Stocking of Offsite Waters for Hungry Horse Dam Mitigation Creston National Fish Hatchery, FY 2006 Annual Report.
A total of 350,000, M012 strain, westslope cutthroat trout (WCT) eggs were received from Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks (MFWP), Washoe Park State Fish Hatchery in June of 2005 to accomplish this fishery management objective. These eggs were incubated, hatched and reared entirely inside the hatchery nursery building using a protected well water supply. Fish grew according to schedule and survival was excellent. The hatchery achieved a 0.78 feed fed to pounds gained conversion ratio for this group of WCT. Not all of the progenies from this fish lot were used for Hungry Horse Dam Fishery Mitigation Implementation. Some were used for other regional fishery management projects. Westslope cutthroat trout were reared using approved fish culture techniques as recommended in the USFWS Fish Hatchery Management Handbook and also utilizing a regimen adapted for hatchery specific site conditions. The fish health for these WCT was very good. Survival from first feeding fry stage to stocking was 79%. The hatchery had an annual fish health inspection performed by the USFWS Bozeman Fish Health Center in mid March of 2006. This inspection found all fish lots at Creston to be disease free. The Montana State Fish Health Board has placed the hatchery under a limited quarantine since May of 2005 due to an epizootic of Furunculosis. This classification has allowed the Creston NFH to stock disease free fish in locations approved by regional fish managers. The hatchery has been working with the State Fish Pathologist to remove the limited quarantine classification from the facility. Although fish health for all station fish lots remains disease free, MFWP has asserted it will not remove the limited quarantine until the new influent water treatment system, including the ultraviolet disinfection unit, is running full time, year round. The USFWS is working to secure the additional funding necessary to operate the treatment building year round. Distribution of the WCT took place from March through June. The stocking locations on the Flathead Reservation and State managed waters were identified by Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe (CSKT) and MFWP fishery biologists. Post release survival and angler success is monitored routinely by CSKT and MFWP fishery technicians. Stocking numbers and locations vary annually based on the results of biological monitoring, creel evaluations and adaptive management decisions. A total of 99,126 WCT were stocked during nine distribution trips in management approved waters (see Table 1). The average size of WCT at stocking was 3.91-inches. A total of 101,600, Arlee strain, rainbow trout (RBT) eggs were received from the Ennis National Fish Hatchery, Ennis, Montana, in December of 2005 and 35,000 Kamloops strain eggs were received from Murray Springs SFH, Eureka, Montana, in March of 2006 to accomplish this fishery management objective. The RBT were reared using approved fish culture techniques as recommended in the USFWS Fish Hatchery Management Handbook. There was no fish health related problems associated with this lot of fish. Survival from swim up fry stage to stocking was 93% for the Arlee's and 79% for the Kamloops. The hatchery achieved a 0.68 feed fed to pounds gained conversion ratio for the Arlee and 0.97 for the Kamloops RBT. The excellent feed conversion ratio can be attributed to refined feeding techniques and the use of an extruded high performance fry feed made with premium fish meal and marine fish oil. The Arlee strain of rainbow trout is requested for this fishery mitigation objective because the chosen stocking locations are terminal basin reservoirs or lakes, habitat conditions prevent natural spawning runs and returns to the creel are more favorable then for native westslope cutthroat trout. MFWP also requested a fall plant of Kamloops strain RBT and they will be evaluated for performance and future fall stockings in Echo Lake. Post release survival and angler success is monitored routinely by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe (CSKT) and Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks (MFWP) fishery technicians. Stocking numbers and locations vary annually based on the results of biological monitoring, creel evaluations and habitat conditions. The RBT were stocked in six distribution trips from June through September. The number of fish stocked and the receiving waters are identified below (see Table 2).
- Research Organization:
- Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Portland, OR (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- 26273
- OSTI ID:
- 962203
- Report Number(s):
- P110997; R&D Project: 1991-019-04; BPA contract #4699; TRN: US200916%%222
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Stocking of Offsite Waters for Hungry Horse Dam Mitigation; Creston National Fish Hatchery, 2001-2002 Annual Report.
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