blake
Life Member
From the Iowa DNR:
Neighbors, Feds Step in to Help Iowa Trout Hatcheries
MANCHESTER - Iowa's trout program received some assistance from neighboring states and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service after the summer flood waters washed out more than 250,000 trout from the Manchester and Elkader trout hatcheries.
Trout hatcheries in Nebraska, Illinois, North Dakota, South Dakota and federal hatcheries in Wisconsin, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota and Pennsylvania contributed fingerling-sized trout and eggs to help offset the loss. The hatcheries contributed a total of 165,000 rainbow trout that will be added to Iowa fish and stocked in 2009 and 2010.
"We will be stocking at a strong 80 percent of our original plan for the rest of this year including our winter stockings to make up for the loss in fish," said Dave Marolf, manger of the Manchester trout hatchery. "We have enough fish to stock at 100 percent for 2009."
The fish were divided among the trout hatcheries in Manchester, Elkader and Decorah.
"The trout are in excellent condition and are all doing fine," Marolf said.
The Manchester and Elkader hatcheries remain open to the public while work continues on fixing buildings and cleaning up from the flood.
