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and research hatchery. Operations equaled $133,500 for the research hatchery ($12,000 of this <br />figure was in the form of grant funds) and $198,000 for fish health activities. The rest of the cost <br />was used for personnel services, both permanent and temporary. Warmwater production for 1995 <br />totaled 44.7 million fish or 53,000 pounds (28.9 million inches). Coldwater production for 1995 <br />catchables totaled 4.4 million fish (10.2 inches average per fish), or 1.9 million pounds. <br />Coldwater production for 1995 subcatchables totaled 10.1 million fish (3.3 inches average per <br />fish) or 149,000 pounds. Total coldwater production for 1995 equaled 78.0 million inches. <br />Individual Hatchery Information <br />Specific information on each hatchery concerning location, rearing facilities, water source, <br />personnel, operating costs, disease history, etc., is included in Table 10 and Appendix E. <br />Following is a brief synopsis of options for control of WD or changes in production at each unit. <br />Bellvue Hatchery <br />The Bellvue Hatchery became positive for WD in June 1996. The source of the infection <br />was unknown and only found in the settling ponds below the facility. Due to the physical <br />configuration of the unit (concrete raceways and covered wells), the life cycle of the <br />pathogen can easily be broken. A present proposal is to immediately depopulate the outside <br />rearing containers and dewater the settling ponds. The hatchery building has the potential to <br />be operated as a separate unit, with the discharge water going to the Watson Lake settling <br />ponds. Extensive WD testing on the fish in the hatchery would also have to be performed. <br />The W filter system will help alleviate some of the other fish health problems when the <br />outside raceways are reactivated. The outside rearing basins are covered with birdnetting. <br />The unit is best suited to continue producing subcatchables of various coldwater species <br />based on the limited rearing space and water supply. An oxygenation system could be <br />explored to increase production. <br />Watson Rearing Unit <br />The Poudre River, which is the water supply for the rearing unit, is positive for WD, but the <br />vector of infection is unknown. At present, treating the water supply to try to regain a <br />negative status would not be economically feasible. Personnel at the unit are in the process <br />of covering the raceways with birdnetting; the project is 95% complete. Netting will protect <br />the fish from piscivorous birds, a major source of fish mortality and mode of transportation <br />of the WD parasite. The facility also supplies office space, equipment, and freezer space for <br />the Bellvue Hatchery. Since Watson has historically supplied most of the fish for <br />northeastern Colorado, the additional cost of transporting fish a farther distance might make <br />it feasible to operate Watson in the summer months as a planting base. Watson could also <br />be used as a DOW visitor center since it is close to a large population area and receives an <br />exceptionally large number of visitors each year. Educational material could be provided on <br />all aspects of DOW activities, which might qualify it for GOCO funding; the blueprints have <br />already been drawn. The facility also has the potential to be used for WD research because <br />it is located close to Colorado State University and the future Fish Health Lab (if it is moved <br />to Fort Collins). Since the decision has been made to eliminate production at this facility, <br />the preceding options, plus other options, are currently being evaluated. <br />37