The warm-water sportfish and native aquatic species hatchery is proposed to be operated by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to meet the warm water needs of Colorado River Storage Project impacted waters in Utah. These needs were identified in the Fish Hatchery Production Plan, and include June sucker (listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act), least chub, leatherside chub, roundtail chub, bluehead sucker and flannelmouth sucker, channel catfish and two amphibians: spotted frog and boreal toad. Photographs of these native fish can be seen at the Desert Fishes Council web site. Least chub and spotted frog are considered conservation species for which conservation agreements and strategies have been developed, in accordance with the Endangered Species Act.

On January 31, 2012, a Scoping Notice was issued on a proposal to build the native aquatic species and warm-water sport-fish hatchery at the Springville State Fish Hatchery in Springville Utah. Under the proposal, hatchery construction would proceed in two phases. In the first phase, new hatchery facilities would be constructed and refurbished predominantly within the footprint of the West side facility.  Should funding become available, Phase 2 of the project would include new construction of additional hatchery facilities in the northwest portion of the project area. The proposal is in the earliest phases of analysis, during which public input is needed to identify possible issues associated with hatchery construction. Comments are needed by March 2, 2012 to be included in a draft assessment document. [Click here to view the Scoping Notice]

To help with June sucker recovery until the proposed warm-water hatchery is brought on-line, the Division of Wildlife Resources' Fisheries Experiment Station (FES) in Logan, Utah was expanded in 2006. An addition to an existing building was constructed and June sucker production and stocking is ongoing. This addition included a water recirculation system, which provides a rearing temperature of 74° F, the temperature at which June sucker has shown the highest growth rates. Use of the recirculation system has resulted in increased June sucker growth rates and fish condition. [Click here to view the Warm-water Interim Hatchery Facility Environmental Assessment]

As part of President Obama’s plan to help stimulate the lagging economy, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was passed in February, 2009. Recovery Act funds provided to the Mitigation Commission accelerated the opportunity to perform needed additional improvements at the FES. Recovery Act funds were used to install a recirculation system to better manage temperature and water quality of flows used to raise June sucker in the hatchery.

The Central Utah Project and other reclamation projects created many reservoirs in Utah. These flatwater areas provide for a variety of water-related recreation opportunities including fishing. Most reservoir fisheries are heavily used and not able to sustain themselves through natural recruitment, requiring management programs dependent on stocking hatchery-reared fish. Fish stocking demands in Utah for reclamation projects have been met in the past through both State and Federal hatcheries. CUPCA identifies funding for planning and implementing improvements to existing hatcheries and/or the development of new fish hatcheries to increase production of warm-water and cold-water fish for areas affected by the Colorado River Storage Project in Utah.