Columnist Barb Henderson: Hatchery renovation behind schedule

Barb Henderson

Friday, Jan. 16, 2004 | 10:11 a.m.

Barb Henderson is an outdoors enthusiast, freelance writer and producer/host of outdoors radio television programming. Her column appears Friday in the Sun.

The Lake Mead Fish Hatchery was closed in April for an $8 million renovation and expected to re-open this month. Don't look for that reopening to happen in January.

According to the Nevada Department of Wildlife, the project is behind schedule because of issues relating to the ownership of land that the hatchery is located on.

"As the hatchery project moved forward, it became apparent that a portion of the hatchery is located on property that is not owned by the state, so transfer of the land to state ownership had to take place before the project could move forward," said Geoff Schneider, information officer for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. "After this is resolved, construction can move forward."

The Lake Mead Hatchery was also scheduled to begin rearing fish this month and the first stockings were planned to begin in September.

Once the fish hatchery is up and running and the fish have grown to 2 inches in length, they will be moved to new fiberglass nursery ponds inside the building. When they grow to 6 inches, they will be moved to 24 new rearing ponds.

During the renovation, the fish-stocking program has continued by purchasing rainbow trout from a contractor for all stocked waters in Clark County. Fisheries in Lincoln, Nye and Esmeralda counties are being planted with trout from the Nevada Division of Wildlife's northern hatcheries.

Originally built in 1972, the renovation's purpose was to bring the hatchery up to code and enhance the fish population. The project includes installation of a new water tower and aeration system, which will remove nitrogen and add oxygen to the water. A new oxygen injection system added to all ponds and a new incubator system. The 16 ponds outside the building also will be renovated and a new drum filter system will be added to the existing settling pond system that will filter the water before it is returned to Lake Mead.

The visitor center will be four times the old size and will include interactive displays and aquariums.

This particular hatchery supplies fish-stocking programs at Lake Mead, within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Lake Mohave on the Colorado River; and urban ponds in Boulder City, Sunset Park in Henderson, Lorenzi Park in Las Vegas, Floyd Lamb State Park and the Cold Creek pond. NDOW's fish stocking program is every week at Lake Mead from fall through early spring. Lake Mohave and the urban park ponds are stocked every other week during this same time period.

ICE DERBY: The Ely Rotary Club's 6th Annual Ice Fishing Derby will be Saturday, Jan. 24, 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Cave Lake State Park. The fishing derby is limited to the first 350 paid entries. There are 25 tagged fish, with 24 worth $100 each and one worth $10,000. There will also be a prize for the longest and shortest fish caught. Proceeds go toward the Ely Rotary Scholarship Fund. For information on the Ely Rotary Ice Fishing Derby, contact Shane Bybee at (800) 851-9526.