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Dexter NFH - is located in the southeast corner of New Mexico about 22 miles south of Roswell. It is in the Pecos River watershed and is about 1.5 miles west of the river. The discharge from the hatchery empties into a slough that has no outlet. The hatchery lies on 540 acres of land at an elevation of approximately 3500 feet. The growing season for agriculture is from 180 days to 200 days long. The annual mean air temperature is 590F ranging from _110 to 1100F. Present production facilities consist of 39 earthen ponds that range in size from 0.1 to 1.8 ac totaling 20 ac with a total volume of about 55 ac-ft (Figure 2). Water is supplied by three wells that range from 50 to 150 ft in depth that produce an average annual flow of 900 gpm with up to 1800 gpm available. However, the water rights for these four wells are limited to 1353.3 ac-ft per year (equivalent to an average annual flow of about 830 gpm). The hatchery also has an artesian well that supplies water to Lake Van, a recreational impoundment adjacent to hatchery property. It is capable of producing about 3000 gpm and is free-flowing from October through February and is about 1065 ft. deep. The water right for this well is 318 ac-ft per year (equivalent to an .,.:.. ""'.......' \\'9 average yearly flow of about 195 gpm). ~odd~ 'i>a.'~, {o~ ~eo)Of)O t'b The water hardness of the four shallow wells is very high (2200 mg/l) t~"",o." c~ compared to that of the Colorado River (358 mg/l at Willow Beach NFH). 'le.~l.Vc..tn>.~/ The water temperature is a constant 640F. f"" SOt< Ac-d' 'II'.. in pefl-l'eAu'''t The hatchery is holding and/or culturing 15 rare and endangered fishes ~ so/AcA\ from the desert southwest and Mexico; and five of which are from the Colorado River system i.e. Colorado squawfish, humpback chub, bony tail chub, razorback sucker and woundfin minnow. Development plans call for subdividing some existing ponds and holding up to 25 to 30 species. The hatchery is committed to producing 100,000 razorback suckers, 100,000 Colorado squawfish, 100,000 bony tail chub 25,000 woundfin, 10,000 desert pupfish, 10,000 Gila topminnows and 1,000 Yaque chubs. Calcu- lating a production of 30,OOO/ac, about 10 ac are tied up with present commitments. Much of the remaining 10 ac are also in service to hold adults and future brood stock. All the species mentioned have been cultured successfully at Dexter NFH and some important cultural methods have been developed. With the land (540 ac) and water (about 1700 ac-ft) available, there are possibilities for expansion. Like Willow Beach NFH, Dexter NFH is 500 miles or more from the Upper Basin waters. Tank truck distribution to the Upper Basin would require 16 hours of driving and two drivers per truck. Further, Dexter NFH ~olds many kinds of fish from various river systems, stocking fish from there into the Colorado River System risks the introduction of non- endemic fishes and unknown disease organisms. If Dexter NFH were to raise 500,000 fingerlings, 20 additional one acre ponds would have to be construtted. While technically there is a sub- stantial amount of water available (1700 ac-ft/yr), many of the existing ponds leak, consuming more water than they should. These ponds would have to be sealed to make enough water available for the additional ponds. As with Willow Beach NFH, Dexter NFH is not in the present range of the Colorado squawfish, which precludes the return of adults to the hatchery on spawning migrations and in situ laboratory tests at the facil i ty. 29