The Use of Physical Modeling to Design Kootenai River White Sturgeon Spawning Habitat

Kootenai River White Sturgeon has become endangered because of its inability to successfully spawn. The sandy riverbed where the sturgeon currently spawn is considered an unsuitable spawning habitat. Successful sturgeon spawning locations in the Columbia and Snake rivers have cobble and boulder bed material. The Seattle District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has supported a series of physical model studies conducted by Colorado State University to evaluate artificial rock habitat structures that could be built in the Kootenai River to improve sturgeon spawning conditions. The study has focused on what type of structure would provide suitable spawning habitat and be sustainable in the sandy river environment. The three phase study has evaluated alternative sizes shapes, materials, spawning performance and sustainability.