Jordan River Fish Hatchery to Receive Stimulus Money

fish ponds at the Jordan River National Fish Hatchery (photo by deemsterhood)

based on a news article from Connect Mid Michigan, "Fish hatchery funding," by Melissa Smith, Mar 7, 2009

The Jordan River National Fish Hatchery in Antrim County, Michigan, will receive over $2.5 million dollars in stimulus money. "We're ecstatic to get some of this funding," says hatchery manager, Roger Gordon. He quickly pointed out that the facility has not been on any priority lists for funding recently and the money is sorely needed.

Almost half of the dollars will go towards the rehabilitation of a pollution abatement system. The mission of the hatchery is the restoration of the Great Lakes, and specifically to return lake trout to a sustainable population level.

The hatchery is under the direction of the U.S. Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service. The 116 acres of the facility include trout culture ponds. Each year approximately 1.85 to 2.0 million yearling lake trout are raised and 1.2 million released into Lakes Michigan and Huron.

Stimulus money will provide a new, 50 thousand square foot, lake trout culture building. $240 thousand will go for a geothermal heating project, and $100 thousand to design and install a micro-turbine energy system. The new energy system will eliminate the need for 6000 gallons of propane used annually.

Gordon says that the projects should aid the local economy as local contractors will be used to complete the work. All but the pollution abatement system are expected to be completed in 2009. "The lake trout is the poster child of the Great Lakes." says Gordon. The hatchery is open to the public seven days a week from from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

See Jordan River Fish Hatchery
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