Pallid Sturgeon and the Role of the Proposed Program

• Description: related to the Platte River Endangered Species Partnership ‎(aka Platte River Recovery Implementation Program or PRRIP)‎
• State: CO
• State: NE
• State: WY
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 1/1/2002
• Author: Working Group of the Technical Committee of the Platte River Endangered Species Partnership ‎(aka Platte River Recovery Implementation Program or PRRIP)‎
• Title: Pallid Sturgeon Slides
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Meeting

The recovery plan for the species identifies changes in the Missouri and
Mississippi Rivers as being the cause of species decline and rightfully notes
that recovery of the species will depend upon recovering the habitats of
those rivers... "It is unlikely that successfully reproducing populations of pallid sturgeon can
be recovered without restoring the habitat elements (morphology, hydrology, temperature,
regime, cover, and sediment /organic matter transport) of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers
necessary for the species continued survival" (USFWS, 1993).
While the research identified by the FWS is important for learning more
about the natural history of this species and some of the important features of
habitat, there is a disconnect between that and the responsibility the CA
and /or proposed Program has in doing that research.
In the USFWS Pallid Sturgeon Recovery Plan under reasons for decline
there is no mention of the Platte River, and in fact there is no empirical
evidence to show the Platte River as ever being a significant contributor to
the survival, reproduction or mortality of pallid sturgeon.