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Home , Nelson River, Shamattawa First Nation, Stephens Lake (Manitoba), Winnipeg River

Lake Sturgeon in A Summary of Current Knowledge 2019 1.0 INTRODUCTION 4

1.1 Lake Sturgeon Biogeography and Biology 4 1.2 Historical and Contemporary Trends 5 1.3 Lake Sturgeon Management in Manitoba 6

2.0 WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT LAKE STURGEON POPULATIONS IN MANITOBA 8

2.1 Churchill 8 Saskatchewan Border to Missi Falls CS 8 Lower Churchill River (Missi Falls CS to ) 9 2.2 11 Saskatchewan Border to Grand Rapids GS 11 2.3 13 to Whitemud Falls 13 Whitemud Falls to Kelsey GS 15 Kelsey GS to Kettle GS 16 Kettle GS – Long Spruce GS 18 Long Spruce GS – Limestone GS 19 Limestone GS – Hudson Bay 19 2.4 20 2.5 Red- 21 21 Red River 23 2.6 Lake (including tributaries downstream of impassible barriers) 23 2.7 East-side Tributaries of 24 2.8 25 /Manitoba Border – Pointe du Bois GS 27 Pointe du Bois GS – Slave Falls GS 27 Slave Falls GS – Seven Sisters GS 28 Seven Sisters GS – McArthur GS 29 McArthur GS – Great Falls GS 29 Great Falls GS – Pine Falls GS 30 3.0 WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT LAKE STURGEON ECOLOGY IN MANITOBA 31

3.1 Habitat 31 3.2 Spawning 32 3.3 Early life history (egg, larval and young-of-the-year) 34 3.4 Juvenile life history 35 3.5 Adult life history 37 3.6 Recruitment patterns (year-class strength) 38 3.7 Stocking 39 3.8 Upstream passage 41 3.9 Downstream passage 42 3.10 Population structuring 42

4.0 CONCLUSION 44

5.0 REFERENCES 45 4 Museum) from theRoseau Riverin1903.(Photo credit: Manitoba The largest captured Lake Sturgeon inManitoba, reported increased iswarranted. to thepoint where a summary in Manitoba are ongoing,thebreadth ofknowledgehas populations. WhileLake Sturgeon recovery initiatives the status andtrajectory ofsomethemostvulnerable has improved considerably, andmore isknownabout ecological understanding ofLake Sturgeon inManitoba efforts. Particularly withinthepast15years, institutions havebeeninvolvedinresearch andrecovery sturgeon management groups, andmultipleacademic Fisheries andOceans (DFO), , several and Water Stewardship of (MCWS)),Department Development (MSD;formerly Manitoba Conservation includingManitoba Sustainable 1990, manyparties populations inManitoba. Since approximately recovering Lake Sturgeon (Acipenserfulvescens) began inthelate 1800s,focus hasbeenplaced on Following rapid andsevere population declinesthat 1.0 INTRODUCTION Sturgeon are benthic generalists, foraging onwhatever habitat andusesmallhomeranges. Juvenile Lake large rivers, juvenilesare knownto prefer deepwater wherein theyremain throughout thejuvenilestage. In year Lake Sturgeon descend into downstream lakes, velocities, andsand-substrate. Infall, young-of-the- in habitats characterized byshallowdepths,low summer spend theirfirst feeding onsmallinvertebrates In theGreat Lakes tributaries, young-of-the-year onto thesubstrate. considerable distances) downstream prior to settling begins, anddrift withthecurrent (insomecases after theyolk-sacisabsorbed andexogenous feeding incubation emerge periods. from Larvae thesubstrate (bedrock, boulder, cobble) andhatch after 7–10day not necessary. Fertilized eggsadhere to hard substrates of thesehabitats meansthat lengthymigrations are and overwintering habitats. Inothersystems, overlap tributaries, prior to descending backtowards foraging cases knownto migrate over100kmto spawninnatal literature hasbeenderived), Lake Sturgeon are insome recently, thevast majority oftheLake Sturgeon falls orrapids. IntheGreat Lakes area (where, until of various size during spring, typically at thebaseof 3 –7yearsinfemales. Lake Sturgeon spawn inrivers 1–3yearsinmales,andevery believed to beevery respectively. Thereafter, theyspawnonlyperiodically; the firsttime)until theyare about15and25yearsold, typically donotevenreach maturity (andspawnfor reproductive strategy. Maleandfemale Lake Sturgeon The Lake Sturgeon’s longevityislinked to its Winnipeg Riverwhichflowsthrough Manitoba). from Lake oftheWoods, Ontario (headwaters ofthe Sturgeon was agedat 154yearsoldwhenharvested While lifespans of50–80yearsare common, aLake perhaps thelargest Lake Sturgeon everphotographed. thought to bethelargest fish captured inManitoba, and the Roseau River, to reported be4.5mand184 kg, is known for itslarge size. OneLake Sturgeon captured in unique fish.Aprehistoric relic, theLake Sturgeon iswell America, andisarguablyin North Manitoba’s most Lake Sturgeon istheonlyfreshwater sturgeon found Hudson BayandMississippi Riverdrainage basins,the With ahistorical range spanningtheGreat Lakes, 1.1 LAKE STURGEON BIOGEOGRAPHY AND BIOLOGY

1800s, driven firstbydemand for isinglass (usedin Lake beganduring theearly Sturgeon to harvest mid their oilyfleshburnedbysteamships. The commercial toreported havebeen “stacked like cordwood” and designed to capture scale fish. Lake Sturgeon were as anuisance speciesbecause itdestroyed nets European settlers initiallyregarded theLake Sturgeon corn from theHurons. traded sturgeon products to procure as goodssuch Indigenous peoples.TheNipissing people,for example, produced alsowere usedasabasisfor trade withother and bagsorcontainers from theskin.Pemmican andoil Other products includedgluefrom theswimbladder meat similarto pemmican that could bekept for years. providing oil, fresh caviar, meat, ofdried andasupply foodwere animportant source for Indigenouspeoples rapids where thefish congregated. Lake Sturgeon abundant sturgeonto harvest from lakes, rivers and centuries byCree peoplewhowere drawn together Lake inQuebec,manygathering places were usedfor From Grand Rapids inManitoba eastto Champion and socialtiesholdingofreligious ceremonies. These gatherings facilitated renewal offriendship bytheseasonalabundancesupported ofsturgeon. in thelate 1800sat theRainy RiverinOntario were and name,respectively. Large gatherings ofOjibwa Ojibwa knowthefishasnamew(alsospellednamao) American Indigenouspeoples.TheCree North and The Lake Sturgeon hasarich cultural significance to 1.2 HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY TRENDS distances ofupto 300km. Still, insomesystems Lake Sturgeon are knownto cover limited movement extents andaffinity to core areas. overwintering habitats, Lake Sturgeon tend to exhibit from movements between spawning,foraging and Lake Sturgeon considerably vary bylocality, butaside throughout therest oftheir life. Movement patterns of continue to forage onlarge quantities ofinvertebrates crayfish) maybe butLakeconsumed, Sturgeon will Approaching adulthood,larger food items (fish,clams, few yearsoflife, natural rates low. mortality are very larger thananypotential predators. Asidefrom thefirst ineffective the Lake asadeterrent, Sturgeon isessentially By thetimeprotective scutes are wornoff and to armouring provided byrazor-sharp scutes. are believedto belargely unsusceptible to predation due invertebrates After might theirfirstyear, bepresent. they (Photo credit: C.McDougall) predation dueto theirrazor sharparmouring. Juvenile Lake Sturgeon are largely unsusceptible to recruitment and recovery isunlikely. are sodepressed (or evenextirpated) that natural after-effects Indeed,somepopulations ofoverharvest. and/orthe of poaching,hydroelectric development, populations are uncertain dueto ongoingimpacts decades ifnotcenturies. However, recoveries ofsome initiatives needto beapproached onascale of lengthy (~25year)generation recovery times.Assuch, dictated bythebiologyofspecies,withparticularly levels. Slowpopulation recoveries are undoubtedly populations nowexistat asmallfraction ofhistoric (in somecases for 50+years),manyLake Sturgeon Although commercial haslargely beencurtailed harvest sometimes withsevere effects onjuvenilerecruitment. and restricted access to historical spawninggrounds, On others,hydroelectric development altered habitat a detrimental effect onLake Sturgeon populations. with overexploitation. Onsomesystems, pollutionhad attained. Additionalanthropogenic impactscoincided opened, butprevious levelsofproduction were never Decades later, manyprominent fisheries were re- Lakes failed, shifted to unexploited harvest waters. lasting drops inproduction. Asstocks intheGreat by highinitialyields,followed bysharpand shortly Americafisheries throughout were North characterized and later for smoked meat andcaviar. Lake Sturgeon of gelatin) madefrom thefish’slarge swimbladder, wine/beer andfood production, prior to production

5 6 River neartheLandingRiver. Sturgeon annuallyto monitor thepopulation intheNelson The NelsonRiverSturgeon Board captures andtags Lake • • federal grants. TheobjectivesoftheNRSBare: Municipal Relations, andsupplemented byprovincial and The NRSBisfunded byManitoba Hydro, Indigenous and Lake WinnipegandtheKelsey Generating Station (GS). capacity foradvisory theupperNelsonRiver, between Development andManitoba Hydro. TheBoard actsinan Landing andSplitLake, aswellManitoba Sustainable , Wabowden, Thicket Pikwitonei, Portage, York membership from thecommunities House, ofNorway River Lake Sturgeon populations. TheBoard has Flood Agreement claim,inresponse to decliningNelson 1993, following thenegotiated settlement ofaNorthern The NelsonRiverSturgeon Board (NRSB)formed in ofMSD’sgoals. Manitoba are similarandsupportive Goals ofvarious otherstakeholder organizations within • • management goalsare: 2012 (MCWS2012).Manitoba’s broad Lake Sturgeon Sturgeon Management Strategy) was released in and updated in1997.Themostrecent version(Lake strategy document was developedbyMSDin1992, Manitoba. TheLake Sturgeon Management inManitoba for themanagement ofLake Sturgeon populations in Manitoba Sustainable Development (MSD) is responsible 1.3 LAKE STURGEON MANAGEMENT IN MANITOBA the peopleof area, now and inthefuture, and; ofsturgeon toharvest meet thesubsistence needof Providing theinformation andmeansto managethe stocks intheupperNelsonRiver, andenhancementConservation ofLake Sturgeon stable andself-sustaining. populations to levelswhere theycan beconsidered restoreIn areas habitat, Lake withsuitable Sturgeon from depletion,and; To ensurethat existingpopulations are protected or “MamawiAhtoshehmitowin, Namao Kakekeh”. together to conserve sturgeon for future generations” They are guidedbythecommittee visionof“Working River from Kelsey Generating Station to HudsonBay. enhance sturgeon populations intheLower Nelson in implementing stewardship activitiesto protect and provides acommunity-oriented, proactive approach Development (non-votingmember).TheKSNC Partnership, Manitoba Hydro, andManitoba Sustainable Shamattawa First Nation, Keeyask Hydropower Limited Tataskweyak Nation, War Lake First Nation, from , First Nation, Committee) was established in2013,withmembership the Lower NelsonRiverSturgeon Stewardship The KischiSipiNamaoCommittee (KSNC, formerly ofsturgeonsustainability populations inManitoba. do notcontribute to adeclineorjeopardize the by ensuringthat Manitoba Hydro’s current activities now andinthefuture.” Thisvisionwillbeachieved in areas affected byManitoba Hydro’s operations, “To maintain andenhance Lake Sturgeon populations and guidenewprograms. ThevisionoftheLSSEP is: (LSSEP) to consolidate andbuilduponpastefforts Lake Sturgeon Stewardship andEnhancement Plan In 2008,Manitoba Hydro developedacomprehensive • • term goals: Hydro andSaskPower. andlong TheSRSMBhasshort Saskatchewan Manitoba Development, Environment, House Fisherman’s Coop,Manitoba Sustainable Commercial Fisherman’s CoopAssociation, Cumberland Nation, Cumberland HouseCree Nation, Opaskwayak The SRSMBmembershipincludesOpaskwayak Cree between theE.B.CampbellandGrand Rapids dams. on sturgeon management for theSaskatchewan River (SRSMB), formed capacity in1998,actsanadvisory The Saskatchewan RiverSturgeon Management Board • people (longterm). traditional usesoflocal Indigenous supporting Rapids GSthat andcapable isself-sustaining of population betweenE.B.CampbellHSandGrand To haveaSaskatchewan RiverLake Sturgeon term),recovery and; plan(short population, andto developandco-ordinate a To prevent further declineofthesturgeon implement theaboveobjectives. Establishing funding andadministrative mechanismsto

7 8 waterbodies throughout Manitoba. Lake Sturgeon populations are distributed inlarge rivers and (2017) orCOSEWIC (2006;2017). etal. by Cleator etal.(2010a-e),MCWS(2012),Barth necessary to reiterate information previously referred to overlookedotherwise information, for context, itisalso section isto summarize andconcisely present recent or trajectory ofeach.Whiletheprincipal objectiveofthis populations anddiscussing population status and presented herein, chronicling thedemiseof many 2017) haveproduced summaries similarto those etal.2018)andCOSEWIC al. 2010a-e;Barth (2006; ofFisheriesthe Department andOceans (Cleator et Manitoba Sustainable Development (MCWS2012), the various Lake Sturgeon populations inManitoba. The following sectionsummarizes what isknownabout 2.0 WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT LAKE STURGEON POPULATIONS IN MANITOBA riverine sections.Granville Falls, which consists of a near Southern Indian)interspersed with relatively short large shieldlakes (Sisipuk, Pukatawagan, Granville and This sectionoftheChurchill Riverconsists of several Saskatchewan Border to Missi Falls CS the Saskatchewan (MCWS2012). Riverfishery Churchill Riverrecords mayhavebeengrouped with therefore underestimated, anditissuspected that commercial records harvest are likely incomplete and decimate populations (MCWS2012).Lake Sturgeon a levelofproduction that wouldbenecessary to However, commercial records harvest donotdisclose intermittently from 1938to 2009). 1990(Stewart were from knownto beharvested theChurchill River along thebanksofChurchill River. Lake Sturgeon Na-Piwin Cree Nation at SouthernIndianLake lie Colomb Cree Nation at LynnLake andO-Pipon- Pukatawagan, Marcel the communities ofMathias ColombCree Nation at (Manitoba Hydro 2013).Inadditionto Churchill, stations located ontheBurntwood andNelsonrivers provide additional flow for Manitoba Hydro generating Churchill River into theRat/Burntwood system to whichdirects flow (CRD) project, from thelower constructed oftheChurchill RiverDiversion aspart Churchill River flowinManitoba. TheMissi Falls CS was (HS) located upstream inSaskatchewan influences Hydro. However, theIslandFalls Hydroelectric Station of theChurchill Riverandisoperated byManitoba hydroelectric structure found ontheManitoba portion at theoutletofSouthernIndianLake, is theonly Falls 1977),located Control Structure (CS;est. flows through theprovince ofManitoba. TheMissi west into Thelower~800kmoftheriver Alberta. km2 (Rosenberg etal.2005), withabasinstretching Hudson Bay. TheChurchill Riverdrains ~281,300 community ofChurchill, Manitoba where itenters headwaters at Churchill Lake, Saskatchewan to the The Churchill Riverflowsover1,600km from 2.1 CHURCHILL RIVER Sturgeon occur are presented. Summaries fornorth. thevarious systems inwhichLake the /USborder inthesouthto Churchill inthe ranging across thewidthofprovince, andfrom Lake Sturgeon inhabitManitoba’s largest river systems,

tool available to restore populations inthisreach. suggested that stocking maybetheonlyrecovery considered to beat remnant levels.MCWS(2012) population downstream oftheIslandFalls HScan be reach, theauthorsconcluded that the Lake Sturgeon explicitly referring ofthe to the Manitoba portion 2011).Whilenot Nelson 2011;andBarth studies conducted in2010and2011(Johnson juvenile oradultLake Sturgeon was captured in extensive gillnetting inprime habitats, not asingle (Cooley andMacDonald2008).However, despite stages existsdownstream oftheIslandFalls HS The first concluded thatsuitable habitat for alllife conducted ontheChurchill RiverinSaskatchewan. Three Lake Sturgeon studies haverecently been Pukatawagan Falls, andTwin Falls. population structuring alsooccur at Bloodstone Falls, gradient sectionsofunknownconsequence to historical is certainly abarrier High to upstream movement. drop ofabout7.6m(DenisandChallies1916), vertical The Churchill, Rat Manitoba. andBurntwood rivers innorthern (Maclean and Nelson 2005). (Maclean andNelson2005). vicinity oftheLittle Churchill Riverconfluence in2003 adults was estimated for a28kmstretch ofriver inthe this reach are unknown.Apopulation of1,812+/-508 result ofCRD,buttheimplications for Lake Sturgeon in downstream ofMissi Falls CShavebeenreduced asa in thisreach. Churchill Riverflowand water levels known abouttheLake Sturgeon population occurring becomes more riverine innature. Historically, little is into HudsonBaylowlands,andtheChurchill River downstream of theMissi Falls CS.Boreal shieldtransitions The character oftheChurchill Riverchangesconsiderably Lower Churchill River(Missi Falls CSto HudsonBay) assessed asremnant. of theChurchill River, andthepopulation trajectory was within theSaskatchewan Border to Missi Falls CSreach adults norjuvenileshavebeencontemporarily captured COSEWIC (2017)summarized that (c.2017)neither

9 10 and juvenilesinlownumbers could betheresultof a abundance inthisreach was low. Thepresence ofadults nets, 0.92/100m/24hjuvenile gillnets)indicating that per-unit-effort (CPUE;0.37/100m/24h large meshgill and ninejuvenileswere captured, withthelowcatch- River withtheLittle BeaverRiver. Inthisstudy, four adults from Swallow Rapids to theconfluence ofthe Churchill Sturgeon population was inventory completed in2013 With inputfrom , aLake unpublished data). Sturgeon (Manitoba Hydro andTataskweyak Cree Nation, spawning habitat for several speciesoffish,includingLake Churchill andLittle Churchill rivers provides important from thisstudy indicated that theconfluence area ofthe spawned intheLittle Churchill Riverduring 2011.Results the confluence, providing evidence that Lake Sturgeon Sturgeon was captured approximately 1kmupstream of captured at theconfluence shelf. Lake Onelarval captured intheLittle Churchill River, withthemajority oryoung-of-the-year Lake32 larval Sturgeon were River upstream ordownstream oftheconfluence, but Sturgeon were captured indrift traps setintheChurchill the Churchill and Little Churchill Lake rivers. Nolarval and anassessment drift at oflarval theconfluence of Cree in2011completed Nation (TCN) substrate mapping A collaborative study byManitoba Hydro andTataskweyak based analysis. Transponder tags to allowfuture (PIT) mark-recapture beenmarkedopportunistically withPassive Integrated studies (ChurchillCAMP Riverandotherlocations) have Since 2013,Lake Sturgeon captured during annual confluence anactively recruiting population. supports of theLower Churchill RiverneartheLittle Churchill captured studies during indicates CAMP that thesection data). Thelarge quantity ofjuvenileLake Sturgeon Little unpublished 2013;CAMP Churchill River(CAMP the Lower Churchill Riverat theconfluence withthe (predominantly juvenile)captures were recorded in Hydro. Between2009and2012,574Lake Sturgeon initiative developedandfunded byMSDandManitoba isalong-termCAMP province-wide aquatic monitoring recruitment isoccurring intheLower Churchill River. Monitoring Program hassince (CAMP) confirmed that gillnetting conducted oftheCoordinated aspart Aquatic are (MCWS2012).Fish sustainable community index ratespreclude understanding ofwhethertheharvest of theadultstock, recruitment rate, andexploitation level) Nation continues to thepresent day, butdata gaps(size Subsistence ofadultfishbythe harvest Tataskweyak Cree Lake Sturgeon were captured intheChurchill River remained once water levelsreceded. Two juvenile areas hadoccurred,into few thesurveyed very that suggesting ifanyredistribution ofadults set, Sturgeon were captured inthelarge meshgangs 2017 (Ambrose andMcDougall2018).NoLake flood extreme conditions that occurredsummer in have redistributed following (orinresponse to) from theLittle Churchill Riverconfluence area may River Weir to seeifadults area were surveyed In fall 2017,Billard Lake, Fidler Lake andtheChurchill Consultants [NSC]2011). (North/South Lake Sturgeon abundance inthisstretch low was very captured, andcatch peruniteffort indicated that adult large meshgillnets. OnlyoneLake Sturgeon was and downstream ofFidler Lake) with was surveyed downstream of Billard Lake and~20kmupstream 2010,a45kmstretchIn summer ofriver (~25km danger ofcollapse (Ambrose etal.2017). there islittle to that suggest thepopulation isinimminent population; however, considering allrecent data collected, was ultimately unableto address thetrajectory ofthe Churchill River. ofthesecomplexities, Asaresult thestudy questions abouttheuseofareas further upstream Little the study area overtimewas alsoreasoned likely, raising were larger individuals;emigration portion offishout of previously untagged fish,ofwhicha considerable 2016 was reasoned mostsimplyexplainedbyimmigration the population basedonthemark-recapture modelduring offishinto entry periods (Ambrose etal.2017).Observed study area during eachofthe2014–2016sampling susceptible to thesamplinggearwere present withinthe and >1,300total Lake Sturgeon large enoughto be analysis indicated that >700adults(>800mm fork length) from 3.7to 6.2LKST/100 m/24h,andmark-recapture 2016 (Ambrose etal.2017).MeanannualCPUEranged 348 in2015(Ambrose andMcDougall2016),326in captures in2014(Dolce-Blanchard 2015), andBarth et al.2017).Large meshgangsproduced 315unique 2015;Ambrose andMcDougall2016;Ambrose Barth Churchill Riverto Swallow Rapids (Dolce-Blanchard and the adultLake Sturgeon population inthearea ofLittle was initiated to evaluate thestatus andtrajectory of In 2014,athree yearmark-recapture population study Churchill rivers (Blanchard etal.2014). spawned at theconfluence oftheChurchill andLittle small amount ofdownstream redistribution ofsturgeon small amount ofrecruitment withinthereach and/or a

the Little Beaver Riverto Churchill RiverWeir reach, the population trajectory was assessed as unknown.In was classified aslowandunknown, respectively, and Beaver Riverreach, abundance ofadultsandjuveniles as decliningorstable. IntheSwallow Rapids to Little as high,andthepopulation trajectory was assessed the abundance ofbothadultsandjuvenileswas classified River (a.k.a.theLittle Churchill Riverconfluence reach), Redhead Rapids to Swallow Rapids reach oftheChurchill population trajectory was Inthe assessed asremnant. to Redhead Rapids reach oftheChurchill River;the been contemporarily captured withintheMissi Falls CS was (c.2017)remnant andthat nojuvenileshave COSEWIC (2017)summarized that adultabundance and AAETech Services Inc.2019). Churchill River prior to CRD(Tataskweyak Cree Nation Sturgeonreported withintheupperreaches oftheLittle yielded noLake Sturgeon captures althoughEldershave and longlinesetsontheLittle Churchill Riverboth and Pasketawakamaw lakes (ontheLittle Churchill River) sampling usinglarge andsmallmeshgillnetsinRecluse 0 –40years,withameanageof15.5years.September Lake Sturgeon (respectively). Ageestimates ranged from and 16(CPUEof3.392LKST/100m/24h) individual 75 (2multipletimes,CPUEof1.529LKST/100m/24h) in September usinglarge andsmallmeshgillnetsyielded 3 –42years,withameanageof19.5years.Sampling estimates (derived from fin ray sections) ranged from Sturgeon, withaCPUEof0.157LKST/hook/24h. Age sampling resulted inthecapture ofanadditional16Lake yielding aCPUEof3.889LKST/100m/24h. Longline captured usinglarge meshgillnets(13multipletimes), During Julysampling, 130individualLake Sturgeon were confluence oftheChurchill andLittle Churchill rivers. population inventories were conducted nearthe Churchill rivers. In2018(year 1),JulyandSeptember spawning behavioronthelowerChurchill andLittle populations, movement patterns, abundance and has undertaken afive-yearstudy ofLake Sturgeon of Lake Sturgeon inthelowerChurchill River, TCN in anoverall declineinthehealthandpopulations Churchill RiverDiversionProject (CRD)hasresulted In response to TCN’s longstanding concerns that the Churchill Resident, pers.comm.). user nearthemouthofDeerRiver(D.Hunter, Lake Sturgeon were captured reported byaresource unpublisheddata). 2019,three(CAMP Insummer Weir indexnetssetduring area fall inCAMP 2017 decline inthissectionofthe Saskatchewan Riveris Hydro unpublisheddata). Thetail-end ofthepopulation Cedar Lake by<1.5mannually(Manitoba typically vary minor dueto water thesize ofthereservoir; levelswithin of thestation; however, thesevariations are relatively is someshort-term variation inwater-levels upstream a peakingandpondingschedule,meaningthat there Rapids GSreservoir. TheGrand Rapids GSoperates on and becoming CedarLake, astheGrand whichserves It flows120kmbefore branching into alarge delta as alarge, meandering, low-gradient singlechannel. The Saskatchewan Riverenters theprovince ofManitoba Saskatchewan Border to Grand Rapids GS 2012), whichcomplicates interpretation ofthesedata. grouped with theSaskatchewan (MCWS Riverfishery River commercial fishing records mayhavebeen 2009).However,(Stewart itissuspected that Churchill are likely incomplete andtherefore underestimated 2009). Lake Sturgeon commercial records harvest although primarily (Stewart at theonsetoffishery kg inManitoba century, were overthenext harvested from theSaskatchewan Riverin1898,and511,698 Commercial Lake was Sturgeon first reported harvest Saskatchewan influences flow patterns inManitoba. however theE.B.CampbellHSlocated upstream in structure ofthe river, ontheManitoba portion the endofriver’s course, istheonlyhydroelectric 1960],locatedits banks.TheGrand Rapids at GS[est. Cree Nation andGrand at Easterville Rapids liealong Manitoba. Thecommunities ofThePas, Chemawawin Saskatchewan Riverflowsthrough theprovince of ofSaskatchewan.portion Thelower ~290kmofthe of southernandcentral andaconsiderable Alberta, (Rosenberg etal.2005),including thevast majority Winnipeg. Itdrains anarea of~335,900km2 and flows~550kmprior to emptyinginto Lake Saskatchewan rivers intheprovince ofSaskatchewan, confluence oftheSouthSaskatchewan andNorth The Saskatchewan Riverproper beginsat the unknown (COSEWIC 2017). River to Churchill RiverWeir reach was assessed as (see above).Thepopulation trajectory intheLittle Beaver to thecapture ofjuvenilesduring fall studies 2017CAMP detected; however, thelatter statement was madeprior lowandthat juvenileshavenotbeencontemporarilyvery COSEWIC (2017)summarized that adultabundance is 2.2 SASKATCHEWAN RIVER

11 12 significantly in recent years(2011-2014) to between 13years (1998–2010),andthenincreased next 1997), fluctuated from 1,022 to 2,168overthe estimates increased from 145to 1,262(1994– data was conducted (Nelson2015).Abundance 2015, athorough analysisofSRSMBindexnetting to that suggest itwas increasing (NSC2012a).In may havebeenstable, butthere was little evidence analysis conducted to date (c.2012))thepopulation Plan Review summarized that (basedonthelimited the SRSMBsince 1994.A10-Year Management and annualindexnetting hasbeenconducted by in2001and2002(NSC2003), been sustainable River at ThePas indicated maynothave that harvests conducted surveys ontheSaskatchewanHarvest of theE.B.CampbellHS(MCWS2012). of theRiver, andspawningmayonlyoccur downstream move betweentheManitoba andSaskatchewan portions (Wallace andLeroux 1999).Lake Sturgeon are knownto (upstream inthe province ofSaskatchewan) andThe Pas conductedsurveys betweenCumberland House abundance haddeclined considerably basedonfisheries and Cleator etal.(2010e).By2000,Lake Sturgeon well-documented, andissummarized inWallace (1991) The Saskatchewan Riverinwestern Manitoba. River. Thepopulation trajectory was assessed asincreasing. Border to Grand Rapids GSreach oftheSaskatchewan abundance were (c.2017)highwithintheSaskatchewan COSEWIC (2017) summarized that bothadult andjuvenile (Nelson andJohnson2016;Burnett et al.2017). abundant ontheManitoba sideupstream ofThePas well dispersedthrough thereach, andisparticularly 2002. Juvenilehabitat (deepwater) existsinthethalweg natural recruitment hasoccurred fairly consistently since population ofLake Sturgeon; successful spawningand the Saskatchewan River, there appearsto beahealthy 137 Lake Sturgeon (Burnett etal.2017).Inthisreach of was alsoconducted in2017, resultinginthecapture of and Johnson2016).Astudy basedonsimilarmethods of river types, capturing atotal of149individuals(Nelson preferred habitat for juvenileLake Sturgeon inavariety Cedar Lake indeepwater areas nowunderstood to be In 2015,gillnetswere setfrom E.B.CampbellHSto population trajectory (Nelson2015). factorsas theprimary responsible for anincreasing conducted between1999and2007)were identified ongoing recruitment (potentially influenced by stocking since2,935 and4,119.Increased survival 2004and

Lower NelsonRiver(Lower Limestone Rapids, Angling Rapids/Gull Lake, Kelsey/, , Jenpeg/Cross Lake, theLandingRiverarea, Birthday Sturgeon, andidentified distinctpopulations including offered unprecedented discriminatory powerfor Lake (Côté etal.2011;Gosselin etal.2015).TheSNPstudy identified distinctpopulations withintheNelsonRiver results ofageneticsstudy basedonmicrosatellites that single nucleotidepolymorphisms(SNP)confirmed earlier 2012). Ahighresolution geneticstool developedusing the critical spawning,hatch periods (MCWS andlarval Nelson River, spring drawdown generally occurs prior to pattern maybedetrimental to Lake Sturgeon inthe Althoughithasbeenspeculated that this is highest. maximize NelsonRiverpowergeneration whendemand Winnipeg (at Jenpeg)andreleased during winter to began in1972,spring flowsare heldbackinLake As aresultofLake WinnipegRegulation (LWR), which Gull Rapids. of theKeeyask ontheNelsonRiverat GSisunderway and Limestone [1985])currently operate. Construction 1972], Kelsey [1957],Kettle [1966],Long Spruce [1971] the Kelsey GS,andfivegenerating stations (Jenpeg[est. Nelson Riverbeganin1957withtheconstruction of Hydroelectric developmentcommercial onthe harvest. had beendecimated andtheentire river was closed to fisheries (Playgreen, Cross, Sipiwesk,andSplitlakes) (MacDonell 1997b).By1992,theprincipal NelsonRiver further downstream reaches asupstream stocks fell previously unexploited populations inprogressively considerably, apparently bythe targeting sustained of the establishment ofthefishery, andthenfluctuated Production exhibited apronounced after declineshortly were commercially from harvested theNelsonRiver. 90years,amidmultipleclosures,Lakenext Sturgeon of Lake Sturgeon were taken 2009).Overthe (Stewart commercial peaked harvest in1903,when99,762kg Cree Nation alllieontheNelsonRiver. NelsonRiver First Nation at York Landing,Gillam,andtheFox Lake Tataskweyak Cree Nation at SplitLake, York Factory HouseCree Nation,Norway , km2 (Rosenberg etal.2005).Thecommunities of Lake Winnipeg,andhasadrainage basinof ~1,093,442 as wellamultitude ofsmallerrivers whichflowinto water from theWinnipeg,Saskatchewan and Red rivers, to emptyinginto HudsonBay. TheNelsonRiverfunnels flowing ~650kmanddropping 217minelevation prior The NelsonRiverbeginsat theoutletofLake Winnipeg, 2.3 NELSON RIVER Playgreen andCross lakes were knownto beharvested recordsharvest donotalways differentiate locations, Heritage Services 1994).Althoughcommercial Lights area during (Northern themid-19thCentury House ofIndigenouspeopleintheNorway harvest Sturgeon comprised thebulkofsubsistence fish records alongwithLake showthat, Whitefish, Lake 1992). MeticulousHudsonBayCompanyArchive subsistence economy intheSeaRiverFalls area (Petch oftheprehistoricfishing was apart andearly historic Based onarchaeological evidence, Lake Sturgeon Lake Sturgeon were historically common inthisreach. conditions (MCWS2012). over Eves Falls maybepossible undercertain flow complete barrier butpassage to upstream movement, extent ofthereach. Whitemud Falls isbelievedto bea Whitemud Falls andEves Falls mark thedownstream exit Cross Lake, andsignificant hydraulic gradients at with thewestern channelinCross Lake. Two channels channel flowsthrough Pipestone Lake, prior to merging including Sea(River)Falls andSugarFalls. Theeastern channel isunregulated, andcontains numerous rapids levels are seasonally regulated at Jenpeg.Theeastern are received. Butasnoted above,Lake Winnipegwater operates as“run-of-the-river”, passing flowsasthey of Cross Lake. Onashort-term scale, theJenpegGS located onthewestern channel,immediately upstream channel referred to as“SeaRiver”.TheJenpegGSis historically referred to as “God’sRiver”andaneastern branches into twochannels;awestern channel Downstream of Playgreen Lake, theNelsonRiver and optimization ofhydroelectric powergeneration. bottleneck effect for flood control onLake Winnipeg outflow inthevicinityof Playgreen Lake to reducea Three man-madechannelssupplement thenatural rocky reefs. Riverine habitat isalsobedrock controlled. (Playgreen andCross), that are dotted withmany reach isdominated bytwolarge andshallowlakes endofLakeLanding at thenorthern Winnipeg.This approximately 160kmlong,andbeginsat Warren The uppermostreach oftheNelsonRiveris Playgreen Lake to Whitemud Falls 2011; Gosselin etal.2015). flow occurring betweenthesepopulations (Côté etal. barriers for Lake Sturgeon, withonlydownstream gene Rapids (current site ofKettle GS)were historical upstream Grand Rapids (current location ofKelsey GS)andKettle ).Theresultsfrom that thesestudies suggest River, Weir River)andtheHayesRiver(HayesRiver,

13 14 annually from 2012to 2016.Lake Sturgeon stocked in theSeaFalls to SugarFalls area (a19kmstretch) conduct aseries ofLake Sturgeon studies inventory NRSB andManitoba Hydro (LSSEP) collaborated to To evaluate thesuccess ofthe stocking initiative, the Jenpeg GSandinEves Rapids (MCWS2012). targeted subsistence occurs harvest downstream ofthe Lake, andLittle Playgreen Lake. Aminimalamount of River includingSeaFalls, Jenpeg,SipiweskLake, Cross were stocked592,009 larvae into theupperNelson yearlings (age-1),53age-2sturgeon, andanestimated approximately 107,500fingerlings (age-0),6,989 downstream of thisreach). From 1994to 2018, collected from (located theLandingRivertributary were undertaken bytheNRSB, usingbroodstock extirpated during theearly 1990s,stocking initiatives In response to populations beingdeemednearly fisheries (McDougall and Pisiak 2012). during theearly daysoftheManitoba commercial much ofthereach was targeted (andlargely decimated) (Skaptason that 2009)anditisassumed 1926;Stewart Manitoba.The NelsonRiveranditstributaries innorthern h (McDougall and Nelson 2017). h (McDougallandNelson2017). a juvenilegangCPUEof8.0 Lake Sturgeon /100m/24 2012), butthemostrecent (2016) produced inventory Lake Sturgeon /100 m/24h(McDougallandPisiak was conducted in2012,juvenilegangCPUEwas 1.4 dramatically inrecent years.When thefirstinventory present between SeaFalls andSugarFalls has increased of survival/retention, thequantity ofLake Sturgeon 2017). Asaresult ofthestocking efforts andhighrates stocked) insomeyears(McDougallandNelson2016; contributions ofyoungerfish(presumably age-0 (or older),butthere havebeenindications ofmodest been considerably lowerthanfor fishstocked at age-1 ofage-0stocked high.Survival has beenvery fishhas the annualrate ofsurvival/retention withinthereach year-class), butfollowing post-stocking establishment reach hasoccurred after stocking (rate shortly varies by studies indicates that somedispersaloffishoutthe robust mark-recapture dataset that resulted from these 2014; McDougallandNelson2015;2016;2017).The (McDougall andPisiak 2012;McDougallandPisiak Sturgeon captured betweenSeaFalls andSugarFalls out at age-1comprised thevast majority oftheLake

recruitment) isoccurring downstream ofJenpegGS. thatsuggests some reproduction (andpossibly insitu fish inpre-spawning/spawning/post-spawning condition also captured (Bell etal.2016).Thecapture ofthese captured inspawningcondition, andaripe female was et al.2015b).In2015,oneofthesemaleswas again post-spawn maleswere captured in2014(Henderson target spawningadults.Onepre-spawn maleandthree juveniles, despite theuseoflarge meshgillnetsto ofthosecaptureda substantial proportion were 2015 (CPUEof0.06LKST/100m/24h). In2014, of 0.12LKST/100m/24h) and22Lake Sturgeon in in thecapture of26Lake Sturgeon in2014(CPUE of spawningadultsdownstream ofJenpegGSresulted cobble/gravel/sand (Henderson etal.2015b).Surveys channels, andthethalweg)substrate isbedrock/ clay butinareas asthenarrow ofhigherflow(such et al.2015b).Thesubstrate isprimarily clayandsilt/ shorelines, as wellaslarge off current bays(Henderson narrow channels, mostoften withsteep bedrock Cross Lake consists ofmanyislandsseparated by (Manitoba Hydro unpublisheddata). several timessince was the2014inventory conducted age-1 fish)inLittle Playgreen Lake hasoccurred and McDougall2015).Additionalstocking (including the other2were raised inschoolaquariums; Burnett 2012 year-class (1ofwhichwas raised at thehatchery, while theother3Lake Sturgeon were likely from the 2013 year-class, stocked asyearlings inspring of2014, McDougall 2015).Ofthese27fish,24were from the back to recent stockings withinthelake (Burnett and 27ofwhichpossessed PITtags hatchery linking caught, 2014 onLittle Playgreen Lake, 30Lake Sturgeon were In ajuvenileLake Sturgeon conducted inventory in and Pisiak 2014;Aiken andMcDougall2016). Pipestone Lake after stocking reach (McDougall shortly Playgreen Lake) prior to dispersingdownstream into the upstream (at SeaFalls, andto alesser degree inLittle Lake inventories were released at age-1further hatchery, themajority offish captured inthe Pipestone Based onthepresence ofPITtags appliedinthe to theinfluence ofstocking conducted upstream. further within thisreach islow, butseemsto beincreasing due McDougall 2016).ThedensityofjuvenileLake Sturgeon of stocking (McDougallandPisiak 2014;Aiken and in recent years(2013and2015)to evaluate success twicepreviously extirpated) hasalsobeensurveyed Pipestone Lake (~30kmdownstream ofSugarFalls, flow conditions stillpredominate. The Kelsey GStypically by backwatering from theKelsey GS,moderate to high although several historical rapids havebeen inundated prior to reaching theKelsey GS.Thisstretch isdeep,and the NelsonRiverrunslongandstraight for about150km to the upstream endofthelake. Downstream ofSipiwesk, Backwatering from theKelsey GS(downstream) extends shorelines andnumerous bedrock islandsandreefs. Lake. Sipiweskisalarge lake characterized byirregular occurring prior to thechannelsmerging inSipiwesk swiftly through shieldbedrock, withseveral setsofrapids Whitemud Falls (andEves Falls), thetwochannelsflow River isapproximately 220kmlong.Downstream of The Whitemud Falls to Kelsey GSreach oftheNelson Whitemud Falls to Kelsey GS (COSEWIC 2017). trajectory was assessed asincreasing dueto stocking moderate (stocked fish), respectively, andthepopulation juvenile abundance lowand was classified asvery to stocking. InPipestone andCross Lakes, adultand population trajectory was assessed asincreasing due low andhigh(stocked fish), respectively, andthe adult andjuvenileabundance was classified asvery due to stocking. IntheSeaFalls to SugarFalls reach, the population trajectory was assessed asincreasing formerly extirpated Little Playgreen Lake, andthat was (c.2017)moderate (stocked fish)withinthe COSEWIC (2017)summarized that juvenileabundance year-class basedontheirfin ray annuli(Belletal.2016). juveniles were assigned to eitherthe2010or2011 in theSeaFalls reach inMay2014.Theremaining identified itashavingbeenoriginally stocked at age-1 1. However, onlyonejuvenilehadaPITtag which that theywere reared hatchery andreleased at age- exhibited weakorabsent fin suggesting ray annuli, 2016). Themajority ofjuvenileLake Sturgeon captured Sturgeon (CPUE0.7LKST/100m/24 h)(Belletal. completed in2015captured only34juvenileLake itwas surprisingthat thefallsurveys, juvenilesurvey downstream ofJenpegGSduring thespring spawning Due to therelatively highnumberofjuvenilescaptured 2015b, Belletal.2016) Jenpeg GSduring bothyearsofstudy (Hendersonetal. subsistence downstream of was observed harvest increase inthespawningstock maybeexpected. Spring were relatively smallinsize, that suggesting afuture capturedThe adultsandsubadults inthesestudies

15 16 2006 to 1,867in2014(McDougall etal.2017b). estimated numberofadultshaving increased from 772in indicated anincreasing population trajectory, withthe 2014, whichfocuses explicitly ontheLandingRiverarea, Sturgeon Boards monitoring data collected from 2006– adult population. Arecent analysisoftheNelsonRiver over whichperiod results indicated arapid declineinthe recapture monitoring inthearea from 1993–1997, The NelsonRiverSturgeon Board conducted mark- or theimplementation Closure. oftheConservation closure ofthecommercial (MCWS2012)and/ fishery wild) inrecent yearsindicate likely recruitment, tiedto Captures ofsmallerfish(presumed to bepredominantly et al.2018). 2012 and2017(D.Macdonald, pers.comm.; Bernhardt an estimated beingstocked 636,600larvae outbetween rearing hasbeenconducted at LandingRiver, resultingin at DuckRapids (MCWS2012).Since 2012, streamside fingerlings (Landing Riverprogeny) were stocked, mainly underway. Between1994and2011,atotal of16,465 1960s levels,bywhichtimecommercial was well harvest (Cleator etal.2010a);adeclineof80-90%compared to likely contained fewer than1,300adultLake Sturgeon As of2010,theWhitemud Falls to Kelsey GSreach (Macdonald 1998). prior to LWR andconstruction ofKelsey GSin1957 inthe1950s, similar inthe1990sto thoseobserved 2010a). However, rates growth ofLake Sturgeon were levels, whichcould reduce food resources (Cleator etal. during theopen-water seasonislowerthanpre-LWR (MCWS 2012).Theamount ofaquatic habitat available by LWR mayhaveimpacted Lake Sturgeon inthisreach been concern that changesto theflow regime caused to (MCWS2012).There LandingRiverissues hasalso present) for theLandingRiverarea occurred inresponse (1994- Closureonsturgeona Conservation harvest The establishment oftheNRSBandinvoking annually,observed where hundreds usedto bethenorm. subsistence) that sometimesonlyafew adultswere Lake) hadbeensoreduced (commercial byharvest and (locatedLanding Rivertributary downstream ofSipiwesk spawningrunto the By1993,aprimary overharvest. large population historically, prior to beingdecimated by The broad consensus avery isthat thisreach supported MacDonald 1998;Cleator etal.2010a;MCWS2012). reach iswellchronicled (Sunde 1961;Sopuck1987; levels. ThedeclineofLake Sturgeon populations inthis received withlittle short-term fluctuation inflowor water operates asrun-of-the-river, passing flowsastheyare riverine section which includes the Birthday (Overflow) (Overflow) riverine sectionwhichincludestheBirthday of SplitLake isseparated from GullLake bya~25km arm ofSplitLake. Clark Lake, located justdownstream Burntwood andOdeirivers emptyinto thewestern through bedrock before emptyinginto SplitLake. The GS, theNelsonRiversplitsinto twochannelsandflows gradient riverine sections.Downstream oftheKelsey Clark,lakes GullandStephens) separated (Split, byhigh- is ~150kminlength.Itdominated byseveral large The Kelsey GSto Kettle GSreach oftheNelsonRiver Kelsey GS to Kettle GS as increasing (COSEWIC 2017). respectively, andthepopulation trajectory was assessed and juvenileabundance were classified ashighandlow, assessed asunknown.IntheLandingRiverarea, adult conducted, seeabove).Thepopulation trajectory was substantiated basedonthe2018adultinventory that someadultsare present within thearea (now and noted that ongoingsubsistence confirmed harvest was (c.2017)moderate withintheSipiweskLake area, COSEWIC (2017)summarized that juvenileabundance etal.2019). school aquarium (Alperyn in Little Playgreen Lake following rearing to age-1ina juvenile was identified ashavingbeen released in2014 rearing to age-1intheGrand Rapids Hatchery. Asecond having beenreleased in2016Pipestone Lake following Bladder Rapids in2010.Onejuvenilewas identified as 2019). Oneadulthadpreviously beentagged below and 11juvenileswere captured andMcDougall (Alperyn of SipiweskLake) during spring 2018,wherein 10adults also conducted downstream ofBladderRapids (upstream recruitment was (Hendersonetal.2016).Aninventory PITtags,hatchery indicating in-situ spawningand et al.2016).NoLake Sturgeon captured possessed yielding 21juvenilesandonesubadult/adult (Henderson The inletsofSipiweskLake were inventoried infall 2015, 2012; McDougalletal.2017b). has clearly increased overthe pastfew decades (MCWS of itshistorical abundance, thequantity offishpresent resident intheLandingRiverarea existsat asmallfraction (MCWS 2012).WhiletheLake Sturgeon population substantiating previousofnatural suspicions recruitment vicinity (Groening etal.2014a;Bernhardt etal.2018), to yearsinwhichstocking was notconducted inthe patterns butallstrong year-classes linkback are evident, in thevicinityofLandingRiver. Erratic recruitment complete studies twojuvenileinventory (2013and2017) The NRSBandManitoba Hydro (LSSEP) collaborated to

McDougall 2012; Hrenchuk 2013; Hrenchuk and Barth McDougall 2012;Hrenchuk 2013;Hrenchuk andBarth 2011;Hrenchuk and 2010; MacDonaldandBarth MacDonald 2008;2009;Michaluk andMacDonald andMacDonald2008; andAmbrose 2006;Barth Barth andMurray 2005; 2005;Barth Mochnacz 2004;Barth and (Barth Rapids havebeenobserved and Birthday (both upstream anddownstream) overGullRapids which theyhavebeencaptured, butsomemovements Sturgeon tend to remain inthevarious water bodiesin as acoustic studies indicate telemetry that adultLake to the Keeyask GS.Mark-recapture tagging aswell Hydropower Limited Partnership (KHLP)inrelation studies completed byManitoba Hydro andtheKeeyask Lake Sturgeon inthisreach stems from environmental The vast majority ofcontemporary knowledgeabout Challies 1916). riverine sectionofmoderate gradient (Denisand to Kettle GSstretch, whichwas previously aconfined dramatically altered thecharacter oftheGullRapids have beenhistorically. Furthermore, thisbackwatering the hydraulic drop present today isless thanitwould flooding upstream as far asGull Rapids, meaningthat Backwatering from theKettle GS caused extensive and geneflow(Côté etal.2011,Gosselin etal.2015). 1916) was ahistorical barrier to upstream movement 6 mhydraulic drop (Grand Rapid; DenisandChallies upstream and downstream indicates that thesharp Sturgeon, butgeneticdifferentiation ofpopulations The Kelsey GSprevents upstream movement ofLake considered to havebeendepleted (MCWS 2012). 1960, theLake Sturgeon population inthisarea was was closedin By thetimeNelsonRiverfishery less than1m(Manitoba Hydro unpublisheddata). on anannualscale, forebay water by levelstypically vary on water levelfluctuation onashort-term scale; even effectively minimizes theeffects ofpeakingandponding when demandislow. Thelarge volumeofStephens Lake and storing water inthelarge reservoir passing more flowwhenhydroelectric demandishigh, Kettle GSoperates onapeakingandpondingschedule, become Stephens Lake, theKettle GSreservoir. The Keeyask construction site, theNelsonRiverwidensto the newly-constructed spillway. Downstream ofthe by August2018,allriver through flow was diverted of GullLake. ConstructionbeganinJuly2014and constructed at GullRapids at thedownstream end and Challies1916).TheKeeyask GSiscurrently being Rapids, overwhichthehydraulic drop is~8m(Dennis estimates ranged between713and1,152 during the between 2010and2018.In Stephens Lake, abundance Lake Sturgeon in GullLake ranged from 2,553to 4,270 Hrenchuk 2019).Abundance estimates for wild juvenile et al.2018;Burnett andHrenchuk 2019;Lachoand Lacho etal.2017;Burnett etal.2017; 2018;Lacho Burnett etal.2016;LachoandHrenchuk 2016; 2014; Hendersonetal.2015a;Lacho2015; MacDonald 2010;McDougalletal.2013;Hrenchuk Stephens Lake (MacDonald2008;2009;Michalukand First Rapids, inGullLake, andat theupstream end of Split Lake, ontheBurntwood Riverdownstream of the Kelsey GSandSplitLake, at theupstream endof in thereach, includingtheriverine sectionbetween year) havebeencaptured inseveral discrete locations the Keeyask area. Juveniles (includingyoung-of-the- to better understand contemporary recruitment in Beginning in2012,aconcerted effort hasbeenmade (Lacho etal.2018). increasing and a62%chance that itwas decreasing River, there was a38%chance that thepopulation was probability that itwas decreasing. IntheBurntwood GS area population trajectory was increasing anda29% estimates, there was a71%probability that theKelsey period (Lacho etal.2018).Basedonthepopulation GS Area ranged from 267 to 649during thesame between 2001and2017,whileestimates intheKelsey Burntwood Riverpopulation ranged from 112to 579 trajectories. Meanpopulation estimates for the Gull andStephens Lake populations showincreasing ranged from 24to 334between2001and2018.Both 2019). Meanpopulation estimates for Stephens Lake to 855between2001and2018(HolmHrenchuk future Keeyask Reservoir) population ranged from 401 estimates for adultLake Sturgeon intheGull Lake (i.e. (and trajectory) inthisreach. Meanregional population and theKHLPexplicitlyaddressed adultpopulation size the 1990s,anotherstudy conducted byManitoba Hydro studies aswelltagging conducted inSplitLake during Prompted bydata collected from theaforementioned passage through GullRapids isnolongerpossible. spillway was commissioned inAugust2018,upstream 2019; Hrenchuk andLacho2019).Since theKeeyask et al.2018;Hrenchuk etal.2018;HolmandHrenchuk 2016; Hrenchuk etal.2017;Legge etal.2017;Lacho al. 2015;Hendersonet2016;Hrenchuk andBarth 2015;Hrenchuk et et al.2014;Hrenchuk andBarth 2013; HolmGroening etal.2014b;Hrenchuk

17 18 was assessed asstable orincreasing (COSEWIC 2017). and moderate, respectively, andthepopulation trajectory area, adultandjuvenileabundance were classified aslow assessed asstable orincreasing. IntheStephens Lake classified asmoderate, andthepopulation trajectory was Gull Rapids area, adultandjuvenile abundance were both was assessed asstable orincreasing. IntheClark Lake – both classified asmoderate, andthepopulation trajectory Burntwood Riverarea, adultandjuvenileabundance were the population trajectory was stable orincreasing. Inthe within theKelsey GS/Grass River/Split Lake area, andthat abundance were (c.2017)lowandmoderate, respectively, COSEWIC (2017)summarized that adultandjuvenile full generation (25years;Klassen etal.2018). lower NelsonandBurntwood rivers, anticipated at one until populations self-sustaining are established inthe 2019). Lake Sturgeon stocking isplannedto continue 0.0 –5.1%ofthetotal juvenilecatch (Burnett etal. same timeperiod havebeenmuchlower, ranging from fish ofhatchery capturedthe proportions during this of thecatch inStephens Lake. IntheBurntwood River, 2.2 –11.9%ofthecatch inGullLake and8.5–34.5% during juvenile-targeted gillnetting hasranged from fish ofage-1hatchery captured 2018, theproportion been stocked into theKeeyask Area. Between2015and and over11,000fingerlings (young-of-the-year)have into Stephens Lake. Inaddition,over600,000larvae into the Burntwood River, 886into GullLake, and1,138 2018, atotal of1,357age-1sturgeon were stocked and Stephens Lake (Klassen etal.2018).AsofOctober have beenstocked into theBurntwood River, GullLake, Keeyask Area beganin2014.Since then,Lake Sturgeon for theKeeyask GS,stocking ofLake Sturgeon inthe oftheFisheriesAs part Offsetting andMitigation Plan prevalent inGullLake (Burnett etal.2019). Lake, whilethe2008and2016year-classes were more 2015 year-class was found to bedominant inStephens probably required to substantiate thishypothesis,butthe occurring withinStephens Lake itself. Geneticanalysisis an increased rate ofin-situ recruitment dueto spawning that inGullLake (Burnett etal.2019),whichmayrelate to frequency distributions inStephens Lake nowdiffer from However, more recent resultsindicate that year-class population (Gosselin etal.2015;Henderson2015a). influenced strongly by contributions from theGullLake recruitment to theStephens Lake population was formerly data facilitated bythehigh-resolution geneticsanalysis, on similarities inyear-class frequency data aswellsibship time period (Burnett andHrenchuk. 2019).Based same appears to beinfluential (Gosselin etal.2015). upstream inGullorStephens lakes, soimmigration were determined to havesiblingslocated further juveniles includedinhigh-resolution genetic analysis documented (Hrenchuk andMcDougall2012), andall downstream passage atSurvived theKettle GShasbeen are solelyimmigrants from upstream of theKettle GS. 2012),orifindividualspresent (Lavergne andBarth recruitment has occurred successfully withinthisstretch younger thantheageofforebay, itisunclearif the Long Spruce Forebay overtheyearshavebeen Although themajority ofLake Sturgeon captured in 2012). inthereachgrowth (Lavergne andBarth annually isonefactor likely to belimitingpopulation the lownumberofLake Sturgeon available to spawn Ambrose etal. 2008;2009).Itwas reasoned that monitoring studies (Swanson etal.1988;1990;1991; ofthereach, echoingtheresults ofprevious portion 2012, onlyten juvenileswere captured inthemiddle of theKettle GSpowerhouse andspillway, whileinfall juvenile) Lake Sturgeon were captured nearthebase 2012).Inspring 2012,onlysixadult(andone Barth population inthisreach (Lavergne 2012;Lavergne and reassessed thespawningandjuvenilesegments ofthe Studies completed undertheManitoba Hydro LSSEP to hydroelectric development. whether thereach provided muchuseablehabitat prior gradient profile (Denis andChallies1916),itisuncertain this reach (Cleator etal.2010a).Giventhehistorical Nothing isknownhistorically aboutLake Sturgeon in Hydro unpublished data). from 0.35to 0.70mduring thesameperiod (Manitoba end ofthereservoir, fluctuations are more muted, varying range during theopen-water season;at thedownstream forebay, water levelsfluctuatedm withina0.81 to 1.71 to increasing ontheweekend. Attheupstream endofthe weekly basis,decreasing from Mondaythrough Friday prior controlled at theKettle GS.Water ona levelstypically vary of flowoccurs due to peakingandpondingoperations backwatering from theLong Spruce GS.Daily fluctuation hasbeenstrongly alteredthe downstream portion by of thisreach was highgradient (almostrapid-like). Today, largely beenretained), whereas thedownstream portion reach wouldhavebeenriverine innature (acharacteristic indicate that historically, ofthis theupstream portion gradient profiles depicted inDenisandChallies(1916) Forebay) sectionoftheNelsonRiveris~16kmlong. The Kettle GSto Long Spruce GS(a.k.a.Long Spruce Kettle GS–Long Spruce GS

Following capture (downstream ofLimestone GS), Lakesubadult Sturgeon intheLimestone Forebay. habitat useandmovement patterns ofjuvenileand In 2007,Manitoba Hydro initiated astudy to determine population (MCWS2012). it isconsidered unlikely that there isaself-sustaining but that are younger thantheageofimpoundment, Lakedevelopment. Sturgeon havebeencaptured herein provided muchuseablehabitat prior to hydroelectric (Denis andChallies1916),soitisuncertain whetherit 2010a). Muchofthereach was moderately graded Sturgeon useofthisreach historically (Cleator etal. from anecdotal nothingisknownaboutLake reports, Kettle GS–Long Spruce GSreach (seeabove).Aside level fluctuation mirrors thepattern inthe observed the weekend (Cleator etal.2010a).Ingeneral, water from Mondaythrough Friday, prior to increasing on onaweeklybasis,decreasing levels typically alsovary by backwatering from theLimestone GS.Water hasbeenstrongly altered The downstream portion and pondingoperations controlled at theKettle GS. but dailyfluctuation offlow occurs due topeaking the reach has retained someof its riverine character, of theLong Spruce Forebay. of Theupstream portion physical nature oftheLimestone Forebay mirrors that Forebay) reach oftheNelson Riveris23kmlong.The The Long Spruce GSto Limestone GS(a.k.a.Limestone Long Spruce GS GS–Limestone was assessed asstable orincreasing. reach oftheNelson River. Thepopulation trajectory respectively, withintheKettle GS–Long Spruce GS juvenile abundance lowandlow, were (c.2017)very COSEWIC (2017)summarized that adultand Spruce GSmayoccur at ahighrate. life andadults)through stages (subadults theLong movement restrictors) meansthat entrainment oflater (andalackofnatural ofthissmallreservoir portions deepwater habitat throughout themiddleto lower Winnipeg River(McDougalletal.2013a),contiguous patterns are consistent inthe with thoseobserved establishing (seeMcDougalletal.2017b).Further, if probability ofin-situ generated settling outand larvae key uncertainty relates hydraulics, to andthe reservoir Sturgeon existswithintheforebay (MCWS2012).A alllife habitatsuitable to support stages ofLake McDougall 2016);however, itisunclearwhether spawning ofLake Sturgeon inthearea (Sutton and Habitat appearsto besufficient to allow successfulfor

Environmental studies commissioned byManitoba 1990s withtheconstruction oftheConawapa road. Accessibility inthisarea improved in the early reach (MCWS2012). concluded that there were few Lake Sturgeon inthis itwas impacts ofextensive hydroelectric development, occurred.almost noharvest Because ofthis,andlikely considered aseparate management area, from which (downstream from Kettle GSto HudsonBay)was access difficulties. After 1970,thelowerNelsonRiver was likely minimalfrom thisarea, primarily dueto locations enoughto becertain, historical harvest 2012). Whilecommercial records donotdifferentiate Lake Sturgeon populations isnotunderstood (MCWS dewatering occurs on a dailybasis,andtheeffect on upstream. Downstream ofLimestone GS,extensive and pondingoperations at theKettle GS located this stretch ofriver, dueto theinfluence ofpeaking term flowand water levelfluctuations arein common tidal influence) Nelson.Short- inthe vicinity of Port saline (dependent onNelsonRiverflowvolumesand prior toriverine becoming habitat, intermittently River consists of~100 kmofmoderate gradient The Limestone GS–HudsonBayreach oftheNelson GS–HudsonBay Limestone population trajectory was assessed asstable orincreasing. Spruce GS–Limestone GSreach oftheNelsonRiver. The abundance lowwithintheLong were (c.2017)very COSEWIC (2017)summarized that bothadultandjuvenile details inSection3.9). 2007 andfour in2008(Pisiak et al.2011;further study passed downstream through theLimestone GS;four in sixteen transferred fishwere definitivelyknown tohave eightseason (whentags were ofthe nearing expiry), of thereservoir. Bytheendof2010open-water detections occurred inthemiddleandlowersections occurs (Ambrose etal.2009).In2008,themajority of upper sectionswhere more riverine typehabitat butin2007,fish tended wereto usethe observed, varied overtime.Movements throughout theforebay River to monitor downstream passage. Habitat use Forebay), aswelldownstream inthelowerNelson acoustic receivers (deployedthroughout theLimestone the open-water seasons)withanarray ofstationary twoyears,thesefishwere trackedOver thenext (during end oftheLimestone Forebay (Ambrose etal.2009). transmitters andreleased (off-current) at theupstream 16 Lake Sturgeon were implanted withacoustic

19 20 trajectory was assessed asstable. Hudson Bayreach oftheNelsonRiver. Thepopulation adults was (c.2017)highwithintheLimestone GS– COSEWIC (2017) summarized that abundance of (Ambrose etal.2010b;Klassen 2012). andfarestuary upstream into theHayesRiversystem and at leastoccasionally, through theNelsonRiver River Lake Sturgeon moveupstream into AnglingLake, Mark-recapture tagging hasrevealed that adultNelson al. 2015c). consistent recruitment overtherecent past(Lachoet being absent from thecatch, indicative ofrelatively captured, withonlyoneoftheprevious 10year-classes Jackfish Island.A total of71juvenileLake Sturgeon were Nelson RiverbetweentheAnglingconfluence and targeted was juvenileinventory conducted intheLower to what extent juvenilesusethisarea. Infall 2014,a (HolmandBernhardt 2011),butitisunclear Bay estuary 2010a). Onejuvenile(age-2)was captured intheHudson and lowerwater velocitiespredominate (Ambrose etal. in thelowerNelsonRiverwhere deepwater (>10m) of Jackfish Island,essentially theonlylarge area (~3km2) concentration ofjuvenileshasbeenlocated inthevicinity Pisiak etal.2011;Burnett andMacDonell2016).A al. 2006;Ambrose etal.2008;2009;2010a;2010b; andMacDonell 1999;Holmet 1997a; 1998;Barth the Weir RiverandtheAngling(MacDonell1995; Spawning isknownto occur at Lower Limestone Rapids, sampling gear(Hendersonetal.2014b). small (previously untagged) adultsinto thelarge mesh was attributed to therecruitment ofalarge numberof 8,413 (95%CI:6,498-10.758);themarked increase Road (MCWS2012),butin2013,theestimate was increased since theconstruction oftheConawapa onthelowerNelsonRiverisbelievedto have Harvest Island (NSC,unpublisheddata, inCleator etal.[2010a]). reach ofriver extending from theAnglingRiverto Deer (95% CI:3,768-8,018)adultsfor 2004/2005for the the 1990sproduced apopulation estimate of5,467 an extensive mark-recapture data setdating backto and Lower Limestone Rapids havebeenconfirmed, and Spawning locations at theWeir River, AnglingRiver, al. 2008;2009;2010a;2010b;Pisiak etal.2011). MacDonell 1999;Holmetal.2006;Ambrose et and thought (MacDonell1995;1997a;1998;Barth section ofriver was muchlarger thanpreviously revealed that theLake Sturgeon population inthis ofplanningforHydro aspart theConawapa GS unpublished data). and 80Lake Sturgeon persamplingperiod (CAMP, studies (annuallysince 2008),capturing between15 index gillnetting hasbeenconducted ofCAMP aspart also beencaptured yearthat fish inevery community (Ambrose andMacDonell2016).Lake Sturgeon have conducted ontheLower Hayesproduced 9juveniles in thecapture of20Lake Sturgeon, whilefall gillnetting gillnetting belowRainbow Falls ontheFox Riverresulted (Ambrose andMacDonell2015).In2015,spring adult the HayesRiverwhere 13Lake Sturgeon were captured Lake Sturgeon were captured, andWhitemud Falls on downstream ofRainbow Falls on the Fox Riverwhere 43 In spring 2014,spawninginventories were conducted historical population connectivity (Gosselin etal.2015). not genetically differentiated, adegree suggesting of proper andthose captured inthelowerGodsRiverare that Lake Sturgeon captured inthelowerHayesRiver et al.2015).Interestingly, thesamestudy indicated withnoevidence ofeffectivedistinct, dispersal(Gosselin the NelsonandHayesRiverpopulations are genetically recent high-resolution geneticresultshaveshownthat system (Ambrose etal.2010b;Klassen 2012),but Nelson Riverhavebeenrecaptured intheHayesRiver noted previously, Lake Sturgeon tagged inthelower these rivers isexpected to below(MCWS2012).As increases, since capacity) productivity of (andcarrying healthy. However, pressure mayresult ifharvest issues Hayes Riversystem, butpopulations are believedto be Relatively little isknownaboutLake Sturgeon inthe 2004/2005 (Pisiak andMacLean 2007). Falls and Rainbow Falls, of646+/-334adultsduring Hydro estimated aFox Riverpopulation, betweenGreat closed in1999.Apopulation study initiated byManitoba Sturgeon fishinglicense was for the Fox River, which river systems (MCWS2012).Thelastcommercial Lake never depleted to theseverity ofManitoba’s othermajor commercially fished durations.for short However, it was lowlands. Thesystem hasnotbeendeveloped,butwas flowing andshallow, cutting through theHudsonBay lakes. oftheHayesRiversystem isfast Thelowerportion tributaries feature pool/riffle anddeepshield habitat, The upperreaches oftheHayesRiveranditsvarious beforeflowing northeast emptyinginto Hudson Bay. Hayes Riverproper. TheHayesRiveris~485kmlong, Bigstone, andGodsrivers, whichare tributaries to the eastern corner oftheprovince, andincludestheFox, The HayesRiversystem islocated inthenorth- 2.4 HAYES RIVER

flood events during spring freshets, and whilemost Both rivers were historically to subject pronounced irrigation, diversionandwater levelmaintenance). many tributaries for various purposes(flood regulation, been constructed onthe mainstems aswelltheir Red-Assiniboine system, butafew low-headdamshave these rivers. Nohydroelectric structures existonthe and numerous communities lieonornearthebanksof and Saskatchewan. Landuseisprimarily agricultural, Dakota ofMinnesota,well assignificant North portions (Rosenberg etal.2005),spanningsouthernManitoba as prairie systems whichdrain a total of287,500km2 The Red andAssiniboine rivers are low-gradient turbid 2.5 RED AND ASSINIBOINE RIVERS trajectory was assessed asunknown (COSEWIC 2017). as moderate andlow, respectively, andthepopulation complex, adultandjuvenileabundance were assessed as unknown.IntheLower Fox, GodsandHayesriver Rainbow Falls). Thepopulation trajectory was assessed respectively, withintheupperFox River(upstream of and juvenileswas (c.2017)moderate andunknown, COSEWIC (2017)summarized that abundance ofadults Manitoba.The HayesRiveranditstributaries innorthern Tributaries astheQu’Appelle, Little such Saskatchewan, be abarrier during lowwater conditions (MCWS2012). Street Dam (constructed to maintain water levels)may upper reaches oftheAssiniboine, while Brandon’s 3rd protection) prevents upstream movement into the MB. TheShellmouthDam (constructed for flood before itsconfluence withthe Red RiverinWinnipeg. ~1,270 kmfrom itsorigin ineastern Saskatchewan, single channel(withnumerous oxbows) approximately The Assiniboine Riverflowsprimarily asameandering River Assiniboine stocked extensively inthepast20years. to extirpation, theRed andAssiniboine rivers havebeen populations existed (Cleator etal.2010c).Inresponse although itisspeculated that lacustrine andriverine historical population structuring anddemographics, little2009). Assuch, can beinferred withregards to rivers was grouped withLake Winnipegcatches (Stewart commercial production from theRed andAssiniboine Lake Sturgeon inhabited thisreach historically, but still occurs regularly elsewhere inthewatershed. urban centers are nowprotected, widespread flooding

21 22 Assiniboine Rivernear Brandon. Atotal of280angler 205 yearlings, 55juveniles,and7adults) into the Lake Sturgeon (19,000 fry, 12,416fingerlings, facilitate there-introduction ofapproximately 16,683 Saskatchewan andNelsonrivers were usedto and 2013,broodstock collected from the Winnipeg, from theriver (Cleator etal.2010c).Between1996 spawning habitat prior to thespeciesbeingextirpated Qu’Appelle rivers mayhaveprovided important believed that theLittle Saskatchewan, Souris and of theAssiniboine Riveranditstributaries, anditis Lake Sturgeon historically ranged throughout much process maybeunderway. Laurent) this suggests (Dec2015nearSt. report not historically known(MCWS2012).Arecent capture Manitoba, alarge lake from whichLake Sturgeon were Lake Sturgeon nowhavethepotential to colonize Lake Alsoowingto thisstructure,upstream movement. River into , andislikely abarrier to laPrairie)Portage directs water from theAssiniboine flood protection, Diversion(justwestof the Portage to upstream reaches (MCWS2012).Designedfor and Birdtail rivers allhavedams that prevent access The Red andAssiniboine rivers andtributaries insouthernManitoba. the upperAssiniboine River(upstream ofthePortage adults andjuvenileswas (c.2017)unknownwithin COSEWIC (2017) summarized that abundance ofboth stocked fish has taken place. Sturgeon captured byanglersmayindicate spawningby reproductive maturity, andrecent ofsmallLake reports these fishisongoing.Stocked fishmaybeapproaching pers.comm.).Development, Movement tracking of River nearBrandon (J.Long, Manitoba Sustainable transmitters prior to beingreleased intheAssiniboine 33 adultLake Sturgeon were implanted withacoustic Brandon industrial sector (Aiken etal.2013).In2015, two deeper(2.5–6m)areas justdownstream ofthe length) and7subadults/adults (820 –1040mm)in 2013 captured 23juveniles(427–531mmfork conductedinventory ontheAssiniboine Riverinfall Provincial Park (MCWS 2012).ALSSEP population Saskatchewan anddownstream asfar asSpruce Woods by anglersasfar upstream astheQu’AppelleRiverin throughout much oftheriver, having beenrecaptured (Cleator etal.2010c);thesefishappear to be ranging to indicate that stocking hasbeenrelatively successful capturesreported (between1998and2002)seemed

in thelowerRed Riverduring spring 2016andspring River inrecent years,butthree individualscaptured research conducted oftheRed inthe Manitoba portion There hasbeenminimalLake Sturgeon population (MCWS2012). Winnipeg havebeenreported tagged Lake Sturgeon onboththeRed RiverandLake system upstream inMinnesota, andseveral recaptures of Extensive stocking hasbeenundertaken intheRed River Winnipeg, population recovery wouldbeunlikely. and addressing thecommercial onLake gillnetfishery stocking, connectivity enhancement, habitat restoration a Lake Sturgeon recovery strategy encompassing et al.2010c).MCWS(2012)summarized that without extirpatedwere from virtually theRed River(Cleator spawning purposes.Bythemid-1900s,Lake Sturgeon Winnipeg fishusedthe Red Riveranditstributaries for resident populations existed, orto what degree Lake used theRed Riverwere structured, whetherriverine 2012). Itisunclearhowpopulations that historically facilitate upstream passage for Lake Sturgeon (MCWS water season),andthefishway that existsdoesnot closed (normalmodeofoperation during theopen- and isabarrier to upstream movement whengates are constructed Andrews Rapids in1910,inundated theSt. (a Red in1903.Thedamat Lockport, Rivertributary) captured inManitoba was taken from theRoseau River but asnoted previously, thelargest Lake Sturgeon ever usebyLaketributary Sturgeon isgenerally uncertain, others located upstream inMinnesota. Thedegree of Seine rivers (Cleator etal.2010c),andpotentially many Roseau,Manitoba astheRat, such LaSalle,Pembina, and Rapids, andlikely othersmallertributaries located in Andrews to reach spawninglocations astheSt. such Lake Sturgeon from Lake WinnipegusedtheRed River meandering singlechannel.Itisbelievedthat historically Winnipeg, theRed Riverconsists predominantly ofa exception ofthedelta occurring at themouthofLake into Lake Winnipeg,885kmfrom itsorigin. Withthe continues direction prior to inanortherly emptying crossing theborder atnorth, Emerson,Manitoba. It Sioux andOtter Tail Dakota, rivers inNorth andflows The Red Riverrises from theconfluence oftheBoisde Red River COSEWIC’s (2017)assessment. Diversion) was considered oftheRed part Riverfor lower Assiniboine River(i.e.,downstream ofthePortage as increasing dueto stocking. Itshouldbenoted that Diversion). Thepopulation trajectory was assessed continued into the1970s. and subsequent closures, low levelsofproduction kg, was closed.Amidperiodic openings andthefishery declined precipitously from 272,100kg to only13,699 kg 2009).From (Stewart 1905to 1910,annualcatches total commercial reported exceeded harvest 2.8million and early 1900s.Inthefirst20yearsoffishery, the decimated bycommercial during thelate harvest 1800s The Lake Sturgeon population inLake Winnipegwas mouths onsmallereast-side tributaries (MCWS2012). while potentially impassable falls orrapids existnearthe the mouthofeachaforementioned large tributaries generation ornavigational purposes)nowexistnear patterns are unknown.Dams (for hydroelectric populations, buthistorical population structuring Pigeon, Berens andPoplar rivers) harbour lake Sturgeon Assiniboine rivers) andothersmallerones(Bloodvein, Several large tributaries (Winnipeg,Saskatchewan, Red/ communities lieonthe shores ofLake Winnipeg. catchment basinof~984,000km2.Numerous small Shield andto thewestbyBoreal Plains, andhasa Lake Winnipegisbordered to theeastbyBoreal basin,whichisjoinedbya deepnarrow channel. north shallow southbasin,andamuchlarger anddeeper an area of24,514 km2.Itconsists ofagenerally eleventh largest freshwater lake covering onEarth, Lake Winnipegisthelargest lake inManitoba, andthe 2.6 LAKE WINNIPEG (INCLUDING TRIBUTARIES as increasing dueto stocking (primarily inMinnesota). Assiniboine River).Thepopulation trajectory was assessed oftheRed Manitoba portion River(includingthelower both adultsandjuvenileswas (c.2017)lowwithinthe COSEWIC (2017)summarized that abundance of basin(D.Watkinson, ofthenorth part pers.comm.). south basinofLake Winnipeg,aswellthesouthern covering thelowerRed River, lowerWinnipegRiver, the until at least2021byalarge acoustic array telemetry pers. comm.). Movements ofthesefishwillbetracked Watkinson, ofFisheries Department andOceans Canada, of amulti-speciesLake Winnipegmovement study (D. 2017 were implanted withacoustic transmitters aspart DOWNSTREAM OF IMPASSIBLE BARRIERS)

23 24 long thiswouldtake. Lake Winnipeg (MCWS2012),butitisunclearhow smaller east-side systems) might eventually repopulate Saskatchewan, Red/Assiniboine rivers andvarious resident inLake Winnipegtributaries (Winnipeg, Cumulative downstream movement ofLake Sturgeon the commercial onLake gillnetfishery Winnipeg. enhancement, habitat restoration andaddressing without astrategy encompassing stocking, connectivity (2012) suggested that population recovery isunlikely to the assessment for Red Riverpopulations, MCWS HouseCree Nation,Norway pers. comm.). Similar basin(T. the Mossy Saunders, Baysectionofthenorth (and subsequently released) bycommercial fishermanin several Lake Sturgeon havebeenincidentally captured been recaptured (Cleator etal.2010c).More recently, and released intheRed Riversystem inMinnesota have al. 2010c),andsevenLake Sturgeon whichwere tagged Hecla Islandarea (D.Kroeker, pers.comm. inCleator et Three Lake Sturgeon were captured reported inthe Lake Winnipeganditsmajortributaries. previously, itisunclearhowLake Winnipeg/tributary falls andrapids occur oneachsystem, andasmentioned a mixture Numerous ofriverine andlacustrine habitat. Each river flowsthrough Boreal Shield,and consists of unregulated, andhabitat hasremained relatively pristine. known to contain Lake Sturgeon populations. Allare empty into theeastsideofLake Winnipegandare The Bloodvein,Pigeon, Berens andPoplar rivers all 2.7 EAST-SIDE TRIBUTARIES OF LAKE WINNIPEG as unknown(COSEWIC 2017). respectively, andthepopulation trajectory was assessed were classified asmoderate (orgreater) andlow, on theWinnipegRiver, adultandjuvenileabundance unknown. For thearea downstream ofthePine Falls GS impassable barriers), thepopulation trajectory was and itsminoreastsidetributaries (downstream of COSEWIC (2017)summarized that inLake Winnipeg September 2014(NSC2014). recently confirmed viathe capture oftwoindividualsin Pigeon River(i.e.nearthemouthofLake Winnipeg)was The presence ofjuvenileLake Sturgeon inthelower 2018 (D.Watkinson, pers.comm.). 2017 andwas lastdetected nearBlackIslandinJune, into thechannelinJune, and theothermovednorth andbacktoto Traverse Riverton Bayinless thanamonth moving outsidetheseareas. Onefishmadeabrief foray Bay andaround ElkIsland,withonlytwoindividuals Winnipeg River(i.e.downstream ofPine Falls), Traverse of theseindividualshavebeenrestricted to thelower Watkinson, pers.comm.). To date, movements ofmost aforementioned Lake Winnipegfishmovement study (D. are beingmonitored ofthe until at least2021aspart the individualscaptured, andmovements ofthesefish 2016). Acoustic transmitters were implanted into 42of current yearspawners(HendersonandMcDougall FL) includingfour females and29malesidentified as a total of57individualsturgeon (672–1,525mm ofFisheriesDepartment andOceans in2016captured Pine Falls GSandManitou Rapids incollaboration with and Queen2013).Spawningstudies conducted below classified as ripe malesinspawning condition (Lowden captured inspring (n=38),ofwhichmany(n=22)were GS withrelatively little gillneteffort. Moststurgeon were Lake Sturgeon were captured downstream ofPine Falls related to Manitoba Hydro station repairs. Atotal of54 Falls ofenvironmental monitoring GSin2013aspart Index gillnetting was conducted downstream ofthePine

Major tributaries ontheeastsideofLake Winnipeg. east-side tributaries ofLake Winnipeg inrecent years. has beenminimalLake Sturgeon research conducted on about Lake Sturgeon populations intheserivers. There spawning females (Dick2006),butlittle elseisknown have apopulation of800–1,000fish,withvery few Lake ofthePigeon Riverwas portion estimated to known to occur inallofthem(Dick2006).TheRound development (MCWS2012).Subsistence is harvest tosubject commercial oraffected harvest byindustrial the Berens Riversystem, theserivers havenotbeen Nation. Withtheexception of oftheOntario portion River), BloodveinFirst Nation andPoplar RiverFirst Rapids andPauingassi First Nation (bothonBerens eastside tributaries includeBerens River, Little Grand Winnipeg resident fish.Communitiesoccurring onthe mouthsmight havebeenLakespawned intributary MCWS (2012)noted that theLake Sturgeon that populations were historically structured. Inthisregard, Winnipeg Riverin1910/11, andHarkness (1980) of78,835kgSturgeon harvest taken from the populations. aninitialLake (2009)reported Stewart complicating theunderstanding ofhistorical geographical specificsare generally unknown, Lake 2009).However, (Stewart Sturgeon harvest The WinnipegRiverwas to subject alarge commercial stakeholders (LWCB 2002). in Ontario), balancing interests ofmulti-jurisdictional (alsoupstream as wellontheEnglishRivertributary regulated at theoutlets ofLake oftheWoods, Ontario, flow or water levels.However,is WinnipegRiverflow they are received withlittle short-term variation in predominantly “run-of-the-river”, passing flowsas oftheWinnipegRiver.portion Thesestations are currently operated byManitoba Hydro ontheManitoba Pine Falls) constructed between1909and1954are Slave Falls, SevenSisters, McArthur, Great Falls and retired in1951.Sixotherstations (Pointe duBois, construction beganon thePinawa Dam, whichwas during thelate 1800s(Bateman 2005).In1903, Winnipeg Riverwas coveted byhydroelectric planners to Manitoba’s boomingpopulation centers, the Due to itsstepped-gradient profile anditsproximity at thesites oflarge falls andrapids (Johnston 1915). and muchofthedrop was historically concentrated The WinnipegRiverplunges105moveritscourse, Alexander. Numerous cottage developments alsoexist. Pine Falls andtheSagkeeng First Nation at Fort Great Falls, George, Powerview,Lac duBonnet, St. Manitoba includePointe duBois,, SevenSisters, Communities alongthebanksofWinnipegRiverin connected byriverine length. sectionsofvarying the river consisted ofaseries ofdeepshieldlakes, Lake Winnipeg(Rosenberg etal.2005).Historically, , andprovides thelargest singleinflow to which liesintheprovince ofOntario andthestate of has adrainage basinof135,800km2,themajority of Lake Winnipegat Traverse Bay. TheWinnipegRiver Lake oftheWoods, Ontario, prior to emptyinginto The WinnipegRiverflows260km from itsoutlets at 2.8 WINNIPEG RIVER trajectory was assessed asunknown. east-side tributaries to Lake Winnipeg.Thepopulation both adultsandjuvenileswas (c.2017)unknowninthe COSEWIC (2017)summarized that abundance of

25 26 The WinnipegRiveranditstributaries insoutheastern Manitoba. released (McDougall et al. 2017b). released (McDougalletal.2017b). ofearly lifelow survival age-0)typically stages (larval, receiving populations are thought to beminimaldueto (MCWS 2012),buttangible contributions to thevarious Winnipeg Riverfor research andmanagement purposes Stocking hasbeenconducted inseveral reaches ofthe (D. Kroeker, Manitoba Fisheries Branch, pers.comm.). 2018 that thisclausewas formally clarified andenforced catch-and-release anglerswas illegal, but itwas notuntil invoked. Technically, the“targeting” ofLake Sturgeon by grew dramatically inpopularity since theclosurewas Sturgeon onseveral sectionsoftheWinnipegRiver to the Pine Falls GS.Catch-and-release anglingfor Lake invoked from theManitoba/Ontario border downstream prohibiting sturgeon (includingsubsistence was harvest) 2009).In1993,aconservation(Stewart closure although itwas noted that records are likely incomplete Lakereported was Sturgeon 253,071kg, harvest kg) 2009).Intotal, (Stewart theWinnipegRiver (135,437 kg), andagainfrom 1957to 1960(28,799 was from also reported Harvest 1930to 1948 thatreported thiscatch came from LacduBonnet. and population fragmentation onlow gradient river to thepattern of hydroelectric damscausing habitat instark contrast2017a). Ithasbeensuggested that, upstream fish to thedownstream population (McDougall actually bediminishingdueto the contribution of upstream anddownstream oftheSlaveFalls GSmay the possibility that differentiation betweenpopulations of downstream geneflowintheWinnipegRiver, and questions abouthistorical contemporary versus rates (based onlow-resolution microsatellite markers) raised downstream population, geneticresultsofthisstudy Owing to ahighrate ofupstream contribution to the the historic site ofOldSlaveFalls (McDougall2017a). with one-way (upstream to downstream) geneflow at differentiated, withdiversitypatterns beingconsistent the SlaveFalls GSwere recently found to begenetically However, Lake Sturgeon upstream anddownstream of time thevarious generating stations were constructed. being impacted bycommercial at thesame harvest populations that were likely (at leastinsomelocations) degree hydroelectric development hasfragmented populations were historically structured, andto what It islargely uncertain howWinnipegRiverLake Sturgeon

suggests some degreesuggests ofpopulation connectivity. in Ontario (J.Peacock, OMNR, pers.comm.), which capturedreported byalocal resource user upstream upstream ofthePointe duBoisGSduring 2011,was approaching adultsize whenitwas tagged immediately in thisarea. Infall 2013,oneLake Sturgeon, whichwas Lake Sturgeon, butindicate alowabundance ofadults Parker 2014).Thesestudies confirm thepresence of Koga and 2013;Larter andMacDonell2010;CAMP al. 2008a;2008b;McDougallandMacDonell2009; ofthisreach (McDougall et in theManitoba portion have provided information onLake Sturgeon populations Spillway Replacement Project program andtheCAMP Environmental studies related to the Pointe duBois Manitoba (McLeod 1943). to bethebeststurgeon fishingground insouthern of thereach. Eaglenest Lake was at onetimereported Bois GSforebay, whichdominates thelowerportion gradient; Johnston 1915),andformed thePointe du (historical designation basedonapronounced hydraulic Pointe inundated Lamprey duBoisGSpartially Falls Halliday andLamprey Rapids; backwatering from the of EaglenestLake isalongriverine stretch definedby bounded bytheWhitedog Falls Station. Downstream another ~35kmoflacustrine typehabitat occurs, the Manitoba/Ontario border. Upstream oftheborder, reach isdominated byEaglenestLake, whichstraddles Pointe duBoisGS(Figure ofthis 9).Theupperportion stretches ~45kmfrom theOntario border to the The uppermostreach oftheWinnipegRiverinManitoba Ontario/Manitoba Border –Pointe duBoisGS conducted intheWinnipegRiver. research andenvironmental monitoring studies recently Manitoba stems from Manitoba Hydro funded scientific Much oftheecological knowledgeofthespeciesin Consultants Inc.,pers.comm.).North/South contemporary geneflowanddiversity(C.McDougall, population structuring andconnectivity aswell currently underway, whichshouldhelpclarify historical also incorporating EnglishRiverandRainy Lake data) is flow axis(i.e. from Lake ofthe Woods to Lake Winnipeg, collected from alongthelength oftheWinnipegRiver resolution geneticsanalysisincorporating samples movement andgeneflow(McDougall2017a).Ahigh- which could havebeenhistorical barriers to upstream habitat connectivity, viainundation oflarge falls/rapids actually haveincreased Lake Sturgeon population and systems, development ontheWinnipegRivermay and variety ofinorganic substrates. low-moderate velocities,anabundance ofdeepwater, The SlaveFalls Reservoir isgenerally characterized by Bois andEight Foot Falls historically (Johnston 1915). high gradient sectionthat occurred betweenPointe du names reflect pre-impoundment a conditions), aswell as inundated bothOldSlaveandEight Foot Falls (whose GS extend upstream to thePointe duBoisGS,having km long.Theeffects ofbackwatering from theSlaveFalls Winnipeg River(a.k.a.theSlaveFalls Reservoir) is~10 The Pointe duBoisGSto SlaveFalls GSreach ofthe Pointe duBoisGS–Slave Falls GS trajectory was assessed asunknown. Bois GSreach oftheWinnipegRiver. Thepopulation respectively, intheWhitedog Falls GS–Pointe du adults andjuvenileswas (c.2017)lowandmoderate, COSEWIC (2017)summarized that abundance of du BoisGS(HendersonandMcDougall2015). between theManitoba/Ontario border andthePointe and juvenileabundance) inthesectionofriver located influencing theLake Sturgeon situation (i.e.lowadult ongoing subsistence are thought to harvest) bestrongly occurring upstream inOntario (includingspawningand Ontario 2015).Processes border (McDougallandBarth that merges withtheWinnipegupstream ofthe Caribou Falls GS,located onanEnglishRivertributary that juveniledensitydecreased withdistance from the ofthisreachin theOntario in2014revealed portion completedand McDougall2015).Ajuvenileinventory true barriers to upstream movements exist(Henderson allowing adultsto ascend into Ontario waters, where connectivity (following theinundation ofLamprey Falls), du BoisGShasparadoxically increased population been hypothesized that backwatering from thePointe spawning currently occurs at Lamprey Rapids. Ithas efforts, noevidence hasbeenfound to that suggest low abundance ofjuvenilesinthisarea. Despite directed Sturgeon (HendersonandMcDougall2015),indicating a Lakein 2014yielded18juvenileandonesubadult Manitoba Hydro andManitoba Sustainable Development Parker jointly 2014).Ajuvenileinventory conducted by habitat for adultsisabundant and withinthereach (Larter habitat for young-of-the-year, andforaging subadults, (potentially HallidayandLamprey rapids), butthat suitable the potential spawninghabitat inthisreach islimited completedA habitat survey in2013concluded that

27 28 larval hatch,larval andsubsequent juvenile recruitment. potential changesto eggdeposition andviabilitypatterns, focused onalterations resultingin to spawninghabitat, du BoisSpillway Replacement Project isongoing,and discussed indetail inSection3.0.Monitoring for thePointe McDougall etal.2014c)).Theresultsofthesestudies are McDougall etal.2013a;2014b; passage at theSlaveFalls GS(McDougall2011a; entrainment susceptibility patterns anddownstream and adultswithintheSlaveFalls Reservoir, andresulting examined movement patterns ofjuveniles,subadults Academic research funded byManitoba Hydro has 2013 (McDougalletal.2017b). up from anestimate of6,961(95%CI:4,831-10,030)in Lake Sturgeon present asof2015, withinthereservoir estimated 10,286(95%CI:8,316–12,723)juvenile than adecade. Themostrecent mark-recapture analysis abundant intheplentiful deepwater habitats for more documented, andjuvenileLake Sturgeon havebeen and extensivedrift (upto hasalsobeen 9km)larval of thetailrace andspillway. Considerable hatch larval GS, andeggdepositionconsistently occurs nearthebase annuallydownstream ofthePointeobserved duBois Large congregations ofadultLake Sturgeon havebeen Consultants, pers.comm.). an increasing trajectory (P. Nelson,North/South most recent adultestimate, considered alone,indicates CI: 1,443–3,167)(Manitoba Hydro 2011).Even the generate apopulation estimate of2,131adults(95% Falls Reservoir between2006and2009was usedto this reach. Mark-recapture data collected intheSlave the understanding ofLake Sturgeon populations in McDougall 2017;2018)whichhavemarkedly improved 2015a; 2016;Murray etal.2017;Hendersonand al. 2013;Hendersonet2014a;2017;Lacho and MacDonell2013;2014;2016;2018;Koga et Koga andMacDonell2010;2011;2012;Gillespie al. 2008a;2008b;McDougallandMacDonell2009; Hydro commissioned aseries ofstudies (McDougallet Pointe duBoisSpillway Replacement Manitoba Project, ofenvironmental monitoringAs part inrelation to the ranging from 360–1,100adults(Block2001). MSD data, generating meanpopulation estimates reach during themidto late 1990swas assessed using 1990s. Theabundance ofLake Sturgeon withinthis and population trends inthisreach prior to the early- Little isdocumented aboutLake Sturgeon abundance location (Labadie 2011;Henderson2013). that Sturgeon Falls isat leastanintermittent spawning driftmovement studies andlarval confirmed suspicions 2011).Resultsabundant inthisreach from (Barth adult juvenileLakepopulation standpoint, Sturgeon are in Section3.0,butfrom aSevenSisters Reservoir 2013). Results ofthesestudies are discussed indetail 2011;LabadieSparks 2011;Henderson (Barth in theSevenSisters Reservoir between2006and 2011 investigated various aspectsofLake Sturgeon ecology Academic research funded byManitoba Hydro base ofthetailrace andspillway. andeggdepositionwas documentedobserved, at the MacDonell 2015).Large congregations ofadultswere 2009; Koga andMacDonell2010;2011;Gillespie GS (McDougalletal.2008a;McDougallandMacDonell behaviour immediately downstream oftheSlaveFalls to 2010andagainin2015to examinespawning Manitoba Hydro initiatedProject, studies from 2007 To thePointe support duBoisSpillway Replacement since theconservation closure. (2012) concluded that year-class strength hasimproved results ofacademic research (discussed below),MCWS unpublished population monitoring data andinterim CI: 5,317–32,687)(Block2001).Basedonlong-term from 2,998(95%CI:1,143–13,101)to 27,374(95% tagging data generated inthemidto late 1990sranged population estimates basedonManitoba Fisheries Branch monitoring program was initiated (MCWS2012).Adult when concern overpopulations arose andalong-term population trends inthisreach prior to theearly- 1980s, Little isdocumented aboutLake Sturgeon abundance and much ofitshistoric character. hasretained the lowerreaches, buttheupstream portion several historical falls/rapids andcaused somefloodingin Backwatering from theSevenSisters GSinundated into thisstretch oftheWinnipegRiverat NutimikLake. riverine sections.TheWhiteshellshort Riverempties characterized byaseries ofshieldlakes separated by the SevenSisters Reservoir) is~40kmlong,and The SlaveFalls GSto SevenSisters GSreach (a.k.a. Slave Falls GS–SevenSisters GS trajectory was assessed asstable orincreasing.. Falls GSreach oftheWinnipegRiver. Thepopulation respectively, withinthePointe duBoisGS–Slave high, adults andjuvenileswas (c.2017)highandvery COSEWIC (2017)summarized that abundance of

Through the Lake Sturgeon MOU between Manitoba Beginning in 2013 the Province of Manitoba, through Hydro and the Province of Manitoba, the most recent the Lake Sturgeon MOU, began a population inventory (2018) population estimate of Lake Sturgeon in program from the Seven Sisters GS to MacArthur GS Nutimik and Numao lakes area was determined to be including portions of Lac du Bonnet. Totals of 90, 219, 62,598, an increase of over 12,000 from the 2016 and 156 Lake Sturgeon were captured in 2013, 2015, estimate and double the 2014 estimate. Juveniles and and 2017 respectively, with variable proportions of sub-adults make up the majority of the population, juvenile, sub-adult, and adults represented in the catch. accounting for nearly 75% of the overall estimate (population estimate for adults is 16,345). COSEWIC (2017) summarized that abundance of adults and juveniles was (c. 2017) moderate and high, COSEWIC (2017) summarized that abundance of respectively, within the Seven Sisters GS to McArthur adults and juveniles was (c. 2017) very high and very GS reach of the Winnipeg River. The population high, respectively, within the Slave Falls GS – Seven trajectory was assessed as stable or increasing. Sisters GS reach of the Winnipeg River. The population trajectory was assessed as stable or increasing. McArthur GS – Great Falls GS The McArthur GS – Great Falls GS reach (a.k.a. the Seven Sisters GS – McArthur GS Great Falls Reservoir) is ~8.5 km long, making it the The Seven Sisters GS to McArthur GS reach (a.k.a. the smallest Winnipeg River impoundment. The entire McArthur Reservoir) is ~35 km long. The upstream reach is riverine in nature, although backwatering from portion is riverine, while the downstream portion is the Great Falls GS has raised water levels in the lower dominated by Lac du Bonnet, which is a large lake of portion of the reach, and inundated Grand du Bonnet moderate depth. Backwatering from the McArthur GS Falls, which was located in the middle of the reach. raised water levels and reduced velocities throughout the reach. Two significant tributaries, the Whitemouth Little is known about Lake Sturgeon populations River and Bird River, empty into this reach. Commercial occurring in this reach historically. Studies completed harvest records provide insight into historical Lake through Manitoba Hydro’s LSSEP since 2010 have Sturgeon demographics in this area. As previously noted, improved understanding of populations within the the 1910/1911 commercial harvest of 78,835 kg came McArthur GS to Great Falls GS reach. Adult population from Lac du Bonnet, which suggests that a very large and spawning related gillnetting indicates that few population existed historically (Harkness 1980). adults are present within the reach (Murray and Gillespie 2011; Henderson and McDougall 2012; Academic research funded by Manitoba Hydro was 2016). However, an inventory study conducted in conducted downstream of the Seven Sisters GS fall 2011 revealed that juvenile Lake Sturgeon were between 2008 and 2010 (Hrenchuk 2011), and is moderately abundant in the upper portion of the reach, discussed in more detail in Section 3.0. Results of these indicating that recruitment is occurring (McDougall studies indicate that the adult population is comprised 2011b). Given the size distribution of the 2011 of at least several hundred individuals (which is still likely and 2016 catch, the reproductive potential of this a small fraction relative to historic levels), spawning population remains relatively low (McDougall 2011b; occurs in the Seven Sisters GS tailrace and spillway Henderson and McDougall 2016). channel, and that juvenile recruitment is occurring within the reach (Hrenchuk 2011). In 2011, under low COSEWIC (2017) summarized that abundance flow conditions, spawning habitat was documented at of adults and juveniles was (c. 2017) very low and known or potential Lake Sturgeon spawning sites on moderate, respectively, within the McArthur GS to the Winnipeg River, including immediately downstream Great Falls of the Winnipeg River. The population of Seven Sisters GS. Georeferenced digital photographs trajectory was assessed as stable or increasing. were taken and bathymetric surveys were completed (Cooley et al. 2012).

29 Great Falls GS – Pine Falls GS juvenile inventory study revealed that juvenile Lake The Great Falls to Pine Falls GS reach (a.k.a. the Pine Sturgeon were moderately abundant within the reach, Falls Reservoir) is ~22.5 km long. The entire reach is indicating that recruitment is occurring despite low riverine, although backwatering from the Pine Falls adult abundance (McDougall 2011b). In a fisheries GS raised water levels and inundated Silver Falls and assessment study completed in 2013, three Lake Maskwa Rapids. To ease a flow bottleneck, a channel Sturgeon were captured immediately upstream of the was blasted through White Mud Falls, which altered Pine Falls Generating Station in spring (Lowden and flow patterns and water-levels at and upstream of Queen 2013). Spring gillnetting studies conducted in White Mud Falls. 2016 captured 67 individual sturgeon; 23 downstream of the Great Falls GS, 42 downstream of White Mud Little is known about Lake Sturgeon populations Falls, and two downstream of Silver Falls (Henderson occurring in this reach historically. Studies completed and McDougall 2016). One ripe and eight pre-spawn through Manitoba Hydro’s LSSEP since 2010 have males were identified in the catch. Two adults (1,044 improved the understanding of populations within and 1,362 mm FL), originally tagged in the McArthur the Great Falls GS to Pine Falls GS reach. Adult Reservoir up to seven years prior, were captured population and spawning related gillnetting indicates below White Mud Falls indicating that inter-reservoir that adult abundance in this reach is low (Murray and entrainment is occurring to some degree (Henderson Gillespie 2011; Henderson and McDougall 2016), but and McDougall 2016). evidence of spawning behaviour has been found at White Mud Falls and also downstream of the Great COSEWIC (2017) did not include information specific Falls GS (Henderson and McDougall 2012; 2016). A to the Great Falls GS – Pine Falls GS in the most recent

assessment.

30 Winnipeg River. (Photo credit: Johnston 1915) showingthestepped gradientdevelopment, nature of the The Third Falls at SevenSisters prior to hydroelectric flowaxis. primary systems transition betweencategories alongtheir Sturgeon varies considerably between systems. Several asecologyThese classifications ofLake are important, based onpre-development habitat characteristics. in Manitoba can begrouped into three categories river systems. Thesystems that Lake Sturgeon inhabit Sturgeon occur today, primarily inManitoba’s largest As described in Section2.0,sizeable populations ofLake 3.1 HABITAT been derived. and therecent andongoingresearch from whichithas is knownaboutLake Sturgeon ecology inManitoba, future research. Thefollowing sectionsummarizes what management initiatives, andprovides direction for allows for science-based approaches to recovery and that needto beaddressed, increased understanding in Manitoba waters. Whilethere are stillkey data gaps of arobust understanding ofLake Sturgeon residing based literature hasactually hindered thedevelopment Indeed, itmaybethat thedominance ofaGreat Lakes does notalways applyto populations inManitoba. tributaries, whichare vastly different aquatic systems) literature (largely focused on theGreat Lakes andits and itisnowapparent that theearly Lake Sturgeon in Manitoba hasimproved during thepast15years, In general, theknowledgeofLake Sturgeon ecology 3.0 WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT LAKE STURGEON ECOLOGY IN MANITOBA 3) 2) 1) lower portion oftheChurchill, Nelson,andHayes lower portion river channel.Backwater areas are limited. The (cobble, gravel, andsand)dominate themain velocity tends to bemoderate, andcoarse substrates consistent overlengthystretches ofriver. Water of river. aquatic Assuch, habitat isalsorelatively moderate and consistent overlengthy stretches and straight singlechannels.Hydraulic gradient is Hudson Baylowlandhabitat consists ofshallow as wellvarious tributaries. flood protection purposesoccur onthe mainstems Section 2.2).Otherdamsbuiltfor navigational and downstream endoftheSaskatchewan River(see exception beingtheGrand Rapids GSbuiltat the for thelone extensive hydroelectric development, Manitoba, thesesystems havenotbeentargeted Saskatchewan rivers classify In asprairie habitat. over large spatial extents. TheRed, Assiniboine and (water velocity, andsubstrate) tend to besimilar stretches ofriver. habitat Assuch, characteristics be gradual andrelatively consistent overlengthy meandering channels. Hydraulic gradient tends to Prairie habitat consists ofshallow, braided and/or and depositionpatterns are altered. water velocitiesare reduced, andsediment transport inundated bybackwatering from thevarious stations, in aconsistent pattern, wherein falls/rapids are Impoundment onthesesystemsreservoirs. results could beharnessed withouttheprerequisite oflarge Manitoba), because large amounts ofhydraulic head for early hydroelectric development (at least in category. Boreal Shieldsystems were preferred Churchill, Nelson,andHayesrivers alsofall into this whilethemajority ofthe as Boreal Shieldhabitat, Lake Winnipegeast-side tributaries wouldclassify extents. Theentirety oftheWinnipegRiverand provide adiversityofhabitats oversmallspatial Boreal Shieldsystemsvelocity gradient. tend to substrates typically occur inrelation to thewater rapids, andawidevariety ofcoarse to fineinorganic often decrease immediately downstream offalls/ concentrated at sites offalls/rapids. Water velocities stepped-gradient, meaningthat hydraulic drops are sections. Thesesystems are predominantly deep) lake-like expansesinterspersed withriverine Boreal Shieldhabitat consists oflarge (andoften

31 32 considerably betweenriver systems across North the habitats Lake Sturgeon usefor spawningvary Aside from theprerequisite ofswiftlyflowing water, during early to midJune(Ambrose etal.2008). overawidertemperatureobserved range (8–18°C) quickly dueto itssmallvolume),spawninghasbeen whichtends to(lower NelsonRivertributary warm and MacDonell2013).AtthemuchsmallerWeir River 8°C andcontinue until 13°Cinsomeyears(Gillespie to commencebehaviour hasbeenobserved asearly as 11 °Cduring late Mayto midJune;however, spawning period typically occurs at water temperatures of9.5– slowly dueto spawning itslarge volume),theprimary spawning location ontheWinnipegRiver (whichwarms For exampleat thewell-studied Pointe duBoisGS considerablywith spawningvary withintheprovince. length). Precise thermal/temporal conditions associated temperature) and,to alesser degree, photo period (day of spawningiscuedbythermalconditions (water evidence at leastinManitoba, theonset that, suggests Lake Sturgeon spawninthespring andthebodyof 3.2 SPAWNING populations inManitoba river systems. broader understanding ofLake Sturgeon ecology and are predominantly descriptive, theyare integral to the (McDougall andGillespie2012).Whileindividualstudies plan for andimprove inferences from future research so that theinformation might beusedto pro-actively spawning habitat at low-water extreme conditions, Winnipeg Riverstudy simplydocumented potential and Parker 2014;Sutton andMcDougall2016).One (Murray andGillespie2011;Cooleyetal.2012,Larter in reaches where stocks are believedto bedepressed and quantity issufficient population growth support to been conducted to specifically determine ifhabitat quality Henderson etal.2011),whileseveral LSSEP studies have and monitoring etal.2010; initiatives (e.g.Larter been conducted for environmental impactassessment habitat inManitoba river systems. Someofthesehave Many studies inrecent yearshavedocumented aquatic the HayesRiversystem remains unregulated. hydroelectric development andflow regulation, but and Churchill rivers havebeen influenced by oftheNelson Hudson Bay).Thelowerportions oftheprovince portion (drainingnorthern into Alloccuras HudsonBaylowlandhabitat. inthe (including thelowerGodsRiver)rivers classify M. Blanchard) spawn inlocations that preclude (Photo observation. credit: rare sight since Lake Sturgeon inManitoba more commonly shores oftheNelsonRivernearLittle Limestone Rapids, a Lake fast Sturgeon spawninginvery water alongtherocky Murray etal.2017).Annually, hundreds ofeggmats Gillespie andMacDonell2013;2014;2016;2018; 2009; Koga andMacDonell2010;2011;2012; (McDougall etal.2008a;McDougallandMacDonell of thePointe duBoisSpillway Replacement Project du BoisandSlaveFalls generating stations insupport Egg depositionstudies havebeenconducted at Pointe and McDougall2012). al. 2008a;McDougallandMacDonell2009;Henderson Falls, SilverFalls), despite directed efforts (McDougallet inundated bybackwatering (Lamprey Rapids, Eight Foot at thesites ofhistorical falls/rapids that havebeen No evidence ofspawning behaviourhasbeenfound Henderson andMcDougall2012;2013). located 2011; Labadie2011; withintheriver (Barth rapids (Sturgeon Falls, TheBarrier, White MudFalls) suspected spawninglocations at othermainstem falls/ 2012). Additionalresearch hasrevealed orconfirmed 2009; Hrenchuk 2011;HendersonandMcDougall (McDougall etal.2008b;McDougallandMacDonell andGreatSisters, Falls McArthur generating stations at thebaseofPointe duBois,SlaveFalls, Seven that ontheWinnipegRiver, Lake Sturgeon spawn research funded byManitoba Hydro haverevealed complicated. Environmental studies andacademic understanding thedetails isconsiderablysuch, more flow conditions, water turbulence, or turbidity). As preclude direct (dueto observation depth,extreme Manitoba systems tends to occur at locations which inshallowandcleartributaries, spawningin observed area where spawningcan often bevisually America, andevenwithinManitoba. Unlike inthe

(Sutton and McDougall 2016). limit thespawningsuccess ofLake Sturgeon inthearea appears to bepresent insufficient quantities as to not decreases estimated habitat area, buthabitat still substrate. Theadditionofflowdirection anddistance whenconstrainedsuitable onlybyvelocity, depthand general, large quantities ofhabitat are considered and distance from barrier). Results that suggest in five variables (velocity,substrate, depth, flowdirection downstream oftheKettle GSusingacombination of Similarly, aHSImodelwas developedfor thearea are available at thePointe duBoisGS(NSC2012b). because eggswere found at depthsgreater than reduced dueto greater water depthavailability and the predictive capability ofthemodelwas somewhat eggdeposition,but good agreement withobserved HSI modelto theSlaveFalls GSarea showedrelatively did notyieldeggs.Application ofthePointe duBoisGS that depths,velocitiesandsubstrates hadsuitable but Direction” variable eliminated backeddyenvironments habitat inthedownstream direction, andthe“Flow the “distance” variable limited overestimation ofsuitable direction” variables improved themodelconsiderably; “distance from physical orenergetic barrier” and“flow deposition (spawning)occurred, butincorporation of overestimated thequantity ofhabitat inwhichegg substrate) modelconsistent withtheliterature grossly developed (NSC2012b).Athree variable (flow, depth, du BoisGS,aHabitat Suitability Index(HSI)modelwas at PointeBased ontheeggdepositionresultsobserved depths (2–20m). over awide-range of deposition hasbeenobserved bedrock and/or coarse aggregates (boulder/cobble). Egg areas where depositionoccurs tend to bedominated by downstream Substrates prior to settling out. inthe their eggs,someofwhichmaydrift smalldistances (e.g., highvelocityspillway rapids) prior to depositing (e.g., powerhouse infrastructure) orenergetic barriers to moveupstream to thebaseofphysical barriers with distance, itisapparent that Lake Sturgeon tend Based onapronounced pattern ofdiminishingreturns annuallyfromvary smalltrickles, to intense torrents. turbine discharges orspillway outflowswhich can occurs high-velocity closeto turbulent, inorvery spawning takes place. Ingeneral, eggdeposition primarily responsible for determining precisely where least at theselocations) that hydraulic conditions are been captured. Results ofthesestudies indicate (at were deployedandthousandsofeggshaveconsistently 1995;1997a; 1998;Holmet al.2006;Ambrose et river discharge andNelsonRiverstage (MacDonell and appearsto beinfluenced bya combination of location ofspawning varies annually(byupto ~3km), 2010a; MCWS2012).AttheWeir River, theprecise (MacDonell 1995;MacDonald2009;Ambrose etal. Landing, Burntwood, Weir, andAnglingrivers spawningisknownat the Nelson Rivertributary difficulties associatedsuch a withsampling torrid river. interact during agivenspawning season),andlogistical so few fish remain that ripe malesand females maynot state ofseveral populations (i.e.,itisconceivable that but inferences are complicated bothbythedepressed Eves Rapids, BladderRapids, Long Rapids, GullRapids), have notbeenstudied (e.g.SeaFalls, Whitemud Falls, spawning habitat at othermainstem falls/ rapids which Rapids. Itissuspected thatBirthday there isappropriate ripe fish,sturgeon spawningisalsoknown to occur at in drift traps. Basedoncaptures oflarge numbersof havebeencaptured(including shorelines), andlarvae alongflowmargins deposition havebeenobserved dewatering are reduced, spawningbehaviorand egg actually occurred. Inyearsofhighflows,whenareas of dewatering that suggests spawninghasnot surveys no evidence hatch, oflarval butthelack ofeggsin result indewatering oftherapids, there hasbeen In lowflowyearswhen water-level fluctuations apparently inrelation to flow conditions inthe river. Limestone Rapids, where itoccurs intermittently, egg depositionhasbeenconfirmed at the Lower spawningisknownto occur.tributary Inthemainstem, Unlike intheWinnipegRiver, bothmainstem and Hydro hasfunded thevast majority oftheresearch. 2010a; 2010b;Pisiak etal.2011).Here again,Manitoba 2005; Holmetal.2006;Ambrose etal.2008;2009; andMurray andMochnacz2004;Barth 1999; Barth andMacDonell (MacDonell 1995;1997a;1998;Barth Spawning hasalsobeenstudied intheNelsonRiver of spillway operation (Hrenchuk 2011). powerhouse tailrace was usedfor spawningregardless during yearsofhighflow(spill conditions), whilethe hatchlarval onlyoccurred belowthespillway spawning behaviour, eggdepositionandsubsequent the pre-spawn period (Hrenchuk 2011).However, are physically separated byalarge rock groyne) during powerhouse tailrace andspillway channelareas (which adult Lake Sturgeon movedextensively betweenthe Research intheSevenSisters GSarea determined that

33 34 viability (i.e.fertilized, this doesnotmeanthat 80% the Pointe duBoisGS.Results indicate high(~80%) Viability ofeggshasbeenexamined downstream of 2010; 2011;2012;Gillespie andMacDonell2013). McDougall andMacDonell2009; Koga andMacDonell du BoisGenerating Station (McDougalletal.2008a; River (MacDonell1995;1997a)andat thePointe based oncumulative madeat observations theWeir but 8-10daysappearsto beagoodruleofthumb Incubation timesare influenced by water temperatures, little isknownaboutthislife phase. history isgenerally observation visual notpossible, andrelatively predation mayalso beafactor. However, inManitoba, influence survival from stage, the egg and to larval thatassumed bothflowand water temperature may occur, mayhatch asmallproportion into Itis larvae. substrate, andifappropriate environmental conditions Following spawning,fertilized eggsadhere to the 3.3 EARLY LIFE HISTORY (EGG, LARVAL AND upstream inSaskatchewan (MCWS2012). system, itissuspected that spawningmayonlyoccur areas withaconcentrated hydraulic gradient ofthe spawning isnotknowninManitoba. Giventhelackof asizeable Lakesupports Sturgeon population, but well asinvarious tributaries. TheSaskatchewan River at thebaseoffew mainstem rapids that existed, as seems likely that Lake Sturgeon wouldhavespawned andgiventhemorphologyofsystems, it reports fish have reached maturity. Basedonhistorical anecdotal extirpated manydecades ago,anditisunclearifstocked populations intheRed andAssiniboine rivers were Manitoba’s prairie rivers, since theLake Sturgeon Essentially nothingisknownaboutspawningin flow with samplinginextreme conditions. to smallpopulation sizes andthedifficulties associated generating stations, althoughthisagainmight relate confirmed downstream ofthe various NelsonRiver Unlike theWinnipegRiver, spawninghasyetto be in thesesystems) appearto bethecommon features. boulder/cobble substrates (whichare intrinsically related River tributaries, apronounced hydraulic gradient and type (riffle or rapid) used for spawningintheNelson is low. Althoughthere issomevariability inthehabitat upstream thanitdoeswhenNelsonRiverwater level and spawningappearsto generally occur further the mouthofWeir Riverbecomes backwatered al. 2007).WhentheNelsonRiverisat ahighstage, YOUNG-OF-THE-YEAR) with theliterature. (MacDonell 1997a),aresult which ismore consistent captured ofdrifting larvae smallproportion only avery patterns. Atthe Weir River, accounted yolk-sac larvae for but potentially implications important dispersal to larval MacDonell 2013).Thissimpledifference hasunknown Koga andMacDonell2010;2011;2012;Gillespie and al. 2008a;2008b;McDougallandMacDonell2009; until theybeginexogenous feeding (McDougallet hatch, donotalways remain andlarvae inthesubstrate indicatelarvae) drift that beginsimmediately larval after capturedof larvae (andthepresence of yolk-sac the Pointe duBoisspawning location, size distributions studies, patterns by locality. seemto vary Downstream of preferred byyoung-of-the year. BasedonManitoba investigation hasshownthat sandsubstrates are forsummer. muchoftheirfirst laboratory Furthermore, habitats where theyforage onsmalldrifting invertebrates downstream into shallow, sandy, low-moderate velocity of exogenous feeding, after whichtheymove/drift in thesubstrate for upto 14days,prior to theonset The Lake Sturgeon literature indicates remain that larvae water habitats. Juvenile Lake Sturgeon showastrong preference for deep limits were notdefined(Hrenchuk 2011). sedimentation, predation and/or fungal infection. Upper to facilitate hatch, larval possibly dueto factors as such near-bottom velocitiesof~0.3–0.6m/s are required conditions were assessed, andresults suggested that Slow (~0.1m/s), medium(~0.3m/s) andfast (0.5m/s) on eggincubation was examined(Hrenchuk 2011). laboratory experiment theinfluence of water velocity locations (i.e.powerhousespillway). versus Inafield- will hatch) that isconsistent overyearsandbetween

emerging (McDougall et al. 2008b; McDougall and emerging (McDougalletal.2008b;McDougall and gravel, clay, withno clearpattern ofselection andsilt, captured include sand,butalsobedrock, boulder, cobble, Substrates overwhichyoung-of-the- year havebeen moderate to deepwater (5–35m) and lowvelocities. have beencaptured primarily inhabitats characterized by riverine systems (i.e.,theWinnipeg andNelsonrivers) Lakes tributaries, young-of-the-yearinManitoba’s large be sampledinbottom-set gillnets.Unlike intheGreat grown to sizes of80–100+mm,andcan thereafter later (August–October), young-of-the-yearhave MacDonell 2009;Henderson2013).Several months week period (McDougalletal.2008b;McDougalland In theWinnipegRiver, drift occurs larval over3–4 Lake 2018). Sturgeon (Earhart et al.,2015)andhowthestress response developsin to stressful events (BjornsonandAnderson2018;Hare shown to influence development andhowfish respond interactions reared inhatchery fishhavealsobeen of specialisedcells inthe skin(Shute etal.,2016).Social performance (Deslauriers etal.,2018)anddevelopment the environment andswimming alsoimpactsgrowth (Deslauriers et al.,2018).Calciumconcentration of et al.,2012);andoverwintering physiologyofthefish 2019)andstressmuscle development (Zubair (Brandt, metabolism (Yoon and etal.,2018;2019);growth temperature andsubstrate hasaprofound effect on variety conservation ofimportant metrics. For example, Sturgeon conditions inhatchery hasaneffect ona in environment during early development ofLake University ofManitoba hasdemonstrated that changes workhatchery andrecent research conducted at the where andwhy thisoccurs remains unknown.Local and theyoung-of-the-yearphasebegins,butwhen, 2013a). Ultimately, Lake larval Sturgeon settle out 2011;McDougalletal. yet to bedetermined (Barth speculated influence offlowonthese patterns, have or activebehavioral the elements), andinparticular and MacDonell2010),butpatterns (includingpassive drift upto 9kmintheSlaveFalls Reservoir (Koga et al.2008b;McDougallandMacDonell2009).Larvae than catches from bottom-set drift traps (McDougall Bois spawningsite havebeenorders ofmagnitude less surface drift-traps setdownstream ofthePointe du >95% oftotal captures. Similarly, captures larval in and determined that bottom-set traps accounted for mid-column,of bottom-set, andsurface drift traps, Winnipeg River, Henderson(2013)deployedtransects To examinecharacteristics drift inthe oflarval on theNelsonRiver, open-water movement extents et al.2011;McDougall 2013a).InStephens Lake, (0.4–1.5km)stretches ofriverbe metinshort (Barth is apparent that year-round habitat requirements can length ofriver occurring betweenriver narrows, andit al. 2013a).Home-range size tends to approach the etal.2011;McDougall theriver (Barth sub-divide separated by shallowriver narrows which frequently restricted to areas ofcontiguous deepwater habitat, revealed that movement patterns ofjuvenilesare highly and SlaveFalls ontheWinnipegRiverhave reservoirs mark-recapture studies conducted intheSevenSisters 2013b; 2013c;Hrenchuk etal.2017a).Telemetry and McDougall 2011b;Sparks 2011;McDougalletal. etal.2011; McDougall2011a; MacDonell 2009;Barth etal.2009;McDougalland (Barth less important with substrate andwater velocitycriteria beingfar m) habitats (at leastduring theopen-water season), juveniles showastrong preference for deepwater (>10 systems astheWinnipegandNelsonrivers), (such populations. Itisnowclearthat at leastinlarge riverine a large gapin ourunderstanding ofManitoba life phase,whicheven10yearsagorepresented history larger individuals mayalsobereferred to assubadults) academic research to examinethejuvenile(ofwhich Over thepastdecade, Manitoba Hydro hasfunded 3.4 JUVENILE LIFE HISTORY (McDougall andMacDonell2009). invertebrates, thevast majority beingchironomids River during fall hadconsumed alarge quantity ofsmall captured intheSlaveFalls Reservoir ontheWinnipeg (Ambrose etal. 2010),whileayoung-of-the-year amphipods (Haustoriidae) andasinglechironomid from thelowerNelsonRiverhadprimarily consumed A young-of-the-yearLake Sturgeon sampledinfall and Nematoda were consumed (Henderson2012). revealed that Diptera, Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera in theSevenSisters Reservoir ontheWinnipegRiver investigation. However, academic research conducted sampling methods,ithasnotoften beenafocus of As dietanalysisfor young-of-the-yearrequires lethal substrate withinthesystem (Murray andGillespie2011). despite theabsence oflarge patches ofsand-dominated is occurring withinthereach (McDougall2011b), completed. Herein, itisevident that juvenilerecruitment both habitat study mappingandajuvenileinventory were One notable situation istheGreat Falls Reservoir, where MacDonell 2009;McDougall2011b;Henderson2013).

35 36 fish across awidejuvenilesize by range, butdid vary etal.2013).Thispattern between (Barth didnotvary over 97%ofprey items recovered via gastric lavage house flies]andEphemeroptera [mayflies]) comprised (Trichopteralarva [caddis flies],Diptera [common In theSevenSisters Reservoir, three typesofinsect geographically closesectionsoftheWinnipegRiver. considerably onaseasonalbasis, andalsobetween Diet ofjuvenileLake Sturgeon isknownto vary 2016; 2017;2018;2019). 2014;Lachoetal.2015b;andHrenchuk Barth occurring within8kmofGullRapids. (Hrenchuk and water habitat inthelake, withthemajority ofdetections restricted relative to theamount ofavailable deep Stephens Lake, juvenilemovement ranges are similarly Lacho andHrenchuk 2016;2017;2018;2019).In 2014;Lachoetal.2015; study (Hrenchuk andBarth Gull Rapids into Stephens Lake since ofthe thestart of theconstruction site havemoveddownstream over same locations yearafter year. Nofish tagged upstream restricted,site isvery withfishbeingdetected inthe that juvenilemovement upstream oftheconstruction River inthevicinityoffuture Keeyask GShasshown track juvenileLake Sturgeon movement intheNelson ongoing acoustic study initiated telemetry in2013to (McDougall etal.2013c;Hrenchuk etal.2017a).An shift inseasonalhabitat usepatterns inthissystem season. Inconcert, theseresults suggested aspatial transition zone extensively throughout theopen-water moved backupstream andagainusedthereservoir old-river channel. During spring, tracked individuals used shallow(<9m)backwatered habitats far from the al. 2017a).Alsoduring winter, several tracked juveniles overwintering (McDougalletal.2013c;Hrenchuk et 4.5 kmdownstream) andflowsbeingunsuitable for ice build-upat GullRapids occurs at depthsof>17m, likely dueto ice conditions (scouring resulting from transition zonethe reservoir aswinter progressed, season. Most(ifnotall)tracked individualsvacated relation to theold-river channelduring theopen-water always oftagged in fish was observed, proportion main-channel habitat (dominated bysilt)asmall Hrenchuk etal.2017a).However, useofdownstream movement pattern (McDougalletal.2013b; 2013c; aslightlyGS), suggesting different typeofrestricted asaresult ofbackwateringsuspension from theKettle River flowsbegin to moderate andsediments fall outof transition zonereservoir (i.e.thearea inwhichNelson of juvenileLake Sturgeon tended to correlate withthe for inprevious analyses.Contrary to previous suspicions overstated because habitat variation was notaccounted Sturgeon intheliterature, growth hasprobably been (latitude), recognized astheprincipal drivers ofLake results alsosuggested that theinfluence of temperate density andwater velocity(McDougalletal. 2018).The ratesgrowth were negatively correlated withjuvenile of Manitoba revealed that juvenileLake Sturgeon on juvenilelength-at-age data from across theprovince et al.2018);Arecent synthesis growth analysisbased McDougall andNelson2015;2016;2017;Bernhardt (McDougall andPisiak 2012;Groening etal.2014a; andAnderson2015)Nelsonrivers. 2013; Barth 2011a; McDougall2011b;Sparks 2011;Koga etal. 2011;Hrenchuk 2011;McDougall Winnipeg (Barth between geographically closesectionsofboththe rateGrowth ofjuvenilesvaries (sometimesgreatly) Jansen, NSCInc.,pers.comm.). Johnny Darter (Etheostoma nigrum)intheirdiet(W. (caddisflies, Hexageniasp.,Sialissp.),crayfish, and larvae individuals includedanumberof(larger bodied)insect sturgeon almostexclusively fed onchironomids, larger with fishsize. Whereas younger(YOY andage-1) identified andenumerated, dietbreadth increases items for mostofthegastro-intestinal tract were rivers between 2011and2017,for whichdiet fork length)captured from theNelsonandWinnipeg 2010a). Basedon30Lake Sturgeon (97-745mm Ephemeroptera, andRainbow Smelt(Ambrose etal. Diptera andCrustacea, andto alesser extent Annelida, in fall, 2008, was primarily comprised ofTrichoptera, Lake Sturgeon captured from thelowerNelsonRiver worms) were also consumed. Thedietof12juvenile crayfish), Mollusca (e.g.clams)andAnnelida(segmented for individualfish.SmallnumbersofCrustacea (e.g. Trichoptera were alsothelargest larvae components majority offish.However, Hirudinidae(leeches)and componentwere thedominant dietary for thevast half ofthejuvenilessampled.Ephemeroptera larvae October, gutcontents were recovered from over MacDonell 2009).During samplingconducted in Reservoir located justupstream (McDougall and different intheSlaveFalls resultswere observed July, andstomachs were emptyinOctober. Markedly was themostcommon prey item inbothJuneand the mostcommon prey item inMay, whileTrichoptera stomach contents alsovaried bymonth. Diptera was Relative abundance ofthesethree prey items in substrate typeoverwhichthefishwere captured.

(Photo credit: C.Klassen) populations where Lake Sturgeon havebeenextirpated. for enhancingdepleted populations, orfor re-establishing Lake Sturgeon stocking conservation isanimportant tool systems butrare inprairie rivers. velocity river narrows) whichare common inshield the role ofnatural movement restrictors (shallowhigh- systems, andinparticular reflecting available habitat, juvenile movement patterns inshieldandprairie river It issuspected that there maybedifferences between located downstream ofBrandon (Aiken etal.2013). Sturgeon were found onlyindeeperpools(2.5–6m) low anddepthswere generally <1m.JuvenileLake conductedinventory infall 2013,water levelswere Manitoba’s prairie rivers. During theAssiniboine River Comparatively little isknownaboutjuvenileecology in etal.2015). McDougall 2011b;Barth 2011;McDougall2011a; River impoundments (Barth be skewed towards theupperreaches oftheWinnipeg stages resultinLake Sturgeon distributions that tend to movement patterns at life thejuvenileandsubadult Lake Sturgeon andrestricted following drift, larval anon-random distributionreservoirs, ofage-0 to spawntowards theupstream endofthevarious 2015). Itappearsthat thetendency ofLake Sturgeon andAnderson 2013; McDougalletal.2014d;Barth 2011a; McDougall2011b;Sparks 2011;Koga etal. 2011;McDougall capacityto (Barth theircarrying are andperhaps indeedsuitable underutilized relative rates are highestintheseareas, that suggesting they 2001), recent research hasrevealed juvenilegrowth forRiver maybeunsuitable juvenilesturgeon (Block that backwatered forebay habitats intheWinnipeg from where theywere marked (Ambrose etal.2010a; oftheHayes River) >340km the GodsRiver(atributary corridor, Nelson Riverindividualshavebeenrelocated in asamovement Using theNelson/Hayesshared estuary are frequently knownto travel distances of>50km. system. InthelowerNelsonRiver, adultLake Sturgeon Movement patterns considerably alsoappearto vary by McDougall 2011a). km longwithoutapparent preference (Labadie2011; while othersmoveandutilize sectionsofriver upto 15 displaying affinity to small(<2km)sectionsof river, patterns ofindividualadults,withsomeindividuals elsewhere, there ismuchvariation inthemovement to distincthabitats (Labadie2011).Ashasbeennoted to consist ofopen-water ofasubset areas, asopposed season (McDougall2011a).Winter home-ranges tend infrequently, interspersed throughout theopen-water movements through river narrows generally occur mayuselongerstretchessuch ofriver. However, adult juveniles (Labadie2011;McDougall2011a),andas descend through thesameriver narrows avoidedby River, adultLake Sturgeon are knownto ascend and focusparticular onmovement patterns. IntheWinnipeg Hydro hasalso investigated theadultlife stage, witha In recent years,academic research funded byManitoba be confounded bypastexploitation. Hrenchuk unpublished data), althoughdifferences could males andfemales (McDougallandMacDonell2009; Seven Sisters GStend to becomprised ofmuchlarger populations downstream oftheSlaveFalls GSandthe adjacent sectionsoftheWinnipegRiver, asthespawning thatsuggests size at maturity between mayvary been captured (McDougall2011a).Anecdotal evidence as small640-720mmandonly8yearsoldhave 2008b; McDougallandMacDonell2009),ripe males mm (fork length)are common (McDougallet al.2008a; Great Lakes area. Mature malesmeasuring800–850 be expected basedontheliterature derived from the that bothsexes mature at sizes muchsmallerthanwould well-studied SlaveFalls Reservoir population, itisobvious for Manitoba Lake Sturgeon populations. However, inthe years ofage.Maturity timelinesare generally unknown thought to mature at ~15yearsandfemales at ~25 sizes thanfemales. IntheGreat Lakes region, malesare and malestypically reach maturity earlier andat smaller Lake Sturgeon transition from juvenilesinto adultsslowly, 3.5 ADULT LIFE HISTORY

37 38 reservoirs (McDougall 2011b; McDougall et al. 2014d). (McDougall 2011b;McDougalletal.2014d). reservoirs patterns were examinedintheGreat Falls andPine Falls in whichithasbeenstudied. Juvenilerecruitment all theWinnipegRiverandNelson Riverpopulations strength isvariable ifnoterratic (onanannual basis)in 2014a). Results indicate that Lake Sturgeon year-class confirmed (McDougalland Pisiak 2012;McDougalletal. accurately, asarecent study involvingknownagefish Lake Sturgeon from Manitoba waters can beagedvery 2018). However, withtheserare exceptions, juvenile al. 2014a;2014d;HendersonandMcDougall2017; 2011;McDougall2011a; McDougallet certain (Barth lost somewhat earlier, makingageinginterpretation less are soslow-growing that definitionbetweenannuliis ~15 yearsofage,althoughcertain sub-populations Manitoba waters can beagedaccurately at leastuntil Lakemonitoring. For Sturgeon in themostpart, of Manitoba Hydro funded research andenvironmental In recent years,recruitment patterns havebeenafocus 3.6 RECRUITMENT PATTERNS (YEAR-CLASS sturgeon are further discussed insections3.8and3.9. commissioned. Upstream anddownstream passage of of2018,whentheKeeyaskthe summer spillway was through GullRapids were nolongerpossible after remained inStephens Lake. Upstream movements Gull Rapids, four moveddownstream andhavesince Stephens Lake. Ofthe31fish tagged upstream of upstream movements andreturned downstream to over therapids andstayed inGullLake, whiletwo made tagged downstream ofGullRapids, four movedupstream flooded whenthe Ofthe28fish Kettle GS was built. predominantly frequent theoldriver channelthat was and GullLake. Downstream inStephens Lake, adults Rapids andGullLake,the NelsonRiverbetweenBirthday of three mainareas: Clark Lake, of theriverine portion individual fish tend to display core-area affinity forone 2019). Upstream ofGullRapids (thefuture Keeyask GS), 2016; 2017;Hrenchuk etal.2018;Hrenchuk andLacho variation 2013;2014;2015; (Hrenchuk andBarth movement patterns donotshowmuchyearto year construction site hasshownthat adultLake Sturgeon the NelsonRiverinvicinityoffuture Keeyask ongoing acoustic study initiated telemetry in2011 Lake) for overthree years(Swanson etal.1991).An no larger thanafew square kilometers (e.g.,inAngling behavior andhavebeenknownto remain inanarea lower NelsonRiverLake Sturgeon displaysedentary Ambrose etal.2010b;Klassen 2012).However, other STRENGTH) Johnston 1915) (Photodevelopment withahydraulic drop credit: of9ft. The maindrop ofPine Falls, prior to hydroelectric has been operational, a very strong year-class (2015) has beenoperational, strong year-class (2015) avery 2015; 2016).Since thenewPointe duBoisGSspillway and 2012)resulted inyear-class failures (Lachoet al. interval spanning2004–2014,three years (2007,2011 2014d). IntheSlaveFalls Reservoir, overa10-year Henderson 2013;Koga etal.2013;McDougall et al. 2011; weak(missing) year-classes (Barth and very is evidence oferratic withbothstrong recruitment, large andhealthyspawningstocks, there which support Even intheSlaveFalls andSevenSisters reservoirs, could bedetermined (Hrenchuk 2011). correlation withhistorical flowsduring spawnor hatch downstream oftheSevenSisters GS,butno observed 2014d). Evidence ofvariable recruitment hasalsobeen year-class strength (McDougall2011b;McDougalletal. suggests thatflows flow wasnotthesoledeterminantof distributions and historical WinnipegRiverMayorJune significant correlation betweenyear-class strength patterns oferratic However, recruitment. thelackof egg development and/or drift periods, larval haddriven identical inbothreaches during thecritical spawning, inclement weather conditions) whichwouldbeessentially environmental factors (e.g.,water flow, temperature and correlated (+),whichwas interpreted asevidence that Falls andPine Falls were found reservoirs to behighly Year-class strength distributions betweentheGreat evident (McDougall2011b;McDougalletal.2014d). stronger andweaker year-classes were certainly (i.e., recruitment was somewhat more consistent), to besomewhat dampenedinthePine Falls Reservoir 2002 – 2011 period, and although the pattern appeared Reservoir was indicative oferratic recruitment during the The year-class strength distribution intheGreat Falls

markers are highlyaccurate (Gosselin etal.2015). more useful sibshipassignment routines based onSNP but theNelsonRivergenetics study indicates that markers currently available (C.McDougall,pers.comm.), be achievedusingthesuite ofmicrosatellite genetic wildfish;parentageversus identification canoften Genetic methodsalsocan beusedto identify stocked of Lake Sturgeon inthewild(Yusishen etal.,2018). in water samplescan be usedto detect thepresence Chakoumakos etal., 2019)whileenvironmental DNA use (Carriere etal.,2016;Loeppky etal.,2019a&b; rays of lake sturgeon helpestimate andhabitat survival tools usingnaturally occurring elements deposited infin as Lake Sturgeon. Recent development ofinnovative making itlargely prohibitive for aspeciesaslonglived increasingly difficult overtimeastissues compress, analysis ofbandsdeposited infin ray annulibecomes has beenusedto mass-mark otherspeciesoffish,but for implantation andinitialretention. Oxytetracycline fish need to be reared to sizes large enough to allow the wildallowidentification ofuniqueindividuals,but complicating factor. PITtags applied prior to release into difficulties indifferentiating stocked from a wild fish is the effectiveness ofconservation efforts; however, integral ofunderstanding approaches to maximise part Monitoring thesuccess ofstocking programs isan oftheRedin theMinnesota portion Riversystem. Winnipeg, NelsonandAssiniboine rivers, andalso management purposesintheSaskatchewan, Stocking hasbeenconducted for research and 3.7 STOCKING failures anderratic recruitment (McDougall2014d). should bewell-suited to overcome periodic year-class over eachfish’slonglifespan), Lake Sturgeon populations of thespecies(late maturation andmanyspawningevents (Burnett etal.2019).Considering thelife strategy history the 2015year-class isthestrongest inStephens Lake 2008 and2016year-class dominate inGullLake, while in 2008(HendersonandPisiak 2012);currently, the close to adecade byasinglestrong year-class, produced present inGullandStephens lakes was dominated for Nelson River, thejuvenilesegment ofthepopulations capacity (HendersonandMcDougall2018).Onthe population thought nearto) to carrying beat (orvery that year-class suppression maybeoccurring inthis hatch;on eggdepositionorlarval rather, itissuspected there isnoclearlinkto Projectpresent, suggest effects (HendersonandMcDougall2017;2018).At observed and twoyear-class failures (2016and2017)havebeen mm onaverage) thanfall fingerlings (301.4mmon recaptured at age-2,spring yearlings were larger (338.9 stocked 71%for (100%versus fall fingerlings). When higher site fidelity to thelakes inwhichtheywere Lake Sturgeon released asyearlings alsodisplayed respectively, inbothcases favouring spring yearlings. and Numaolakes were 144and5.5timesashigh, site specific;the ratios for fish released into Dorothy yearlings fall versus fingerlings. However, patterns were Relative recapture rate was 24timeshigherfor spring clips and/or Passive Integrated Transponder tags. (PIT) as hatchery-reared fish from previously appliedfin efforts, 51individualswere recaptured andidentified (Klassen 2014). During 2009 and2010gillnetting recapture rate, downstream movement andgrowth 415) to determine theinfluence ofage-at-release on as fall fingerlings (n=10,000)orspring= yearlings (n Sturgeon from the2008year-class were released propagatedby Manitoba Hydro, artificially Lake In aUniversityofManitoba academic study funded stocked in2008(Aiken etal.2013). the juvenilescaptured linkbackto fingerlings (n=7,900) stocked fish was found; rather, it seemed more likely that by ageing error,reproduction noconclusive evidence of ageing imprecision andspeculation ofpotential systematic estimates for ofage,particularly juveniles. Owing to confident to otherManitoba localities), precluding patterns (atypical compared growth inconsistent and industrial sector. Ageingcomplicatedrevealed analysis (2.5 – 6 m) holes found Brandon the of downstream just adults (820–1040mm)were captured in two deeper (427 – 531 mm forksubadults/ seven and length) reproduction (Aiken et al.2013).Atotal of23juveniles (i.e., year-class identification) to look for evidence of to capture Lake Sturgeon, anduseageingmethods Section 2.5,anLSSEP study inventory was undertaken of stocked Asmentioned in fishmaybeimminent. be aproxy for maturity, itisconceivable that reproduction the Travel Manitoba “Master Angler”program. Assize may (adult sized) Lake Sturgeon beingfrequently by reported Assiniboine Riverhaveincreased inrecent years, withlarge 1996 and2008.Lake Sturgeon anglingcaptures inthe Assiniboine River, stocking was conducted between recent years(MCWS2012).Ontheformerly extirpated them to Minnesota stockings) withincreased frequency in capturinghave reported Lake Sturgeon (withtags linking monitoring hasbeenconducted. OntheRed River, anglers evidence, butonothersdedicated post-stocking Sturgeon stocking success isbasedonlyonanecdotal In someareas ofManitoba, theevaluation ofLake

39 40 post stocking usinganarray ofacoustic receivers. The that enabled researchers to track movement locations) acoustic transmitters (n=15for each ofthetworelease ofthosereleasedsubset were implanted a with and cage. AllLake Sturgeon were implanted withPITtags, 4.5 kmdownstream (n=392)viaadeepwater release or released directly into deepwater (approximately near SeaFalls (n=390)astheyhavebeeninthepast, Falls inMay2015were eitherreleased alongtheshore Lacho etal.inreview). Lake Sturgeon stocked at Sea stocked Lake Sturgeon (McDougallandNelson 2016; release ofLake Sturgeon mayimprove retention of Sugar Falls reach to examinewhether a deepwater In 2015,astudy was completed intheSeaFalls to health (Genzetal.2014). complications, orlastingnegative effects onbroodstock wild Lake Sturgeon, withoutanyhumanconsumption injections can beusedto aidingamete collection from In summary, that theseresults suggest hormonal from capture andinduced spawningare notsevere. return to thewildindicated that thestress effects ofallthestudyapparent animalsfollowing survival for maleandfemale fishnotinduced to spawn,andthe following hormonalinductionwas muchhigherthan they were released (Genzetal.2014).Gamete viability risk associated withconsumption ofinduced fishafter therewild spawners),suggesting wouldbenoincreased significantly exceeded the values at capture (i.e.levelsin concentration following hormoneinjectionsnever a 4weekperiod, bloodandmusclesexsteroid broodstock gamete extraction. Monitored over research related to theuseofhormonesfor inducing subsistence fishers.Manitoba Hydro funded academic for induced fish to be captured and by consumed Manitoba communities because ofthepotential America, therein North was concern innorthern of lake sturgeon spawn-taking operations elsewhere been usedto improve theefficiencysuccess and rate asOvaprim®While theuseofhormonessuch have released asyearlings (McDougall andLacho2019). individuals havebeenrecaptured, andallofthesewere have occurred overtheyears.Intotal, 13PITtagged recaptures oftheaforementioned PITtagged fishthat Branch longterm monitoring records were searched for (Klassen 2014).Infall 2018,theManitoba Fisheries and comparable to wildjuvenilesofsimilartotal lengths individuals was similarbetweenthetwostages stocked, average). Overall, thecondition ofhatchery-reared and withinreach retention for fish reared to age-1+ rates both annualsurvival stocking establishment, downstream reaches prior to establishing. After post- were released, withothersdispersinginto proximal past decade haveestablished withinthereach they cohort) ofLake Sturgeon reared to age-1+overthe proven highlysuccessful. Variable (by proportions population recovery inthisarea, age-1+releases have fish,unlikelyage-0 (orlarval) sufficientto be to drive has beenonlyminimalevidence ofcontributions of resulting manuscript iscurrently inreview. While there inventories haverecently beensynthesized, andthe [Burnett andMcDougall2015]).Theresults ofthese Little Playgreen Lake was inventoried once (2014 and Pisiak 2014;Aiken andMcDougall2016]) was inventoried twice (2013 and2015[McDougall Nelson 2015;2016;2017]),thePipestone Lake reach Pisiak 2014;McDougalletal.2014a;and – 2016[McDougallandPisiak 2012;McDougalland to SugarFalls reach was inventoried fivetimes(2012 et al.2014a).Between2012and2016,theSeaFalls 0 reared fish(McDougalland Pisiak 2012;McDougall estimated to be130xgreater for age-1relative to age- Falls Reach in2012,relative recruitment success was the firstinventory conducted intheSea Falls to Sugar (McDougall etal.inreview). Basedontheresultsof and 484age-1fishwere stocked outin Pipestone Lake stocked outinLittle Playgreen Lake, and11,000age-0 of 15,968age-0,1,030age-1and25age-2were Sugar Falls Reach. Between2012and2016,atotal Sturgeon havebeenstocked outintheSeaFalls to (age-0), 4,247yearlings (age-1)and28age-2Lake 36,766fingerlingsSeptember 2016,87,770larvae, began in1994(MCWS2012).Betweenand to address thesuccess ofthestocking initiative which Lake Sturgeon inventories intheupperNelsonRiver, The NRSBandLSSEP collaborated to conduct juvenile (McDougall andNelson2016;Lachoetal.inreview). shore released ordeepwater released Lake Sturgeon Nelson 2016).There was nodifference inretention for al. 2013a;McDougallet2014b,and deepwater etal.2011,McDougall habitat (Barth Sturgeon tend to stay withinsectionsofcontiguous studies inManitoba that havefound that juvenileLake general, movement patterns were consistent withother same area for extended periods (weeksto months). In before settling into anarea. Manyfish remained inthe some moving upstream andsomemovingdownstream movement patterns ofindividualLake Sturgeon varied, with

the sites ofhistoric falls andrapids (Johnston 1915; and Nelsonrivers, manystations were built at or near On stepped-gradient shieldsystems like theWinnipeg restricted upstream movement inManitoba systems. it isunclearwhetherornottheyhaveartificially dams are generally barriers to upstream passage, Although hydroelectric generating stations andother 3.8 UPSTREAM PASSAGE 2019; Burnett andHrenchuk 2018). inhabiting theKeeyask area (Burnett etal.2016;2017; exhibited patterns growth similarto wildconspecifics (Klassen etal.2018).Since release, thesefishhave out intheKeeyask Study area havebeenrecaptured of fall 2018, 132 of3,381age-1individualsstocked released have beenimplanted withPITtags, andas Alloftheage-1fish to examineifanyhavesurvived. based isotopic signatures) can beusedinthefuture that parentage andsibship analyses(orhatchery- parents offish andasubset from each means cohort butarchived geneticsamples fromsurvived, broodstock the Keeyask area orage-0stage at have thelarval itisuncertain fish ifhatchery At present, releasedinto spacehatchery becomes constraining for eachcohort. andage-0s)havebeen released as younger fish(larvae in thestudy area (Gosselin etal.2015),andreleases of selected to account for genetically distinctpopulations Lake. Broodstock andrelease locations havebeen 1,138 age-1shavebeenstocked outin Stephens 886 age-1shavebeenstocked outinGull Lake, and age-1s havebeenstocked outintheBurntwood River, stocking plan(Klassen etal.2018).Asof2018,1,357 previously, rearing to age-1isacornerstone ofthe interim success ofupperNelsoninitiatives described Keeyask GS)commenced in2013.Basedlargely onthe mitigate and/or offset for potential impactsfrom the Lake Sturgeon stocking intheKeeyask study area (to continued in2017and2018. Stocking offingerlings andage-1fishinthese areas has occupying similarhabitats (McDougalletal.inreview). rates whichoutpace individualsfrom wildpopulations 2016. Manyoftheage-1fish released havegrown at to 8.0Lake Sturgeon/100 m/24hbetween2012and CPUE injuvenilegillnetgangshasincreased from 1.4 intense evaluation study hasoccurred, Lake Sturgeon Sugar Falls Reach, where thebulkofstocking andmost been captured inadifferent reach. IntheSeaFalls to captured inoneofthethree reaches hassubsequently prior high;notasinglefish to release havebeenvery McDougall et al. 2017a). McDougall etal.2017a). 2011; McDougalletal.2013d; Gosselin etal.2015; natural barriers (Côté to etal. upstream movement. falls/rapids (Johnston 1915)whichmayhavebeen on theWinnipegRiver)were builtat ornearhistorical migrations, giventhat manystations (includingseveral if thegoalissolelyto accommodate historical spawning hydroelectric stations inManitoba islikely unnecessary passage. However, facilitating upstream passage at all lieu offishway technology that can allowvolitional useful management technique, at leastintemporary study, trap-and-transport ofLake Sturgeon maybea downstream passage orfallback inthe was observed resident inthis area during thespawningperiod. Asno Reservoir, where knownspawningsites occur, andwere into the middle/upper sectionsoftheSevenSisters rapidly ascended through backwatered forebay habitats m upstream of thegenerating station. Alltracked fish transmitters, andthentransported andreleased 500 nets belowSevenSisters GSwere fitted withacoustic Lake Sturgeon (malesandfemales) captured ingill (McDougall etal.2013d).Inthisstudy, pre-spawn upstream passage ofpre-spawn Lake Sturgeon asanalternativeand-transport meansoffacilitating Manitoba Hydro funded astudy whichexaminedtrap- seasonal draining andotherlogistical complications. Lake Sturgeon; however, harshwinters maynecessitate head damsinEurope for andmaywellbesuitable passing fishway’s havebeenusedeffectively in relation to high- Nature-likeover high-headdamsdonotyetexist. traditional fishwaysuitable designs for passing thespecies leaping capabilities (at leastincomparison to salmonids), the Lake Sturgeon’s large size andpoorswimming/ to facilitate historical spawningmigrations. Owingto provision ofupstream passage maybeappropriate introduced barrier to upstream anartificial movement, locations where itiscertain that agenerating station has (Côté etal.2011;Gosselin etal.2015).However, in downstream geneflowbetweenthesepopulations were historical barriers for Lake Sturgeon, withonly Kelsey GS)andKettle Rapids (current site ofKettle GS) thatRiver suggest Grand Rapids (current location of ofgeneticsstudies2011a). Theresults ontheNelson River prior to construction ofthestation (McDougall in thevicinityofSlaveFalls GSontheWinnipeg a barrier to upstream geneflowoccurred historically genetic results are consistent withthehypothesisthat restricted For upstream movement. example,recent Denis andChallies1916),whichmayhavehistorically

41 42 from bothgeneticanddemographic perspectives. immigrants to thedownstream population isinfluential downstream passage, theinfluence ofupstream is evidence to that suggest dueto ahighrate ofsurvived Slave Falls there (McDougall 2017a).Assuch, reservoir following yearsofrelatively rapid achievedin growth to have passed downstream through theSlaveFalls GS downstream population), andtherefore were reasoned in terms oflength-at-age (relative to theslowgrowing stretch ofriver downstream ofSlaveFalls were outliers 525 and750mm(fork length)captured inthe6km revealed that 15.2% oftheLake Sturgeon between Length-at-age bygenetic methods, analysis,supported oriented juvenilesalmonids(McDougalletal.2014b). to surface-flow outletsused surface-for passing sluices likely providing aneffective solutioncomparable facilitate safe downstream passage, withbottom-draw exploit theLake Sturgeon’s bottom-oriented nature to status). Results suggested management initiatives could was conservatively assigned an“unknown”survival (theremaining fish determined to havebeensurvived downstream passage eventsof theobserved were (McDougall etal.2014b).Atleastten ofeleven(91%) vicinity ofthemainspillway were related to bathymetry the SlaveFalls GSpowerhouse, andmovements inthe draw regulating sluices located endof at thenortheast downstream passage frequently occurred viabottom- Fine-scale movement tracking revealed that juvenile entrainment was observed. (McDougalletal.2014b).No section ofthereservoir 19.3 –22.9)for tagged inthelowermost subadults tagged throughout thereservoir, and21.1%(range: rates were estimated at 2.9%(range: 0–4.4)for adults (McDougall etal.2013a).Meanannualentrainment residentjuveniles andsubadults inupstream sections restrictors), seemto largely preclude susceptibility of of river narrows (whichfunction asnatural movement susceptible to entrainment). However, thepresence upstream oftheSlaveFalls GS(where theywouldbe were found to periodically usehabitat immediately reservoir, aswellseveral adultstagged throughout, tagged inthelowermostsectionof subadults et al.2014b,McDougall2014c).Juvenilesand (McDougall 2011a;McDougalletal.2013a; and thenature ofdownstream passage events through theSlaveFalls GSontheWinnipegRiver, examined entrainment susceptibility ofLake Sturgeon Academic research funded byManitoba Hydro 3.9 DOWNSTREAM PASSAGE (i.e., to thepoint ofextirpation) mayconfound genetic levelofexploitation Indeed, anextreme been lost. signatures ofanysub-groupshavenow almostcertainly question willlikely neverbeanswered because genetic extirpation of Lake Sturgeon from thelake itself, that to over-exploitationin large part andsubsequent Pigeon, Berens intriguing, etc.), isparticularly butdue resident populations (e.g.,Winnipeg,Saskatchewan, large tributaries that continue riverine to support Population structure in Lake Winnipeg,withitsmany broad-scale population structuring withintheprovince. some historical andcontemporary data gapsrelated to (e.g., Red andAssiniboine rivers). there Assuch, are still cases because Lake Sturgeon were extirpated longago (e.g., East-side Lake Winnipegtributaries), insome been sampledinallwaterbodies theycurrently inhabit Gosselin etal.2015);however, Lake Sturgeon havenot 2009;CôtéManitoba etal.2011; rivers (Kjartanson differentiation betweenLake Sturgeon stocks invarious and singlenucleotidepolymorphismsconfirm genetic More recent studies basedonmicrosatellite markers Units (DUs)throughout Canada(COSEWIC 2006). results influenced ofDesignatable the partitioning DNA, amongwatersheds and/or rivers, andthese found geneticdifferences, basedonmitochondrial study conducted byFerguson (1997) andDuckworth population structuring betweenrivers iswell-known.A Within theprovince ofManitoba, Lake Sturgeon 3.10 POPULATION STRUCTURING concluded (Pisiak etal.2011). resident withintheLimestone Forebay whenthestudy three fishwhich didnotpass downstream remained The fate ofthefifthfish couldnotbe determined. The passage. these fishwere believed survived to have downstream viaturbine units,andat leastfour of (Pisiak etal.2011).Five ofeight Lake Sturgeon passed course ofathree yearacoustic monitoring program downstream through theLimestone GSoverthe into theLimestone Forebay, and8of16(50%)passed captured inthelowerNelsonRiverwere transferred 2016; 2017;2018;2019).Inonestudy, large juveniles 2018; Hrenchuk andLacho2019;Hrenchuk 2013;2014;2015;2016;2017;Hrenchuk etal. Barth generating stations (Pisiak etal.2011;Hrenchuk and Fisheries Branch, pers.comm.) andNelsonRiver (McDougall andMacDonell2009;K.Kansas,Manitoba Lake Sturgeon occur through otherWinnipegRiver indicate downstream movements of that survived Mark-recapture andacoustic data telemetry also

to occur, thanfor aspeciesthat hasageneration time genetic differences (andadaptation) ofLake Sturgeon to longgenerationalpart times;itwilltake longerfor other fishspecies.Again,thisis related at leastin low-levels ofgeneticdifferentiation compared to results, Lake Sturgeon populations showrelatively In thecontext ofinterpreting population genetics caused byfragmentation to haveaccumulated. time (generations) haspassed for genetic differences Pointe duBoisGSon theWinnipegRiver),notenough Even for damsconstructed over100yearsago(e.g., et al.2011;McDougall2011a;Gosselin etal.2015). asfragmentationones such andoverexploitation (Côté reflect historical factors, asopposed to contemporary times), geneticpatterns today primarily observed by late maturation andlong(~25years)generation to thelife strategy history ofLake Sturgeon (defined been inplace insomewatersheds for manydecades, due in Manitoba. Despite thepresence ofdamsthat have potential for population structuring withinwatersheds oflargein subsections riverine systems) there is for andadultsto juveniles,subadults remain resident cues and/or learnedbehavior, andastrong tendency “home” to spawningsites viaeitherenvironmental movement andgeneflow, thepotential for adults to potential barriers (historical falls/rapids) to upstream poor swimming/leapingcapability, thepresence of some systems; however, givenanumberoffactors (i.e. fragmentation andconfinement. This maybetruein and navigational damshasresulted inpopulation river systems, andthat construction ofhydroelectric historically movedunimpededthroughout individual done withintheGreat Lakes area was that Lake Sturgeon Until recently, theprevailing notionbasedonstudies intermixed population. lead to theerroneous conclusion ofonehistorically apattern such downstream could reach. Atworst, or altogether replace thehistoric signature ofthe upstream populations would,inthiscase, overwhelm reaches. However, thegeneticsignature ofthe redistribution might eventually repopulate downstream cumulative downstreamupstream reaches were not, reaches were andpopulations decimated in byharvest were historically structured, ifpopulations inlower For example,inariver system where populations analysis ofwithinwatershed population structure. McDougall, North/South Consultants Inc.,pers.com.).McDougall, North/South currently being conducted for theWinnipegRiver(C. (Gosselin etal.2015).Asimilarhigh-resolution study is migrated the entire lengthoftheNelsonRiver Nelson Riverrefutes thehypothesisthat Lake Sturgeon of ahistorically structured meta-population inthe Challies 1916;Gosselin etal.2015).Theidentification prior to construction was a23.8mdrop) (Denisand drop) andKettle Rapids (current site ofKettle GS, but of Kelsey GS,butprior to construction was a6.1m natural barriers includingGrand Rapids (current site were historically restricted to one-way geneflowby et al.2015).Thepopulations withintheNelsonRiver minimal, andonlyinthedownstream direction (Gosselin flow betweenGullLake andthelowerNelsonRiveris River (Gosselin etal.2015).Analysisindicated that gene not genetically distinctfrom thesturgeon intheHayes al. 2015).Lake Sturgeon from theGodsRiverwere the HayesRiver, andtheChurchill River(Gosselin et Lower Limestone Rapids, AnglingRiver, Weir River), Burntwood River, thelowerNelsonRiver(including including GullLake/Birthday Rapids, Kelsey/Grass River, populations, andidentified sixdistinctpopulations unprecedented discriminatory powerfor Lake Sturgeon nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)study provided 2011a; Gosselin etal.2015).TheNelsonRiversingle Winnipeg rivers to date (Cote etal.2011,McDougall intheNelsonand has beenstudied andobserved historical population structuring withinManitoba rivers As described insections2.3and2.8,evidence for conclusions.such population, althoughthere maybetemptations to draw be interpreted asevidence ofasingleinter-mixed withoutotherinformation,sample sizes shouldnot, a low-resolution setofgeneticmarkers andsmall a givenriver. Failure to findgeneticdifferences using biologically relevant) patterns that might existwithin sample sizes mayberequired to detect (butstill subtle such, more As markersflow ispresent. and/or larger if anydegree ofone-way (i.e.downstream) gene- compared withpatterns betweenwatersheds, especially population structure willlikely occur withinawatershed of 5yearsorless (e.g.salmon).Further, more subtle

43 4.0 CONCLUSION

Throughout Manitoba, many organizations have been valuable knowledge on the ecology of Lake Sturgeon in involved in Lake Sturgeon research and recovery Manitoba. In the past, the vast majority of literature on efforts over the past 15 years. As a direct result of Lake Sturgeon has been based on work completed in these combined efforts, much more is now known the Great Lakes. Due to the lack of information on the about the Lake Sturgeon populations in Manitoba, local (Manitoba) ecology of Lake Sturgeon, observations even compared to what was known at the time of of Lake Sturgeon ecology in the Great Lakes were the 2006 COSEWIC assessment that assessed the applied to populations in Manitoba, in some cases majority of Lake Sturgeon populations in Manitoba inappropriately. Research initiatives have identified that as endangered. In many areas, the Lake Sturgeon some aspects of Lake Sturgeon ecology in Manitoba populations are now showing signs of improvement differ from observations in the Great Lakes, and can even rather than decline, and in areas where little had been be specific to regions within Manitoba. known even five years ago, we now have substantial information on the population and available habitat. The significant knowledge gained over the past 15 years on the population and local ecology of Lake In addition to significantly improving our understanding Sturgeon in Manitoba will be invaluable for future of populations and potentially limiting factors over science-based decisions regarding the recovery and the past 15 years, research initiatives have provided management of populations.

44 5.0 REFERENCES

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