Relating swimming performance of lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens, to fishway design

Fishways have traditionally been designed to provide safe passage for jumping fish and only recently have nonjumping species been considered. Concern over dwindling populations of lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens, has focused attention on fishway designs that accommodate its swimming abilities. The objective of this study was to derive a model that relates swimming endurance of lake sturgeon to length and flow characteristics of fishways. Endurance at sustained and prolonged swimming speeds (those maintainable for more than 20 s) increased with water temperature but was independent of temperature at higher burst speeds. Endurance increased with total length at all swimming velocities. Swimming performance of lake sturgeon, relative to body length, is inferior to that of most salmonids, particularly at burst speeds. Fishway designers need to consider swimming ability, space requirements, and behavior of lake sturgeon to ensure that they can ascend potential migratory obstacles safely.