White River National Fish Hatchery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids White River National Fish Hatchery |
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Front view of the White River National Fish Hatchery.
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| General information | |
| Address | 2086 River Street |
| Town or city | Bethel, Vermont |
| Inaugurated | 1984 |
| Renovated | 2012 |
The White River National Fish Hatchery is a special place near Bethel, Vermont. It's like a nursery for fish! This facility is run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is a government group that helps protect nature. Here, they raise fish in cool water to help bring back fish populations in big rivers and lakes.
The people who work at the hatchery help two important projects: the Connecticut River Atlantic Salmon Restoration Program and the Lower Great Lakes Lake Trout Restoration Program. The White River National Fish Hatchery is one of four offices that work together in the Western New England area.
Working Together in New England
There are four main offices in the Western New England Complex. These are the Berkshire National Fish Hatchery, Dwight D. Eisenhower National Fish Hatchery, White River National Fish Hatchery, and Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Resource Complex.
These offices work as a team to raise and manage fish. They help bring back fish in the Connecticut River and Lake Champlain. They also work to protect and fix natural areas where fish and other wildlife live. This team effort helps keep our ecosystems healthy. It also makes sure there are fun outdoor activities for everyone.
Helping Fish Grow
The main job of the hatchery is to raise and release baby Atlantic salmon. These tiny fish, called fry, are released into small streams that flow into the Connecticut River.
In the past, the hatchery also provided over 650,000 young lake trout. These fish were released into Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. This helped to boost the number of lake trout in those large lakes.
A Big Storm and Repairs
In 2011, the hatchery was badly damaged by a storm called Tropical Storm Irene. Because of the damage, the hatchery had to close for several years.
It took about $2.3 million to fix everything! After a lot of hard work, the hatchery finally reopened in July 2017. Now it can continue its important work of raising fish and helping nature.
