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<br />, " ,Nearly' 200 visitors attend dedication
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<br />, . .. . ... Photos by Connie Young
<br />.. Doris Goddard. of the Vernal. Chamber of Coinmercegreetsvisitors at the. Ouray. hatcherY,dedication. .
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<br />National Fish Hatcheries Bill Knapp
<br />applauded. the participlltion. of the..
<br />, scouts and other children at the'dedica-
<br />tion.
<br />"The hatchery provides an opportu- .
<br />nity for. kids to learn about. fish to
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<br />. develop a set of values and to appreci-
<br />ate the outdoors," Knapp said.
<br />. Mike Stempel,a o.,S, Fish' and"
<br />Wildlife Service official from Denver.
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<br />. stated that restoring these fish is just
<br />one aspect ofm.aintainingan intercon- .
<br />nected,river ecosystem.
<br />.... "Restoring habitat for these fish is
<br />one of the most important aspects of
<br />'recovering them," Stempel said:
<br />"When the ecosystem is healthy for the '
<br />fish, waterfowl populations are also.
<br />up, uplan" game populations are up, .
<br />and deer and elk populations are up."
<br />At the hatchery dedication, volun-
<br />teer .ambassadors from the Vernal
<br />Chamber of Commerce's "Dinah
<br />Mites" helped greet visitors to the,
<br />hatchery. The Coca-Cola BOll1i~g
<br />Company of Vernal provided soft
<br />drinks at no charge.
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<br />. ... . ' crowd of close ;0 200
<br />..' . .. area residents,. includ~
<br />, ing Boy Scouts, fami-
<br />lies, city lind county officials and other
<br />area residents, attended an open house
<br />and dedication 'ceremony for the new
<br />Ouray National Fish Hatchery Sept. 19.
<br />Workers, at the hatchery will. raise
<br />razorback suckers ',and' other endan-
<br />,gered fish found in the Colorado River
<br />, ,basin and nowhere else on earth. "
<br />Located on the Quray National
<br />Wildlife Refuge. southwest. of Vernal,
<br />. the hatchery is one of66 V.S, Fish arid.
<br />Wildlife Service natio~al fish hatch-
<br />eriesand only one of iiveofsuch
<br />hatcheries whose. s~le. purpose is- to
<br />raise endangered fish, Also to be reared
<br />there will be 'smaller numbers of.
<br />endangered Colorad'o' squawfish,
<br />bonytails and humpback. chubs,
<br />. Local Boy Scout Troop No, 890
<br />cooked and served lunch for visitors
<br />and conducted a flag-raising ceremony.
<br />One of three speakers at the event,
<br />U.s. Fish and Wildlife Service Chief of
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<br />Fish and Wildlife staff explained the
<br />new indoor facilities and showed visi-
<br />torsthe 36 outdoor ponds, which
<br />already 'hold more than 3,000 razor-
<br />back suckers: Live endangered fish
<br />were displayed in an aquarium, in sev-
<br />eral indoor tanks and in the back of a
<br />hatchery ,truck equipped with a plexi-
<br />,glass ,side, window, 'giving visitors a
<br />chance'to see some of the rarest fish on
<br />earth.
<br />Calling thehaichery a "great addi-
<br />tion" to the, community, Vernal City
<br />Manager Ken Bassett said: "What a
<br />great experience it is to step outdoors
<br />, to a facility like this and to enjoy what
<br />Mother Nature provides for us, We're
<br />all beneficiaries of these facilities.
<br />They help make the quality oflife what
<br />. it is here."
<br />The .65-foot by 150-foot hatchery
<br />building'is equipped with about 100
<br />fiberglass tanks and troughs, Once fun-
<br />fledged harchery operations begin, the
<br />, Service will use the tanks to raise
<br />razorbacks ,and smaller numbers of
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<br />See HATCHERY, Page 11
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