Life in the Pittsford National Fish Hatchery's remote northern temperate zone in winter can involve many hours of snow and anchor ice removal. (A discussion of anchor ice can be found at http://www.roaringfork.org/images/other/AnchorIce.pdf. Not a Fish and Wildlife Service Web site.) Such ice clearing is vital to keeping the hatchery's water intake structures open and brook water flowing to the fish stock. Ice removal is prompted by alarms that sound in the early morning hours, when cold temperatures bring favorable conditions for ice formation.

During winter at the hatchery snow plowing and anchor ice removal are special burdens because the work adds to the ongoing chores of fish feeding, egg picking, sac fry care and starting fry on feed. Many hours in winter are spent keeping hatchery roads and parking area turnarounds open. We must prepare the hatchery's rearing units for truck access during spring stocking of salmon smolts before all the snow has melted.

These winter conditions will lead in turn to the next season's floods, muddy water and ice and debris jams.

NORTHEAST REGION, U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE -- Conserving the Nature of the Northeast