Lake Sturgeon To Be Released Into Tennessee River System

4/15/2002

From: Wendy Smith of the World Wildlife Fund, 615-584-5382

News Advisory:

More than 1000 lake sturgeon, a federally listed endangered species, will be released near the new Seven Islands Nature Park in Knox County as part of a multi-year effort to reestablish the fish in Tennessee. More than 50 school children will assist in the release.

Lake Sturgeon once thrived throughout Tennessee, but disappeared due to water pollution and dams, which decreased their ability to migrate throughout the river system. The sturgeon captive rearing and reintroduction project is a joint effort with the World Wildlife Fund, the Southeast Aquatic Research Institute, the Tennessee Aquarium, Tennessee Valley Authority, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The Lake Sturgeon release is made possible by greater enforcement efforts under the Clean Water Act, and the TVA Reservoir Release Improvement Program which has improved the level of available oxygen in the water.

Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow called lake sturgeon the "king of fishes" because they can grow to be eight feet long and weigh more than 300 pounds. Lake sturgeon can also live to be 100 years old. Although lake sturgeon populations have declined over much of their range in Tennessee and elsewhere, evidence suggests that populations can recover when sufficient numbers of mature fish and adequate habitat are maintained.

WHERE: Seven Islands Nature Park, French Broad River below Douglas Dam

Take Exit 402 (Midway Road) from I-40 about 12 miles East of Knoxville. Go South on Midway Road for 1.0 mile to a "Y" intersection, and bear to the left (Midway Road). Proceed carefully, as the road becomes hilly and curvy, for another mile to the intersection of Maples Road (which has signs to River Islands Golf Course). Turn left on Maples Road and drive 0.6 miles to intersection of Kodak Road. Turn right on Kodak Road and watch for Bethel Baptist Church on the left 0.4 miles down Kodak Road. At the church turn left onto Kelly Lane, and follow the paved road 1.5 miles down to the river and turn right onto a dirt drive leading to gravel boat ramp, just upstream from the high voltage power lines crossing the river. The release event is planned at the gravel boat ramp.

WHEN: 10:30 a.m., April 17, 2002

WHO: -- Students from Pittman Center Elementary and Pond Gap Elementary -- Wendy Smith, director, Southeast Rivers and Streams Ecoregion, World Wildlife Fund -- Richard Biggins, endangered species recovery coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service -- Gary Myers, director, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency -- Ed Scott, Tennessee Valley Authority -- Doug Battaille, Knox County Parks and Recreation Department -- Pete Claussen, local landowner