Genoa National Fish Hatchery is one of the most diverse culture facilities in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Fish Hatchery System.  On average, the hatchery produces 15 species of fish and eight mussel species, and in 2007, Genoa produced over 14 million fish and 900,000 mussels for various programs. 

It is this experience that led two of Genoa's staff to be invited to present last December at the 68^th annual Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference, an important regional meeting for stimulating scientific information exchange to enhance the region's natural resources.  

Hatchery manager Doug Aloisi was asked to speak about the role of conservation hatcheries in recovery and restoration programs.  Genoa NFH has one of the largest lake sturgeon programs in the nation and provides fish for three states and two tribal nations in the Midwest.  Genoa has also been partnering with Iron River NFH for the past decade to produce coaster brook trout for restoration efforts that are ongoing in the waters around Isle Royale National Park.  

Most recently, the hatchery has stepped out of the box to begin working with endangered freshwater mussels.  In 2000, the hatchery built the "Clam Palace" to provide a place for staff to conduct mussel propagation activities. These activities have been growing with the support and assistance of the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Natural Resources from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois, the La Crosse National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, and the Twin Cities Field Office. 

The success of this mussel program is the reason that mussel propagation biologist Tony Brady was invited to speak during a special freshwater mussel session sponsored by the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society.  The highlight of Brady's presentation was the announcement that the hatchery and its partners had recently stocked over 18,000 three- and four-year-old endangered Higgins eye pearlymussels in four locations in four different states.  The techniques used for raising endangered Higgins eye and now being adapted to produce the endangered winged mapleleaf and several other mussel species on the state endangered species list.