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January 2007

Fish Hatchery's Scheduled 75th Anniversary Featured in Vernon County (WI) Visitors Guide

Photo of a booklet - Photo credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Page featuring Genoa NFH in 2007 visitors guide

The Genoa hatchery is becoming more mature. That is how we intend to define the aging process as we celebrate our 75th anniversary this year on August 8th. In order to promote the event, the station contacted the Vernon County Tourism Council for suggestions.

The hatchery has been listed as a local attraction under the Genoa town page for several years, but with the scheduled 75th celebration taking place, the tourism council decided that the station warranted its own page in the 2007 Vernon County Visitors Guide. With the help of Don Fossum, owner of the Great River Resort and local representative of the council, a full-page article of the hatchery's history and current programs was featured with an aerial view of the station. Skip navigation links

The beauty of the Upper Mississippi River National Fish and Wildlife Refuge can clearly be seen to the reader, with an invitation to attend the August 8th event included. The release of the 2007 guide was celebrated at the Vernon County Tourism Summit on January 27th, with Brad Pflaff, local representative from Congressman Kind's office (WI-3), and state representatives Lee Nerison and Dan Kapanke speaking. The tourism council takes great pride in the release of the tourist guide, and rightfully so. The graphics and content of the guide accurately depict the richness of the area and the many attractions that a traveler may experience right here in God's country.

— Doug Aloisi

Teamwork Benefits Higgins Eye Mussel Recovery

In the heart of January, most aquatic biologists can be found keeping warm in front of computer monitors that glow with data collected in the previous field season. Likewise, biologists at the Genoa National Fish Hatchery (NFH) and the La Crosse Fishery Resources Office have kept warm this winter while investigating the thermal requirements for early life development of the federally-endangered Higgins eye pearlymussel.

Patterned after similar work conducted in 2003 on the federally-endangered winged mapleleaf mussel, Genoa mussel propagation biologist Tony Brady reared Higgins eye glochidia on largemouth bass host-fish that were maintained in two varying temperature regimes at the hatchery during spring 2006. Genoa NFH staff recorded the water temperature and enumerated juvenile mussel excystment over metamorphosis periods that ranged from 40 (warmer regime) to 49 days (colder regime).

Using a mathematical model that he developed for the earlier winged mapleleaf work, La Crosse fishery biologist Mark Steingraeber used these Higgins eye data to empirically derive a value of 10.9° C as the minimum (i.e., threshold) temperature required for metamorphosis of largemouth bass-encysted Higgins eye glochidia into juvenile mussels.

This value was subsequently applied to (i.e., subtracted from) all of the daily water temperature values that exceeded it in each thermal regime. The ensuing values were then summed for each regime to determine the cumulative temperature units of development (169 temperature units Celsius) needed for Higgins eye glochidia to complete metamorphosis on largemouth bass from the date of encystment until the start of peak excystment.

— Tony Brady

Photo of bass in a tank - Photo credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Largemouth bass are used as host fish for temperature trials for the endangered Higgins eye pearlymussel

Region 3 National Fish Hatcheries Work Together to Restore Native Trout to Lake Superior Waters

The Genoa National Fish Hatchery (NFH) and the Iron River NFH, both located in Wisconsin, are a recognized integral part of Coaster Brook Trout restoration efforts within the Lake Superior watershed. These federal fish hatcheries have worked in tandem since the mid-1990's to produce hundreds of thousands of these regionally significant fish for stocking efforts in this largest of the Great Lakes. Iron River NFH is the largest producer of eggs and fingerlings of this unique trout in the nation with over 263,000 eggs and 215,000 spring fingerlings distributed in 2006.

Photo of a brook trout in a person's hands - Photo credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Coaster brook trout brood stock (male) being cultured at Iron River National Fish Hatchery

Photo of brook trout fingerlings in a person's hand - Photo credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Coaster brook trout fingerlings prior to release from Genoa National Fish Hatchery

Genoa NFH annually receives up to 100,000 fertilized eggs in January from Iron River to carry out various management requests for fingerling and yearling brook trout. Genoa also serves as a brood stock "back-up" station for Iron River's production programs by culturing various representative lots of standing brood stocks being maintained by Iron River NFH.

This system allows Iron River the assurance that valuable genetic samples of its valuable stocks are safeguarded against catastrophic losses on the station, as well as takes advantage of Genoa's warmer culture environment, which can bring on maturity in newly created brood stocks up to a year sooner than the more northern hatchery. In this way and others, these two federal hatcheries will continue to work hand in hand into the future to help restore this colorful native trout to streams across Lake Superior.

– Roger Gordon

Genoa (WI) Hatchery Featured on Coulee Region Outdoor Show

The Genoa National Fish Hatchery was featured on the Coulee Region's premiere outdoor radio talk show this past week. Bob Lamb and Jerry Davis, two area sportsmen and outdoor writers, featured the station on their hourly program. This is always a great opportunity to update listeners on current programs and upcoming events. Hot issues discussed were the latest interstate fish transfer restrictions due to the VHS outbreak in the Great Lakes, and how the impacts of these restrictions were going to affect hatchery operations.

The station will be working closely with the La Crosse Fish Health Center and others to ensure that important programs such as Endangered mussel recovery and spring egg collections on the Mississippi River can continue. The hatchery's upcoming 75th anniversary was also promoted. The event will be held on August 8th, and will include many of our River partners such as the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, the Corps of Engineers, our Friends group, and literally a cast of 100's.

Photo of two men - Photo credit: WKTY
Jerry Davis and Bob Lamb of Talking Tribune Outdoors. Photo courtesy of WKTY

The purpose of Friends of the Upper Mississippi River Fisheries Services was then discussed. The group is dedicated to maintaining and promoting the health of the Upper Mississippi River's fisheries and aquatic resource populations, and supporting the mission of the three La Crosse area Fish and Wildlife Fisheries stations, the La Crosse Fish Health Center, the La Crosse Fisheries Resource Office, and the Genoa National Fish Hatchery. Listeners were invited to get involved and become part of a dedicated group of individuals working to promote good stewardship of our Region's fish and wildlife resources.

– Doug Aloisi

For additional information about any accomplishment report please contact Genoa National Fish Hatchery.

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Last updated: January 28, 2008