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(WJW) – Dozens of fish with transmitters implanted into them were released into the Cuyahoga River on Wednesday.
The Ohio Division of Wildlife said in a post on Facebook that the placement of 60 juvenile lake sturgeon into the river is part of a pilot project for a larger goal of reintroducing the endangered fish into the waterway.
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The Ohio Department of Natural Resources explains that the fish, which can grow up to 8 feet long and weigh over 300 pounds, were historically very abundant in some Ohio waterways like the Ohio River and Lake Erie, however, their numbers have declined likely because more dams now prevent them from reaching spawning grounds in much smaller streams.
Wildlife experts said the pilot project will help evaluate their movement and survival of the fish, which will help determine release locations next year.