LCO Delegation Tours St. Croix Fish Hatchery Ahead of Historic Sturgeon Release

By Jennifer Cadotte

LCO PR Specialist

Members of the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) community including representatives from the Tribal Governing Board, university staff and students, and the LCO Conservation Department visited the St. Croix Tribal Fish Hatchery and new Processing Facility on October 9 for an educational tour and shared cultural exchange.  

The visit came just days before the St. Croix Band of Chippewa Indians was set to release 400 sturgeon into Clam Lake, the first time a non-federal, non-state entity will release the fish into public waters.

“This is about securing our own food source for our membership,” said St. Croix Chairman Conrad St. John. “Being able to raise and release them ourselves is a major step forward.”

“Of the 6,000 eggs collected and fertilized, approximately 3,000 survived.” explained Sarah Slayton, Director of Environmental and Natural Resources for St. Croix. “Sturgeon are slow to mature, with males typically reaching reproductive age around 15 years and females not until about 20 years.”

Jeremy Bloomquist, St. Croix’s Land and Water Resources Manager, led the tagging of the young sturgeon. Each fish is carefully monitored in an environment designed to simulate the natural light cycles of the sun and moon, helping them adapt to life in the wild.

Under current law, only federal and state entities are permitted to release sturgeon into public waters. The St. Croix Band is set to become the first tribal entity to do so.

The release of the sturgeon into Clam Lake took place Tuesday, October 14.  For the Lac Courte Oreilles and St. Croix communities alike, it symbolizes more than conservation—it is a reaffirmation of Indigenous rights, cultural revitalization, and a shared commitment to protecting the waters for generations to come.

Pics by Jennifer Cadotte, PR Specialist