In the News: DNR's sturgeon expert Ron Bruch honored

Year after year, Bruch counts the prehistoric fish as they course through the Lake Winnebago system of lakes and rivers.

Each spring, he wades into the Wolf and Embarrass rivers to look for and tag those fish that survived yet another spearing season.

Bruch has even shared top billing with the large fish in a movie about the Great Lakes and eight years ago brought sturgeon experts from around the world to Wisconsin to tour the sturgeon's breeding grounds.So it's no surprise the Wisconsin Conservation Congress recently named Bruch the state Department of Natural Resources' fishery manager of the year.

"I've been around for 55 years and every fisheries manager we've had has been good, but Ron is exceptional. He listens to the people and works with us," said Dick Koerner of Neenah, an official of the conservation group and part of the DNR's sturgeon advisory committee.

Bruch has worked for the DNR for 32 years and the last 19 years became known as the sturgeon biologist for the Lake Winnebago system, which includes lakes Winnebago, Poygan, Butte des Morts and Winneconne and the Wolf and Embarrass rivers.

"This honor means a lot to me because it came from people I've worked with throughout my entire career, not only in Oshkosh, but in other parts of the state," Bruch said.

To read more of this article, go to the Post-Crescent.

Along with Kathleen Kline and Fred Binkowski of the UW Aquatic Sciences Center, Bruch is a co-writer of People of the Sturgeon: A love affair with an ancient fish, being published this October. To learn more about sturgeon, click on the link and read an excerpt from the book or reserve a copy of your own today!