Scientists say lake sturgeon — a prehistoric fish listed as an endangered species in Missouri — have been consistently spawning in the lower Mississippi River near West Alton in recent years.
Since 1984, the Missouri Department of Conservation has made efforts to reintroduce sturgeon along the lower Mississippi. The fish, which can grow up to eight feet in length and weigh hundreds of pounds, are Missouri's longest-lived animal. They flourished in much of the state before dying off in the early 1900s because of an overabundance of fishing and a loss of habitat. The introduction of dams hindered the population, as well.