Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery supplies mitigation, conservation, and public engagement. Annual mitigation production is 1.2 - 1.6 million fish a year to provide coldwater fish (brown/rainbow/brook trout) that thrive in the cool downstream waters coming out of flood control and power generation reservoirs throughout middle Tennessee along with some reservoir stocking of those trout plus some cutthroat and lake trout projects. Current conservation efforts are 14 species of endangered mussels reared in partnership with Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency and Barren's Topminnows reared in partnership with Ecological Services. The hatchery and Friends of Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery non-profit group host 3-7 station outreach/education events like fishing derbies, fly fishing, and lake boating safety. 40,000 yearly visitors tour the hatchery, get guided education, and fish in the hatchery creek.
Several years of storms have claimed a number of trees at Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery, and there is a lingering work to be done like replanting new trees, rebuilding the hatchery perimeter fence, rebuilding 6 picnic tables and public use benches, upgrading the hatchery fishing pier, shoring up the creek bank, filling erosion pits, and adding safety rip rap.
Recently two large trees fell on the fishing pier down at the creek. They took out the front rail and front facing foundation joists. The hatchery creek area is shaded, peaceful, full of trout, and part of a forested hiking loop that loops over to the Obey River. For anyone that knows Dale Hollow NFH, the hatchery creek fishing area is a primary point of interest and is used as a focal point for events. Hatchery staff is scrambling and working every day to try to find solutions to recover the creek area storm damage, make it safe for visitors, and come up with a strategy to bring it back to the cool oasis of nature it was before the age of the trees and weather took their recent toll.
A small grant helped us fell 6 hazardous trees and remove 4 that were toppled in the early spring heavy rainstorm. Between the partnerships, volunteers, and a lot of hard work, the fish funds help create the basis of the creek area recovery effort at Dale Hollow. There is still a lot of work to do and the team is going to keep grinding away at finding solutions to restore a community treasure.
Future Repair & plans:
- Put a bunch of rock and dirt along the top of the riprap erosion areas, compact, and grow plants with roots to help add structure structure
Something temporarily or permanently constructed, built, or placed; and constructed of natural or manufactured parts including, but not limited to, a building, shed, cabin, porch, bridge, walkway, stair steps, sign, landing, platform, dock, rack, fence, telecommunication device, antennae, fish cleaning table, satellite dish/mount, or well head.
Learn more about structure - Ask for creativity help building fish stations, benches, tables, and information signs that add to the quality of the site and make use of the tree stumps (being careful not to make it look so manipulated that it takes away from the nature)
- The station is optimistic about being able to implement a patch repair to the pier, but we'll need a little time to rebuild it fully.
- Aging trees at the creek will continue to be an issue, the current plan is to take down the worst trees when vital. There are an additional 22 Virginia pines that are nearing end of life, but the station is trying to take a considerate sequential approach to make to replace/replant trees before we strip the creek bare of cover
- We'd like to build a kiosk and covered fishing pier someday if we can get skilled volunteers and some more material.
- Re-planting trees near the creek – evergreen, native, must be able to endure wet river-connected soil. We are not sure of the trees, configuration, support, or sources.
- Planting/supporting native evergreens over 15 acres of open field. Planning or group effort possible?
- Other options: Developing nature trails, native gardens, education systems?
- Communications (possible): outreach events, US Fish & Wildlife Service National quarterly reports, Department of Interior news articles, hatchery website, congressional representative, state government, local news
Latest Stories
