Letter: Thoughts on sturgeon spawning, water temp

Dear Editor:

I have read the story (online and in the paper) about extra spill from the dam for the sturgeon and I do agree with the spill.

My question: Is there any historical data on the river water temperature from before the dam went into operation?

Why I ask this question is talking with a friend who reminded me of the temperature effect on alligator eggs. Temperatures less than 85 degrees produce females; temperatures greater than 91 degrees produce males and temperatures in between produce both sexes.

So, could the temperature have some of the same effects on sturgeon or even be the cue to start spawning?

The article talks about how the sturgeons are spawning in the “meander reach” below Bonners Ferry and not in the upper reach in the canyon below Kootenai Falls.

My thoughts are, could the way they are controlling the water temperature have any thing to do with it?

We have just gone through a couple of cold snaps and at no time (even when the temperature was in the single digits) did the river ever form ice in the Troy area – all the creeks feeding into the river did.

I have heard many stories from the older folks in the area that the river used to freeze in the winter.

Growing up I would fish the creeks and river near Troy and in the summertime the creeks were always colder than the river … not now.

How does cold water temperature of the river, in the summer, affect the hatch of water insects?

If the dam tries to maintain the water temperature between 48 and 52 degrees year round, to me it stands to reason that the sturgeon are spawning below Bonners Ferry because it takes the river that long to cool down in the winter and warm up in the summer to more of a natural historical changing temperature.

I would love to hear anyone else’s thoughts on this.

Glenn Garrison

Troy