|
<br />
<br />. . , .
<br />.. .' ...
<br />Top left:' Joan anti Dalton Politte of'
<br />Vernal look over free publications, '
<br />distributed by. Carleen Shanks at
<br />the hatchery dedication: " ,,', ,
<br />
<br />'Top right: 'rim Modde, a Fish, and
<br />Wildlife, Service biologist In Vernal,
<br />'discusses, endangered ,fish with"
<br />Roos'evelt resident Harold'
<br />, Anderson. '
<br />
<br />, Right: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
<br />employees socialize ,at the dedica~
<br />lion. They, are (from left):, Gerry ,
<br />Roehm, Yampa River: coordinator;
<br />Da\(e Soker, land acquisition coordi-
<br />nator for the Upper,Colorado River
<br />Endangered FishRecovery Program;
<br />'and Dan Schaad, assistant manager
<br />of the Ouray National ,Wildlife Refuge.
<br />
<br />
<br />':Hatchery event provides forum forlearning; Soci;llizing
<br />
<br />. HATCHERY. fromB'
<br />
<br />Colorado squa:"fish,bonytails and
<br />humpback chubs. The fish will be used
<br />, primarily' for siocking, but ,also ~or
<br />educatiOll and research> " '. '
<br />" '.'Most of the razorback suckers left ,
<br />inthe wild are very old adults,", Ouray
<br />Hatchery Manager Tom Pruitt said, "At
<br />this hatchery, we will be able to raise
<br />juvenile and' young adult, fish, Once
<br />these young fish are 12 to 16 inches
<br />long, they can be stocked in the river
<br />and hopefully begin reproducing."
<br />,Before moving to Vernal; Pruitt
<br />managed the Service's Garrison Dam
<br />National' Fish Hatchery in: Riverdale,
<br />
<br />N.D.,~liere h'eraised some23 million
<br />fish per year. , ,
<br />, Excavation of the 36 outdoor ponds
<br />adjacent to the hatchery building was,
<br />begun iil 1992 arid was completed this
<br />year. ' Razorback' suckers, Colorado
<br />'squawfi~h ,and bonYtails' have' been'
<br />held' in the completed ponds. since
<br />19?4. Construction ofthe$4,5 million
<br />facility was funded through the
<br />Service's, National Fish Hatchery
<br />Construction Fund 'and th'e Upper
<br />Colorado River Endangered Fish
<br />Recovery Program..
<br />"The ,hatchery was built here
<br />because .this area is prime habitat for,
<br />the razorback," Pruitt said, "Also, we
<br />
<br />11
<br />
<br />, wiU have heated water' in the 'indoor
<br />tanks; which will be used to trigger the
<br />'fish to spawn,' The large .number of
<br />tanks, allows us to ,'raise separate
<br />,groups of fish from different parents,
<br />proViding thekind'of genetic diversity
<br />needed for survival in the wild,"
<br />The 'largest "slicker in North
<br />America, the razorback, is ,believed 'to
<br />have evolved some 4 million years ago,
<br />The Upper Colorado River
<br />, Endangered Fish Recovery Program is
<br />a public-'private partnership aimed at
<br />recovering 'the, razorback sucker,
<br />Colorado squaw fish, bonytaiJ and
<br />humpback chuh while, also allowing
<br />for future water development
<br />
|