April 5 isn’t a date that denotes a new
year on any modern calendar, but for the Tylersville State
Fish Hatchery it’s a day that signified the beginning
of a new era. Officials of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) and the United States Fish
and Wildlife Service (USFWS) gathered in Clinton County recently to officially convey the station from
federal to state ownership. The day was doubly significant as new state-of-the-art water treatment equipment
at the facility went officially online.
The Tylersville hatchery was originally constructed in 1963
by the USFWS and was closed in 1977. In 1984, the PFBC entered into a lease agreement with the USFWS
to maintain and operate the facility. Producing some 261,000 pounds of adult trout each year, the facility
provides about 13% of the adult trout stocked statewide by the Commission. Recognizing the importance
of the facility to Pennsylvania and the Commission’s
desire to make significant infrastructure upgrades to it, the two agencies in 2006 jointly supported
federal legislation to transfer ownership of the Tylersville hatchery to the Commonwealth. That act
of Congress reached fruition with the formal conveyance in a brief ceremony at the hatchery.
"We've been pleased
to be able to keep this hatchery in production through our longstanding partnership with the Pennsylvania
Fish and Boat Commission. In conveying ownership of the hatchery to the Commonwealth for its permanent operation,
we know it’s
in good hands," said
Rick Bennett, Deputy Regional Director for the Service's Northeast Region.
In taking ownership of the
hatchery, PFBC Executive Director Doug Austen noted that the two agencies had long maintained a good
working relationship at the facility, a partnership that is expected to continue. “Having the hatchery in state
hands provides assurances about moving forward. This facility is a key component in supporting Pennsylvania's
recreational trout fishing opportunities and the economic activity that trout fishing provides, especially to rural
Pennsylvania," said
Austen.
The hatchery is located on 125 total acres with 5,000 feet of concrete raceways. The water supply
for the facility is a spring pool and sub-surface flow that originates from Big Fishing Creek. Buildings
include a hatch house/administrative office complex, maintenance garage/employee quarters building, and a pole building
for vehicle storage.
The
newest building at the facility contains state of the art water treatment equipment – $1.7 million in pipes,
pumps, controls and filters. The project was made possible through monies from Growing Greener II, a voter-approved
plan that is investing $625 million in environmental programs across Pennsylvania. Included in this legislation is
an allotment of $27.5 million for facilities such as Tylersville that are managed by the Commission.
“The microscreen filters
and associated storage tank, pumps, electrical controls and improvements to hatchery operations represent a significant
financial commitment by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. These hatchery upgrades will ensure
that the Commission continues to provide recreational fishing opportunities while maintaining high water quality standards
and minimizing impacts to receiving streams,” Austen noted.
Installation of the treatment system was completed
in late 2006 and has been tested throughout the winter, a critical time when the highest concentration
of fish is on hand. The initial results have been encouraging. In fact, during the testing period the
water exiting the hatchery into nearby Fishing Creek was often of a higher quality than what was flowing
into it. For example: in January the concentration of total suspended solids in the water entering the
hatchery averaged 5.8 milligrams per liter (mg/l) - nearly the 6.0 mg/l allowed by permit for the discharge. After
flowing through the hatchery and treated, the discharge concentrations averaged just 3.7 mg/l. By the end of March,
as the hatchery staff refined operations, the discharge concentrations were further reduced to 2.2 mg/l.
“Simply put - the technology is doing what we designed it to do: minimize impact
on aquatic resources,” Austen said. “Our philosophy in operating hatcheries is to produce the highest
quality fish possible to support recreational angling and do it in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner.
As a natural resource agency, we are committed to not just meeting mandated standards, but to lead by example.
”Toward
that objective, the Commission has a similar treatment upgrade underway at its Pleasant
Gap State Fish Hatchery in Centre County and will be moving forward at Huntsdale
State Fish Hatchery in Cumberland County. In all,
the Commission intends to invest $23.5 million worth of Growing Greener II funding into nine state hatchery projects. | 
