Recovering from Tropical Storm IreneThe White River National Fish Hatchery is located in one of the Vermont communities that experienced severe flooding when Tropical Storm Irene passed over the region in late August. The White River rose feet above its banks, and much of the hatchery's infrastructure - including fish pools and raceways - was underwater and subsequently buried in eight feet of mud and silt. The facility was unreachable by road for several days. Heavy equipment operators drove machinery from national wildlife refuges in Maine, New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey, to help with the clean up at their sister Fish and Wildlife Service facility. The remaining fish are being evaluated and tested for disease. Photos and VideosVideo: Vermont Hatchery damaged by Hurricane Irene (YouTube) Video: White River Hatchery after Hurricane Irene - Part 1 (YouTube) Video: White River Hatchery after Hurricane Irene - Part 2 (YouTube) Photos of White River National Fish Hatchery after Hurricane Irene (Flickr) |
