What We Do
The next time you go fishing, you might just catch a fish that was raised at Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery. Since 1871, National Fish Hatcheries have been responding to conservation challenges affecting America’s fish and other aquatic species. Producing fish continues to be an irreplaceable tool in managing or restoring fisheries along with habitat conservation. In doing so, we help provide recreation opportunities to America’s 34 million anglers who spend $36 billion annually in pursuit of their favored pastime.
The hatchery and satellite station produce rainbow trout, razorback sucker, and bonytail chub. The fish are stocked annually in reservoirs, lakes, and rivers across the Lower Colorado River Basin.
Our Services
Native warm water species began to decline after the installation of the Hoover Dam in 1936 and the introduction of multiple sportfish species. Two examples of these native warm water species are the endangered razorback sucker and bonytail chub. To combat fisheries predation of our stocked fish, each year our staff raises as many of these fish as possible to a minimum total length of 305 millimeters. They are tagged for future population monitoring and stocked utilizing our 42-foot transportation barge at predetermined sites along the Lower Colorado River. The Bureau of Reclamation and Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery have an agreement through the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program to stock up to 660,000 razorback suckers and 620,000 bonytail chubs in the Lower Colorado River through 2044.
The hatchery also serves our tribal partners and the public by annually raising a minimum of 100,000 rainbow trout for stocking the Lower Colorado River system on Colorado River Indian Tribes, Fort Yuma, and Fort Mohave tribal lands as well as below the Hoover and Davis Dams. We receive monthly shipments of sterile rainbow trout eggs from Ennis National Fish Hatchery from September through April. Biologists stagger the growth of these rainbow trout throughout the year in order to annually produce catchable sized 10-12 inch fish for weekly stockings at Willow Beach. We also provide weekly rainbow trout stockings seasonally from October through April below Davis Dam for recreational purposes. All these rainbow trout are sterile, to prevent the species from overwhelming the native fish populations.
Our Projects and Research
National Fish Hatcheries raise fish and other aquatic species – like crayfish and mussels - to help restore and sustain important fish and other aquatic species for the benefit of the American people. Freshwater mussels play very important roles in our rivers and lakes filtering the water and creating habitat for fish and aquatic insects fish like to eat. With declining fish populations and declining freshwater mussel populations becoming prevalent across the world, fish hatchery operations are important than ever.
Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery is part of a national effort to re-establish populations of native bonytail chub and razorback sucker to the Lower Colorado River. The hatchery has used a variety of fish culture techniques in raising these species over the years, with new system developments currently in use and more in construction. We’re currently making a switch from raising razorback sucker and bonytail chub in semi-recirculating raceways to circular tanks within a semi-recirculating system. These circular tank systems will allow for improved water conservation, provide better visibility for fish culture purposes, and give visitors a closer look at these native species.