Written By
January 2026 brought the new year and new challenges along with it for staff at Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery. As Winter Storm Fern moved in over the weekend of January 24th, 2026, so too did damages to the raceways and fish production facilities.
A heavy collection of ice and snow covering the bird barrier over the raceways caused the structure to collapse, breaking multiple poles, cables, and ripped netting, resulting in extremely unsafe conditions. At the time, nearly 800,000 rainbow, brown, and brook trout were in the outside raceways, and staff could not safely access them for routine care such as feedings, raceway cleaning, mortality removal, etc.
Despite power outages, extreme cold, and dangerous conditions, hatchery staff worked tirelessly to delicately remove debris and restore limited access to the grounds. Assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers aided the effort, but progress was slow due to the severity of the damage. On January 28th, Davis Elliott Construction mobilized a crew and equipment to the hatchery, working long hours through January 31st to make the raceways safe and accessible again.
Thanks to the quick response and dedication of all involved, a catastrophic loss of fish—valued at over $800,000 and critical to Kentucky’s trout program through 2027—was avoided. Normal feeding and care operations were resumed by February 1st.
The bird barrier remains compromised and will require significant repairs, but the fish survived. In the midst of a storm that caused tragic loss of life across Kentucky, we are deeply grateful for the teamwork, hard work, and answered prayers that made this outcome possible.
For more photos, please visit our Facebook page: (1) Facebook
