A public celebration will be held Wednesday, Aug. 29, at the New Richmond Bridge County Park boat ramp in Fennville, Michigan, to release juvenile lake sturgeon into the Kalamazoo River. The 6- to 9-inch sturgeon were reared in a streamside hatchery on-site.

The event is led by the Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Potawatomi Indians, with support from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Kalamazoo River Chapter of Sturgeon For Tomorrow and Grand Valley State University. 

The festivities run 5 to 8 p.m. with a welcome provided by Tribal Council and a performance by Sons of the Three Fires (a tribal drum group). Hatchery tours and a light dinner (first-come, first-served) also will be offered.  

The event’s address is 3160 Old Allegan Road. Guest parking is available on both the north and south sides of the Kalamazoo River. 

Juvenile lake sturgeon have been reared in the facility since May. The fish will be tagged prior to their release so, hopefully, their growth can be tracked over time. The rearing facility at New Richmond began operating in the spring of 2011, when it took its first batch of lake sturgeon eggs from the Kalamazoo River.