provides authority to acquire land for the
conservation of listed species, using land and
water conservation funds
Authorizes establishment of cooperative
agreements and grants-in-aid to States that
establish and maintain active and adequate
programs for endangered and threatened wildlife
and plants
43
The Endangered Species act
Authorizes the determination and listing of
species as endangered and threatened
Prohibits unauthorized taking, possession, sale,
and transport of endangered species
Provides authority to acquire land for the
conservation of listed species, using land and
water conservation funds
Authorizes establishment of cooperative
agreements and grants-in-aid to States that
establish and maintain active and adequate
programs for endangered and threatened wildlife
and plants
Authorizes the assessment of civil and criminal
penalties for violating the Act or regulations
44
The Endangered Species act
Authorizes the determination and listing of
species as endangered and threatened
Prohibits unauthorized taking, possession, sale,
and transport of endangered species
Provides authority to acquire land for the
conservation of listed species, using land and
water conservation funds
Authorizes establishment of cooperative
agreements and grants-in-aid to States that
establish and maintain active and adequate
programs for endangered and threatened wildlife
and plants
Authorizes the assessment of civil and criminal
penalties for violating the Act or regulations
Authorizes the payment of rewards to anyone
furnishing information leading to arrest and
conviction for any violation of the Act or any
regulation issued thereunder
45
The Endangered Species act
Authorizes the determination and listing of
species as endangered and threatened
Prohibits unauthorized taking, possession, sale,
and transport of endangered species
Provides authority to acquire land for the
conservation of listed species, using land and
water conservation funds
Authorizes establishment of cooperative
agreements and grants-in-aid to States that
establish and maintain active and adequate
programs for endangered and threatened wildlife
and plants
Authorizes the assessment of civil and criminal
penalties for violating the Act or regulations
Authorizes the payment of rewards to anyone
furnishing information leading to arrest and
conviction for any violation of the Act or any
regulation issued thereunder
46
Tribal Lands in the Missouri River Basin
47
Missouri River Basin Sates
48
Recruitment is the number of new juvenile fish
reaching a size/age where they represent a viable
target for the commercial, subsistence or sport
fishery for a given species.
49

• Niche conservatism is the tendency of species to
  retain ancestral ecological characteristics, or
  the failure to broaden or shift its ecological
  niche over time.

50
A drainage basin is an extent of land where water
from rain or snow melt drains downhill into a
body of water, such as a river. The drainage
basin includes both the streams and rivers that
convey the water as well as the land surfaces
from which water drains into those channels, and
is separaged from adjacent basins by a drainage
divide. Some other terms used for a drainage
include catchment, catchment area, catchment
basin, drainage area, river basin, water basin
and watershed.
DeBarry,Paul A. (2004). Watersheds Processes,
Assessment and Management. John Wiley Sons
51
Scaphirhynchus albus now inhabits the Missouri
river from Montana to its confluence with the
Mississippi river, the Mississippi River from the
mouth of the Missouri River to the Gulf of
Mexico, and in some lower reaches of the Missouri
and Mississippi river tributaries. Hrabik et
al. 2007
52
3 million acres of riparian habitat along the
Missouri River has been altered through land-use
changes, inundation, channelization, and levee
building.
53
Prior to 1950, approximately 142 million tons of
sediment were carried past Sioux City, Iowa each
year. After construction of dams as a result of
the Pick-Sloan act, a mere 4 million tons were
carried past Sioux City. This drastic change has
severe implications for the pallid sturgeon, a
species that has evolved to thrive in a muddy
water ectosystem. The reduction in sediment
decreased deposition on the river bottom,
reducing habitat for aquatic insects, the primary
prey of pallid sturgeon. It also increased
visibility in the water, allowing predators to
see sturgeon better. Finally, associated changes
in water temperature may impact the sturgeon
spawning success.
54
At least 75 dams have been constructed on
tributary streams of the Missouri River. These
dams further serve to alter the flow regime,
decrease the incidence and severity of flooding,
reduce the sediment load, and limit the
historical conditions of the Missouri River for
the pallid sturgeon.
55
Non-native fishes have had a profound impact on
the Missouri River ecosystem, as non-native sport
fishes exist in greater numbers than native
fishes in many reaches of the river. These
non-natives can impact the native fish population
by outcompeting or preying upon the native
fishes. In fact, in the Missouri River, 51 of 67
native fish species are listed as rare, uncommon,
or decreasing. Though non-native fishes are not
solely responsible for these decreases, they are
a contributor to the decline in native fish
biodiversity in the Missour River ecosystem.
56
Production of benthic invertebrates has been
reduced by 70 in remnant unchannelized reaches
of the Missouri River. As these insects are the
primary food source for pallid sturgeon, the loss
of the prey base limits the number of pallid
sturgeon the river can support.
57
In recent years, the United States has witnessed
rapidly increasing commercial demand for the
sympatric (and morpholgically similar) shovelnose
sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus), stemming
from rising demand and exacerbated by the recent
collapes of sturgeon fisheries in Europe and
Asia. Why is there such a high demand for
sturgeon?
58
Caviar
59
Apparently common in the Missouri river around
1900, the pallid sturgeon comprised one of five
sturgeon, but was less common in the Mississippi
River where it was observed once in every 500
sturgeon brought to fish markets. The pallid
sturgeon began to decline after 1900 because of
overharvesting.
60
Apparently common in the Missouri river around
1900 comprising one of five sturgeon, but was
less common in the Mississippi River where it was
observed once in every 500 sturgeon brought to
fish markets. The pallid sturgeon began to
decline after 1900 because of overharvesting.
Harvest for caviar in the Missouri and
Mississippi rivers dropped to around 9000kg at
the turn of the 20th century, but sharply
increased to approximately 36,000 kg in 2001,
coinciding with the collapse of European and
Asian sturgeon fisheries. Though these activities
focus on the more common and less restricted
shovelnose sturgeon, the increase in commercial
sturgeon activities may impact pallid sturgeon
via bycatch or poaching.
61
The construction of dams following the Pick-Sloan
Act of 1944 drastically altered the Missouri
River ecosystem. Peak flow amplitude and
frequency sharply reduced.
Current dam operation reduces the Missouris
natural hydrologic variability, creating a 9 foot
deep channel for navigation.
Return to Legislation ------gt
62
Management for a 9 foot deep channel runs counter
to established river science. Natural variability
in the river is ESSENTIAL to biological
productivity and species richness in large
floodplain rivers.
63
Management for a 9 foot deep channel runs counter
to established river science. Natural variability
in the river is ESSENTIAL to biological
productivity and species richness in large
floodplain rivers.
The most pervasive result of habitat alteration
from management in rivers such as the Missouri is
the proliferation of non-native species, and
impacts not only the native fishes and
invertebrates, but even extends to the floral
community in the adjacent riparian areas.
64
Management for a 9 foot deep channel runs counter
to established river science. Natural variability
in the river is ESSENTIAL to biological
productivity and species richness in large
floodplain rivers.
The most pervasive result of habitat alteration
from management in rivers such as the Missouri is
the proliferation of non-native species, and
impacts not only the native fishes and
invertebrates, but even extends to the floral
community in the adjacent riparian areas.
Flood pulses and low flow periods are what
maintain large floodplain river health by
resetting the system, reinitiating early
vegetational succession, and limiting certain
animal assocaiations that can outcompete species
normally restricted to life within the river
channel.
65
Lewis and Clarks Corps of Discoery
". . . the object of your mission is to explore
the Missouri river, and such principal streams of
it, as, by its course and communication with the
waters of the Pacific Ocean, whether the
Columbia, Oregon, Colorado or any other river,
may offer the most direct and practicable water
communication across this continent for the
purposes of commerce . . . Thomas
Jefferson
66
The results and accomplishments of the Lewis and
Clark expedition were extensive. It altered the
imperial struggle for the control of North
America, particularity in the Pacific northwest,
by strengthening the U.S. claim to the areas now
including the states of Oregon and Washington.
Lewis and Clark added to geographic knowledge by
determining the true course of the Upper Missouri
and its major tributaries, and producing
important maps of these areas. Lewis and Clark
made significant additions to the zoological and
botanical knowledge of the continent, providing
the first scientific descriptions of many new
species of animals, including the grizzly bear,
prairie dog, pronghorn antelope, and mountain
goat.
67
In December 1803 William Clark established "Camp
River Dubois" at the confluence of the
Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, north of St.
Louis. While there he recruited and trained men,
while Lewis spent time in St. Louis, conferring
with traders about the Upper Missouri regions and
obtaining maps made by earlier explorers. On May
14, 1804 William Clark and the Corps of Discovery
left Camp River Dubois, and were joined by
Meriwether Lewis in St. Charles, Missouri.
68
In December 1803 William Clark established "Camp
River Dubois" at the confluence of the
Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, north of St.
Louis. While there he recruited and trained men,
while Lewis spent time in St. Louis, conferring
with traders about the Upper Missouri regions and
obtaining maps made by earlier explorers. On May
14, 1804 William Clark and the Corps of Discovery
left Camp River Dubois, and were joined by
Meriwether Lewis in St. Charles, Missouri.
The results and accomplishments of the Lewis and
Clark expedition were extensive. It altered the
imperial struggle for the control of North
America, particularity in the Pacific northwest,
by strengthening the U.S. claim to the areas now
including the states of Oregon and Washington.
Lewis and Clark added to geographic knowledge by
determining the true course of the Upper Missouri
and its major tributaries, and producing
important maps of these areas.
69
In December 1803 William Clark established "Camp
River Dubois" at the confluence of the
Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, north of St.
Louis. While there he recruited and trained men,
while Lewis spent time in St. Louis, conferring
with traders about the Upper Missouri regions and
obtaining maps made by earlier explorers. On May
14, 1804 William Clark and the Corps of Discovery
left Camp River Dubois, and were joined by
Meriwether Lewis in St. Charles, Missouri.
The results and accomplishments of the Lewis and
Clark expedition were extensive. It altered the
imperial struggle for the control of North
America, particularity in the Pacific northwest,
by strengthening the U.S. claim to the areas now
including the states of Oregon and Washington.
Lewis and Clark added to geographic knowledge by
determining the true course of the Upper Missouri
and its major tributaries, and producing
important maps of these areas.
Lewis and Clark made significant additions to the
zoological and botanical knowledge of the
continent, providing the first scientific
descriptions of many new species of animals,
including the grizzly bear, prairie dog,
pronghorn antelope, and mountain goat.
70
One of the earliest human impacts on the Missouri
River was the removal of snags from the river
channel. Snags are accumulations of woody debris
that are and imporant part of riverine ecosystem
function by creating heterogeneity in flow within
the channel. This provides habitat for fishes and
allows the river to function normally and meander
through the landscape. The corps of engineers
began efforts to remove snags from the Missouri
River as early as 1824. This led to the corps
removing snagshundreds upon hundreds of them.
Then they found that they could draw a straighter
line on a map than a meandering river could cut.
The Corps removed oxbows and straightened out the
river, shortening the river by 57 miles just
within the state of Missouri and a total of more
than 125 miles before reaching Sioux City.
71
Non-native fishes are those species introduced
into an ecosystem that dont historically occur
there. They can cause a number of problems by
predating upon and/or outcompeting native fishes.
Most recently, and most famously, the Asian
bighead carp has invaded the Mississippi and
Missouri rivers. This is especially problematic
for sturgeon, because these carp are voracious
filter feeders, and are in direct competition
with sturgeon for food. Further, modification of
the river has made conditions LESS favorable for
the niche conserved pallid sturgeon, while making
conditions MORE favorable for bighead carp.
72
Navigation enhancement in the Missouri began in
earnest with the Missouri River Bank
Stabilization and Navigation Project, authorized
by Congress in 1912, that established the
beginning of a century-long project to create a
permanent channel for navigation from St. Louis
to Sioux City, Iowa. This project led to the
channelization, or straightening, of the Missouri
River by creating wing-dams and piers that divert
the current away from the eroding shoreline.
These structures increased the rivers velocity,
loosened sediment and deepened the channel. The
Corps of Engineers shored up the banks with rock
and they dredged. They built an amazingly
efficient channel nine feet deep and 300 feet
wide that now scours itself.
73
Not only is this going to be, I am told, the
largest earthwork dam in the world, but I believe
also that in its construction we are going to do
a very great amount of good for the elimination
of unemployment. That means unemployment today
and unemployment in the future. In so far as
unemployment today goes, this type of dam
probably uses more manpower, more hours of work
in its completion, than concrete dams or other
types
74
Not only is this going to be, I am told, the
largest earthwork dam in the world, but I believe
also that in its construction we are going to do
a very great amount of good for the elimination
of unemployment. That means unemployment today
and unemployment in the future. In so far as
unemployment today goes, this type of dam
probably uses more manpower, more hours of work
in its completion, than concrete dams or other
types
when this dam is completed, it is going to be
an important factor in the navigation of the
Missouri River. It is going to help to maintain a
nine-foot channel. This channel will connect with
the Mississippi. It will enable the wheat growers
and farmers of the Northwest to get cheaper
transportation rates from the middle of the
country to the south and the east and to foreign
countries. Then, of course, there are other
features the power that will be generated the
effect on flood control and soil erosion. One of
the things that makes me happiest is that
downstream from this point they are going to be
able to place under irrigation some 84,000 acres
of land- land which today is not particularly fit
for human habitation and which, when we get water
on it, will be the means of support and honest
livelihood for thousands of American families.
Now people talk about the Fort Peck Dam as the
fulfillment of a dream. It is only a small
percentage of the whole dream covering all of the
important watersheds of the Nation. One of those
watersheds is what we call the watershed of the
Missouri River, not only the main stem of the
Missouri, but countless tributaries that run into
it and countless other tributaries that run into
those tributaries. Before American men and women
get through with this job, we are going to make
every ounce and every gallon of water that falls
from the Heaven and the hills count before it
makes its way down to the Gulf of Mexico.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Fort Peck, Montana, 6
August 1934
75
Senescence is the process of becoming old.
Typically decreases in survival and reproduction
accompany the process. As the number of senescent
individuals in a population increases, the
fecundity and recruitment in the population
declines precipitously. This is extremely
problematic for the pallid sturgeon, as they
historically exhibit low fecundity and
recruitment.
76
The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the cornerstone of
surface water quality protection in the United
States. The statute employs a variety of
regulatory and nonregulatory tools to sharply
reduce direct pollutant discharges into
waterways, finance municipal wastewater treatment
facilities, and manage polluted runoff. These
tools are employed to achieve the broader goal of
restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical,
and biological integrity of the nation's waters
so that they can support "the protection and
propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and
recreation in and on the water."
77
The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was
created by Congress in 1968 (Public Law 90-542
16 U.S.C. 1271 et seq.) to preserve certain
rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and
recreational values in a free-flowing condition
for the enjoyment of present and future
generations. The Act is notable for safeguarding
the special character of these rivers, while also
recognizing the potential for their appropriate
use and development. It encourages river
management that crosses political boundaries and
promotes public participation in developing goals
for river protection. http//www.rivers.gov/
78
The 149-mile Upper Missouri National Wild and
Scenic River flows through the Upper Missouri
River Breaks National Monument. The land and the
rugged, surrounding uplands (commonly call the
Missouri Breaks) are defined in part by their
history. The entire region was the homeland and
lifeblood of American Indians. The river served
as the pathway for Lewis and Clark, then the
waterway for steamboats and a drawing card for
fur trappers and traders. Later, the river and
the Missouri Breaks were sanctuaries for
desperados trying to stay a step ahead of the
law. The land was also a source of hope and
inspiration for several generations of
homesteaders. Today the public lands in the
monument make a significant contribution to the
local lifestyle and the regional economy.
http//www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/lewistown_field_off
ice/UM.html
79
The 149-mile Upper Missouri National Wild and
Scenic River flows through the Upper Missouri
River Breaks National Monument. The land and the
rugged, surrounding uplands (commonly call the
Missouri Breaks) are defined in part by their
history. The entire region was the homeland and
lifeblood of American Indians. The river served
as the pathway for Lewis and Clark, then the
waterway for steamboats and a drawing card for
fur trappers and traders. Later, the river and
the Missouri Breaks were sanctuaries for
desperados trying to stay a step ahead of the
law. The land was also a source of hope and
inspiration for several generations of
homesteaders. Today the public lands in the
monument make a significant contribution to the
local lifestyle and the regional economy.
http//www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/lewistown_field_off
ice/UM.html
This protected section of the Missouri River
remains the most pristine remaining habitat for
the pallid sturgeon.