Tataskweyak Cree Nation says Manitoba Hydro operations have compromised the ecosystem of the lower Churchill River and caused the “near demise” of lake sturgeon.

The First Nation, located at Split Lake on the Nelson River system in northern Manitoba, blames the Churchill River Diversion for altering the flow and depth of waterways in the area.

While the sturgeon were “once abundant and harvested by First Nations throughout the river system, only one population remains at the confluence of the lower Churchill River and the Little Churchill River,” states a news release from the First Nation, which also held a news conference Thursday at the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs office in Winnipeg.