Thursday, July 03, 2008
Coursey Spring renovation is a big deal for trout anglers
Bill Cochran
Recent columns
Having covered trout fishing in Virginia for 40-plus years, I’ve heard my share of complaints from the put-and-take crowd. The two major ones, in order:
1. The trout are too small.
2. They don’t stock enough of them.
Both of these are being addressed as the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries begins a major renovation at its Coursey Springs Fish Hatchery in Bath County. This is a big deal, one of the major happenings of the state’s long-running trout fishing program.
I’ve asked Gary Martel, fish division chief of the DGIF to address some questions on the project and what it means for anglers:
Q. What is it about the location of Coursey Springs Hatchery that makes it such a special place for raising trout?
A. The facility is located on one of the largest spring in Virginia (the largest spring is reportedly under Claytor Lake.) With flows of up to 13,000 gallons per minute, we can supply water to the hatchery by gravity feed, eliminating electrical costs for pumping. Also, its location in Bath County is convenient to many trout streams.
Q. How many trout does Coursey produce annually, and what percentage is this of the DGIF total?
A. In the past, Coursey was producing between 175,000 and 225,000 pounds of trout each year, about 30 percent of our total production. The new facility is designed to produce around 350,000 pounds annually, more than a 50 percent increase at Coursey.
Q. What are some of the conditions that make the current facility antiquated?
A. The facility was constructed in the mid-1960s using our own staff with rented equipment to dig the earthen raceways. Over the years, the banks deteriorated and the raceways became very shallow, making it very difficult to raise and maintain trout at the facility.
While building our own hatchery was remarkable, it was not state-of-the-art and many design flaws contribute to disease, decreased water quality, problems with food waste and less than optimal trout growth.
In addition, we are being required to meet more stringent standards in the quality of the water discharged from the hatchery; either that on discontinue operations.
Q. You indicated that the new hatchery will be state-of-the-art. In what ways will it be different from the old facility?
A. We will use circular, stainless steel tanks instead of long raceways. The water will be used only one time in each raceway, which prevents the spread of disease and provides optimum oxygen levels in each tank. In the past, water passed from one raceway to the next reducing oxygen levels from the head raceway to the outflows. Also, if there was a disease outbreak it would quickly spread throughout the facility.
The fish rearing facility will be completely under cover, which will eliminate bird and mammal predation, which is a major cause of trout loss at Coursey.
The spring water source will be covered, eliminating oxygen swings caused by aquatic vegetation. We will also have a wastewater treatment facility which will greatly improve the quality of water leaving the hatchery.
Q. When is the project scheduled to be completed?
A. December 2009.
Q. How much money are we talking about?
A. About $12 million.
Q. You are telling anglers that while the renovation is under way, trout stocking will have to be reduced. Does that mean fewer fish or fewer stockings?
A. The plan is to reduce the number of stockings, but each stocking will continue to have the same number of trout as in the past. Category A streams, for example, will be stocked six times between October and May, down from the current eight. Category B streams will be stocked four times while Category C streams, delayed harvest water and urban water will be stocked two times.
Q. Why can’t other hatcheries step up and fill the void?
A. The other facilities already are producing fish at their maximum capacity. We do plan on using our warm-water facilities to hold trout during the fall and winter months. This will help in the distribution of trout to the steams, especially with the high cost of fuel.
Q. In what ways will the renovated hatchery improve the trout program?
A. It will allow system-wide flexibility to increase the number of trout, raise larger trout and work with strains that are harder to raise but perform well in the wild. All this means anglers will be getting improved angling opportunities.
We will go back to the stocking allocations that we currently have. We aim to achieve optimum production from our facilities. If we over-produce, we add that percentage to each stocking and if we are under we subtract.
Q. Will people be able to visit the hatchery during the renovation?
A. For safety purposes, the site will be closed to the public.
Q. What about Spring Run, the small stream below the hatchery that has been open to catch-and-release fishing. Will it be closed during the renovation and what is its future?
A. We also plan to renovate the steam, so it will be closed during the project. Over the years the banks have eroded and the stream has widened out, resulting in fewer pools and riffles. The banks will be reshaped and structures will be added to improve the habitat for fish and the quality of angling.
Q. Are any other state hatcheries scheduled for renovation?
A. We have a hatchery renovation plan completed in 1997 that outlines a plan for improvements at all facilities, including repairs at Paint Bank and Wytheville and the renovation of the Buller facility in Marion. Future renovations will depend on funding and the determinations of the DGIF board.
Ron Southwick, assistant director of the Fisheries Divison of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheires, also contributed information to this column.
