Recovery of upper Colorado River basin fish: Hatcheries and stocking, part 2

Recovery of upper Colorado River basin fish (Continued)

Year established: The Ouray Native Fish Propagation Facility was established in 1987. Following significant expansion, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife designated the facility a national fish hatchery in May 1996.
Purpose of facility: The Ouray hatchery is to serve as a "refuge" for Green River populations of all four endangered fish species, but primarily razorback suckers. The purpose of holding these fish is to prevent them from going extinct if there were an oil or chemical spill in the river. Razorbacks raised at the facility also are used for research, education, brood stock development and for stocking in the Green River basin. (Continued below.)

Number and size of ponds: 36 ponds (24 are one-fifth-acre and 12 are one-half-acre).
Further expansion planned: A hatchery building with a lab and isolation tanks is to be complete by August 1998.
Number and size of fish tanks or other facilities: The hatchery has 16 four-foot troughs used for hatching fish eggs, 12 tanks that are eight feet in diameter and are used for holding and treating diseased adult fish, as well as six four-foot tanks and 14 three-foot tanks, which are used as grow-out facilities for newly hatched eggs, or "fry."
Species of endangered fish being raised: Primarily razorback sucker, with a few Colorado pikeminnow.
Research being conducted at facility: Studies are under way to develop techniques for artificially imprinting or "cuing" hatchery-raised endangered fish to breed in the wild and to preserve sperm from adult razorbacks that could be used for future spawning.

History: Established in 1972 as a sport-fish hatchery; since 1993, the hatchery also has been used to raise endangered fish.
Purpose of facility: The Wahweap ponds raise bonytail for back-up "refuge" to prevent extinction in the wild and for stocking into the Green, Colorado and Gunnison rivers. Razorback suckers also are maintained for a back-up supply and possibly for stocking into the Green, Colorado, Gunnison and San Juan rivers.
Number and size of ponds: Eleven ponds at two-fifths acres each for endangered fish. (Another 10 ponds, also two-fifths acres, continue to be used to raise sport-fish such as smallmouth bass, tiger muskie and wipers, which are hybrid striped bass and white bass.)
Further expansion planned: Another six endangered-fish ponds are planned.
Number and size of fish tanks or other facilities: A hatchery building and lab are to be completed by spring 1998.
Species of endangered fish being raised: Razorback suckers and bonytail.
Research being conducted at facility: Studies on water chemistry aimed at determining level of pond nutrients that maximize fish growth. (Continued)

Endangered Colorado River basin fish	Historical perspective on these fish	Why these fish are endangered	Upper Colorado River Recovery Program	Improving habitat for the fish
Conducting research	Protecting stream flows	Managing non-native fish	Hatcheries and stocking	Back to Home Page