once abundant throughout the great lakes, lake sturgeon in the milwaukee river were driven to the brink of regional extinction by 1890. human pressures, including overfishing, pollution, and dam construction, collapsed the population to less than 1% of historic levels, but dedicated restoration efforts across wisconsin are now working to reverse that legacy. 

this film explores the partnership formed in 2006 between riveredge nature center and the wisconsin department of natural resources to restore lake sturgeon to the milwaukee river watershed. through the “return the sturgeon project,” over 22,042 lake sturgeon have been successfully reared and released into lake michigan, carefully nurtured through the critical six-month growth period from eggs to fingerlings and juveniles. fueled by passionate community involvement and strong local collaboration, this effort is helping revive these ancient giants and secure their place in the great lakes for generations to come.