8057

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8057
• Author: Bennett, J. R., D. A. Krieger, T. P. Nesler, L. E. Harris and R. B. Nehring.
• Title: An Assessment Of Fishery Management And Fish Production Alternatives To Reduce The Impact Of Whirling Disease In Colorado.
• USFW Year: 1996.
• USFW - Doc Type: Denver, Colorado.
• Copyright Material: NO

references). Please refer to Section VI for more information on the hatchery production
system.
Alternative 18. Buy or lease new WD- hatcheries.
The acquisition of new propagation facilities is currently an uncertain approach. Efforts to
purchase WD- facilities in Colorado are already underway, but no purchases are certain at
this point. It is important to remember that, in acquiring any facility, a risk of infestation of
WD is always possible. For that reason, consideration of the costs of renovating the new
facility with appropriate WD parasite control technology must be included in any evaluation
of a potential purchase or purchase price. The capacity of the new unit to provide the most
critical hatchery products (e.g., catchables, subcatchables, etc.) must be considered within
the context of the long-tern production needs from the hatchery system.
The decision to buy new WD- trout production facilities must be firmly grounded in relevant
and well-understood factors, some of which will come from WD research efforts that may
take several years to complete. Although there is some desire to acquire new WD-
hatcheries, we believe it would be shortsighted and economically unwise to commit to a
purchase agreement without determining other DOW needs for WD- or WD+ trout. As an
example, research might indicate that stocking lightly infected trout into positive streams
does not increase infection levels of the disease in those habitats, thus decreasing our needs
for WD- stocking in those streams.
In the short-term (1-5 years), the DOW would be far more prudent to explore purchase
options while leasing WD- hatcheries. This would require that the DOW incur costs for the
"insurance policy" for several years until research results provide direction for a long-term
commitment.
Alternative 20, Modify existing negative hatcheries to produce more fish.
Modifications are presently taking place at the Pitkin Hatchery that may allow it to produce
another 100,000 catchables. The possibility also exists to increase the spring water
collection system at the Buena Vista Correctional Facility, which would allow for the
production of more negative fish. Labor to raise the fish would be supplied by inmates and
the additional physical structures (raceways) are already in place.
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