Pitkin Hatchery facts for kids

The Pitkin Hatchery is a special place in Colorado where they raise fish! It's a "cold water fish production facility" run by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. You can find it deep inside the Gunnison National Forest in Gunnison County, right by Quartz Creek Valley. This hatchery helps keep Colorado's rivers and lakes full of healthy fish.

A Look Back: Pitkin Hatchery's History

The Pitkin Hatchery first opened its doors in 1914. But the main building was actually built a bit earlier, in 1906. The land for the hatchery was bought by someone named Scott Land. He wanted to solve a problem: there weren't enough fish in the cold waters nearby.

The building was designed to be very big. It could hold up to one million fish eggs each year! The hatchery is also located very high up in the mountains. It sits at an elevation between 9,033 and 9,446 feet above sea level.

Why is the Hatchery Important?

The people who work at the Pitkin Hatchery have a very important job. Their main goal is conservation. This means they work to protect and save fish species. They especially focus on the Rio Grande cutthroat trout. This trout is a special fish that is native to Colorado, meaning it has lived here naturally for a very long time. By raising these fish, the hatchery helps make sure they continue to thrive in the wild.

Fishy Friends: What Species Live Here?

The Pitkin Hatchery focuses on raising different types of trout and kokanee salmon. They also work with "broodstock." Broodstock are like the parent fish. These special fish are kept at the hatchery to produce eggs and baby fish.

The hatchery staff works hard to raise about one million fish every year! This huge number includes around 150,000 rainbow trout that are big enough to be caught by anglers. They also raise Rio Grande cutthroat trout as brood fish, so these native fish can have their own babies. All the water for the hatchery comes from a natural underground spring.