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 Several years ago
warm water anglers from across the state of Montana banned together to
promote the building of a Warm Water Multi-Species Fish Hatchery at Fort Peck
and thanks to the hard work and persistence of these anglers the Fort Peck
Multi-Species Fish Hatchery was built.
This hatchery has been and continues to be supported by sportsman’s groups,
individuals and businesses all across Montana but it seems every year and
every legislative session we have to confront Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks
(MFWP) on the funding of the hatchery. This upcoming year will be no
different but comes with some very different ideas on how to further fund the
hatchery.
In the fall of 2007 MFWP asked legislators, individuals and sportsman’s
groups from across the state to come together with MFWP to come up with and
decide on funding proposals that would fund the Fort Peck Hatchery for all
time. Three group meetings were held and proposals and needs were discussed
and the proposals were narrowed down. MFWP decided on two proposals both of
which would lift the restrictions on the species raised in the hatchery and
in turn MFWP would start raising trout in the hatchery. In order for this to
take place the current laws applying to the Fort Peck Hatchery would have to
be changed by the legislature.
It is Walleyes Unlimited of Montana’s opinion that 8.5 Cold Water Hatcheries
in Montana is enough and that the warm water anglers of Montana are entitled
to at least one hatchery solely dedicated to raising warm water species and
therefore we do not agree with MFWP’s proposals. The Fort Peck Hatchery by
law can be funded by two sources the Warm Water Stamp and any type of Federal
Funds available. Walleyes Unlimited will be asking the 2009 legislature to
pass a bill forcing MFWP to give the Fort Peck Hatchery its fair share of
Wallop/Bureaux federal funds to cover the additional funding needed for
operation and maintenance.
The Fort Peck Hatchery is one of the most state of the art hatcheries on the
Missouri River and WUM hopes that the following facts list will help to
inform the people of Montana about the history and the current workings of
the Fort Peck Hatchery and why it needs to stay a strictly Warm Water Multi
Species Hatchery.
Release numbers from the first year of production at the Fort Peck Multi-Species Fish Hatchery.
27,050,000 walleye fry stocked out this spring
Fort Peck Lake 2,947,228 walleye fingerlings
Nelson Reservoir 201,197 walleye fingerlings
Fresno Reservoir 199,569 walleye fingerlings
Lake Frances 101,270 walleye fingerlings
Box Elder Reservoir 49,887 walleye fingerlings
Little Warm Res. 10,836 walleye fingerlings
Dry Fork Reservoir 5,225 walleye fingerlings
Cow Creek Reservoir 7,805 walleye fingerlings
Beaver Creek Res. 10,449 walleye fingerlings
Wadsworth Reservoir 5,476 walleye fingerlings
Total fingerlings stocked numbered 3,538,942. These fish averaged 758/lb and were 1.6" long.
Average pond survival was 71.8%, well above the expected 50% mark.
Bear Paw Reservoir 5,112 advanced fingerlings
Beaver Creek Res. 6,350 advanced fingerlings
Nelson Dredge Trout Pond 500 advanced fingerlings
Box Elder Reservoir 1,000 advanced fingerlings
Nelson Reservoir 8,993 advanced fingerlings
Total advanced fingerlings stocked numbered 21,955. These fish averaged 100/lb and were
3.5" long. Average pond survival was 93.3%, again well above the 50% mark.
Chinook releases for 2006 are as follows:
175,217 released into Fort Peck Lake as 3” fish
4,988 released into Fort Peck Lake as 7” fish
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