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FOR ANCIENTS OF THE DEEP | |
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 THE UPPER COLUMBIA RIVER HAS CHANGED RADICALLY FROM THE END OF THE 20TH CENTURY TO THE BEGINNING OF THE 21ST CENTURY. Hydroelectric dams have changed the habitat characteristics of the Columbia River, causing changes in hydrology, water temperature and chemistry. Further, the addition of contaminants to the river, rural and urban development, and the introduction of non-native fish also contributed to the vastly different environment in which sturgeon are currently trying to survive.
Which of these changes represent the most serious threats to white sturgeon survival is not fully understood. What is known is that the habitat conditions and aquatic community of today are very different than it was before dams, development and settlement of the area. Learning more about how the upper Columbia’s aquatic community and habitat functions today is critically important to restoring sturgeon to a healthy and sustainable population.
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