Hatchery system to thank for state's abundance of fish

Ol’ Man River … just keeps on rollin’.”

The venerable song is about the Mississippi River, but we can stretch and adapt it to fishing in Arkansas. Whatever is going on with the economy, health care, overseas conflicts, deer hunting and duck hunting, we have fishing in our state that is both plentiful and prolific.

That’s not to say Arkansas fishing is perfect. It’s to say we have it pretty good, better than most other states.

An important part of Arkansas fishing is the system of hatcheries and nursery ponds all around the state. The fish produced in these does not replace what nature provides in the wild, but the man-raised fish are a vital supplement. They are booster shots.

Hatchery fish can be moved by truck to specific spots where biologists have determined that some help is needed.

In Arkansas we have five state fish hatcheries and three federal fish hatcheries. One of the state and two of the federal facilities are for raising trout and are labeled cold water hatcheries. These are at Mammoth Spring, Norfolk and Greers Ferry. Four state and one federal are warm water hatcheries. These are at Lonoke, Hot Springs, Centerton and Corning for the state ones and at Mammoth Spring for the federal warm water hatchery.

One of the state warm water hatcheries recently had a celebration noting completion of a $3 million renovation project. This was the William B. Donham Fish Hatchery at Corning, and the four-year overhaul should provide a major boost to the production of fish for stocking in public waters in northeast Arkansas.

This Arkansas Game and Fish Commission hatchery is the newest of the four warm water state facilities in the state, at least in terms of AGFC’s management. The Donham hatchery, named for a former AGFC attorney, was obtained from the federal government in 1983, with a transfer of ownership in 1995.

In the renovation, a new central building has been erected, with the old buildings removed. A land purchase of 13 acres allowed the building of 20 more fish ponds in addition to the 30 already in operation. The capacity for producing young fish for stocking in various waters has been expanded considerably. The old federal hatchery, built in the Great Depression, is gone now with the renovation, except for the fish rearing ponds.

Significant is the installation of specialized equipment at the hatchery to make the growing of fish more efficient as well as improving on health and safety issues. Much of this has stemmed from developments in fisheries science over the 71 years since the original hatchery was built.

The hatchery was built in 1938, one of many small fish hatcheries across the nation put into operation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Times changed, though. Directions for wildlife and fish work shifted for the federal agency, and in the 1970s and 1980s, the F&WS disposed of many of its hatcheries, especially small ones late the Corning facility.

The renovation was done in stages and with the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department lending a hand. Major contractor were Bryaco Construction, S&L Irrigation and R.L. Person Construction.

Along with the central office and production building, the renovation included drilling of another water supply well with connections to the ponds. Every pond now has an electrically operated paddlewheel aerator to boost oxygen levels for the fish. Wiring is underground. Tanks in the production area of the building receive water through an automated filtering system.

The hatchery produces several species of game fish native to Arkansas — largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill and channel catfish. Grass carp, used for reducing excessive vegetation in lakes and stream, are also produced. Fish-hauling trucks based at the hatchery transport the young fish for stocking at desired points in northeast Arkansas.

The hatchery has a staff of four — Manager Jeff Newman, Assistant Manager Mark harness, Technician Mike Lewis and Technician Zack Yancey. The hatchery, on U.S. Highway 67 at the western edge of Corning, is open to visitors during normal working hours.

(Log Cabin outdoor writer Joe Mosby can be contacted by e-mail at jhmosby@cyberback.com)