Saratoga National Fish Hatchery facts for kids
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The Saratoga National Fish Hatchery is a special place in Wyoming. It helps protect and raise fish and other animals. This hatchery is part of the National Fish Hatchery System. This system is run by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
You can find it northeast of Saratoga, Wyoming. It is one of only two national fish hatcheries in Wyoming. The other is the Jackson National Fish Hatchery.
Saratoga is mainly a broodstock hatchery. This means it keeps healthy adult fish. These adults produce eggs and sperm. The hatchery then sends these fertilized eggs to other hatcheries. There, the eggs hatch and grow into fish big enough to be released into lakes and rivers. It also has a special program to breed Wyoming toads.
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A Look Back: History of the Hatchery
The Saratoga National Fish Hatchery started a long time ago. It was first created in 1911. Building the hatchery began in March 1915. Its main goal was to provide fish for Wyoming as the state grew.
From the start in 1915, the hatchery kept many different types of adult fish. However, it officially became a broodstock hatchery in 1966. This meant its main job was to produce eggs. The hatchery buildings were updated and made bigger in 1995 and 1996.
What the Hatchery Does: Activities
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The Saratoga National Fish Hatchery raises many types of fish. It focuses on producing eggs from different kinds of trout. These include various types of lake trout, brown trout, and rainbow trout.
- Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout: The hatchery raises these trout. They are used to stock parks and tribal lands in Wyoming.
- Lewis Lake Trout: It produces eggs for the Great Lakes Restoration Project. This project helps bring back fish to the Great Lakes.
- Plymouth Rock Brown Trout: These are sent to other hatcheries across the country.
- McConaughy Rainbow Trout: The hatchery keeps backup adult fish for this type of trout.
Studies have shown how important Saratoga's work is. For example, 75 percent of the trout caught in Lake Huron came from this hatchery.
Helping Greenback Cutthroat Trout
By 2002, Saratoga National Fish Hatchery joined other hatcheries. They worked to bring back greenback cutthroat trout. These trout were released into different lakes and rivers.
Protecting the Wyoming Toad
In 1997, Saratoga National Fish Hatchery started a new project. It began breeding Wyoming toads. These toads are an endangered type of amphibian. The hatchery wanted to create safe places for them to live. It also prepared them for release back into the wild.
This was the first time a national fish hatchery used its resources to help endangered amphibians. Since then, Saratoga has sent hundreds of adult toads to places like Mortenson Lake National Wildlife Refuge. These toads help grow the wild population. In June 2016, over 900 adult toads were released in just one event!
