Rifle Falls Fish Hatchery
| Rifle Falls Fish Hatchery | |
|---|---|
  Location in Colorado  Location in United States | |
| General information | |
| Address | 11466 State Highway 325 |
| Town or city | Rifle, Colorado |
| Coordinates | 39°24′52″N 107°25′13″W / 39.41446°N 107.42023°W |
| Inaugurated | 1955 |
The Rifle Falls Fish Hatchery is a Colorado Parks and Wildlife cold water fish production facility located off East Rifle Creek near Rifle Falls State Park in Garfield County.[1]
History
[edit]Rifle Falls Fish Hatchery was inaugurated in 1955.[2] It is the largest state-owned and operated trout production hatchery in Colorado. Water was irrigated directly from Rifle Creek and utilized 24 nursing ponds and 25 raceways. Currently, only 12 of 24 nursing ponds are used as to prevent spread of disease to Rifle Creek waters.[3]
Mission
[edit]An overarching mission among the hatchery staff is species restoration of the cutthroat trout to Colorado's western waters. Division of Wildlife biologists inform the hatchery director of where and when to stock the trout as to ensure restoration. They discover locations that require stocking from the Creel Census.[4]
Fish species
[edit]Hatchery staff works to produce fingerlings and catchables of rainbow trout, Snake River cutthroat trout, brook trout, brown trout, and cutthroat trout. They stock these species in stream sections, lakes, and reservoirs in western Colorado and provides catchable trout for stocking along the Front Range. Cutthroat trout are also raised for aerial stocking. Their source of water comes from a groundwater spring.[5] The use of spring water maintains a constant temperature of 59 degrees Fahrenheit. Trout are raised in 40 raceways and transported by tanker truck to their stocking destination. They are released through a valve in the base of the tank. Stocking may be done manually in limited access areas. Stocking tends to occur between February - November.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ "Fish Hatcheries". cpw.state.co.us. Colorado Parks & Wildlife.
- ^ Wiltzius, William. "Fish Culture and Stocking in Colorado, 1872-1978" (PDF). Native Fish Lab. Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ "Rifle hatchery: 'Our mission is your fishin'". The Aspen Times. The Associated Press. 15 August 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- ^ "Rifle hatchery: 'Our mission is your fishin'". The Aspen Times. The Associated Press. 15 August 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- ^ McGovern, Maura (18 January 2011). "Water Quality Control Vision Fact Sheet" (PDF). Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Water Quality Control Division: 1–24. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- ^ "Rifle hatchery: 'Our mission is your fishin'". The Aspen Times. The Associated Press. 15 August 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2019.