White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery

White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service facility located along the historic Midland Trail in the Allegheny Highlands of southeast West Virginia. Established in 1900 to produce fish for the American public, the fish hatchery became part of the National Broadstock Program in 1976.[1] Since that date, the hatchery has shipped millions of rainbow trout eggs to hatcheries across the country.[2]

Mission

White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery provides recreational fishing, recovers fish, mussels, and other wildlife, and aims to promote awareness and appreciation of cultural and natural resources.

Freshwater Mussel Conservation

Added to the hatchery in 1995, this program works toward the restoration of freshwater mussel populations.[3] A spill of a hazardous substance on the Ohio River near Marietta, Ohio killed an estimated 1,000,000 freshwater mussels. Today, White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery provides shelter for mussels endangered by pollution and ships healthy mussels to improve wild populations.

Freshwater Folk Festival

The Freshwater Folk Festival is hosted by the Friends of the White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery in the Fall every year.[4] This began on October 2, 2004, and is designed to be a family-friendly day of music, food, crafts, and educational opportunities. It is hoped the festival promotes understanding, appreciation, and conservation of freshwater resources, and celebrates the local natural history of White Sulphur Springs and Greenbrier County.

Annual Fishing Derby

The White Sulphur Springs Annual Fishing Derby is held on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, meant to provide families with the opportunity to spend the day fishing for rainbow trout.[5] The Annual Fishing Derby has been celebrated for over 20 years; it is co-hosted by the White Sulphur Springs Rotary Club.

References
  1. "White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery". FWS.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  2. "National Broodstock Program's Egg Distribution Service | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service". FWS.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  3. "White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery". FWS.gov. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  4. "Freshwater Folk Festival (2023-09-09 10:00:00)". Visit Southern West Virginia. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
  5. "White Sulphur Springs Rotary Kids Fishing Derby | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service". FWS.gov. 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-08-23.

37.80009°N 80.29462°W / 37.80009; -80.29462

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.