Title
White sturgeon spawning migrations and location of spawning habitat in the Sacramento River, California
Publication Date
1997
Keywords
sturgeon, spawning, migration, habitat, Substrate, upstream, eggs, flow velocities, California
Journal or Book Title
California Fish and Game
Abstract
Sixty sturgeon (59 white, Acipenser transmontanus, and one green, A. medirostris) were tagged with radio transmitters in the lower Sacramento River in late winter 1990 and 1991 and their movements during spawning migrations were followed. In spring 1991 and 1992, artificial substrate samplers were deployed in various habitats in areas of the Sacramento River used by spawning sturgeon. Upstream movement of tagged sturgeon could be quite rapid, up to 25 km/d, and was often stimulated by small increases in river flow. Downstream movement of females, assumed to be post-spawning migrations, were also rapid, as fast as 91 km/d. Sturgeon eggs were taken at artificial substrate sites where depths ranged from 1.8 to 4.6 m and flow velocities exceeded 1.0 m/s. Most spawning occurred from Knights Landing to several kilometers upstream of Colusa. Abstract courtesy of California Fish and Game.
Pages
1-20
Volume
83