CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Tennessee Aquarium and its partners in the Southeast Lake Sturgeon Working Group will release hundreds of state-endangered Lake Sturgeon into the Tennessee River and Cumberland River watersheds this month.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the reintroduction program’s first release in 2000.
Lake Sturgeon is listed as a state-endangered species in Tennessee. The last time a wild-born representative of this prehistoric river giant was found in the Tennessee River was 1963.
The species later disappeared from the Volunteer State due to a combination of overfishing, poor water quality, and damming practices…