UNION CITY
AQUATIC CONSERVATION CENTER
ERIE COUNTY
Originally constructed in 1905, the Union City Aquatic Conservation Center is situated on 14 developed acres (49 total acres) of land owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and managed by the Fish and Boat Commission.
TIMELINE
- 2017 - PFBC began process to convert the Union City State Fish Hatchery to mussel propagation.
- 2019 - The Hatchery staff repurpose fish production tanks and equipment to build appropriate systems to raise mussels.
- May 2020 - First trials of mussel propagation begin.
- August 2022 - The Hatchery is renamed to the Union City Aquatic Conservation Center (UC ACC) to focus solely on the conservation of non-game animals in Pennsylvania, including mussels, non-game fishes, amphibians, snakes and turtles.
- October 2022 - Commission staff with the help of DEP, Western PA Conservancy and volunteers gave just under 500 juvenile Plain Pocketbook and Fatmucket Mussels a new home in Dunkard Creek.
Flexing Our "Mussels" - Stocking Pennsylvania-Raised Mussels
- Looking Ahead - The Commission will grow and stock approximately 40,000 mussels to invigorate mussel populations and improve waterways across the state.
HATCHERY STATS
- Employees: 4 full-time, 1 wage/seasonal
- Average Annual Visitors: 100