Gleaning Facebook: Sturgeon Release #12

Today the staff at Arrowhead joined DNR's Fisheries folk and students from Armuchee Elementary to release thousands of 3-7 inch Lake Sturgeon juveniles into the Oostanaula River. This is our twelfth year of the effort to re-establish this native game fish in the Coosa River system.

Mrs. Taylor gives a baby Lake Sturgeon a kiss for luck before it is released into our beautiful Oostanaula River.

The DNR folk work at equalizing the temperature of the water in the tank with that of the river to avoid too violent a shock to the little critters.

The boat ramp at Hwy 140 on the Oostanaula gives excellent access for this event.

A net full of baby sturgeon.

Releasing the sturgeon. (I have obscured the faces of the children to preserve privacy.)

DNR Fisheries expert John Ramer checks the pH of the river water.

I climbed the bank to try another picture angle.

A beautiful autumn morning for the sturgeon to find their new home.

The sturgeon are downright prehistoric-looking aren't they?

Our twelfth year of sturgeon releases.
(Children's faces obscured for privacy concerns.)

Some of the kids made the effort to touch the strange little fish.

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Everyone was fascinated to watch the sturgeon squiggle out of the nets.

When the children had all had several turns at releasing nets full of the squirming little cartilaginous fish, the remaining little sturgeons were released directly from the tank.

Mrs. Whitaker was also a good sport. She claimed the little sturgeon definitely kissed her back!