Jon Huber, 08/23/2007, Flooding at Crystal Springs State Fish Hatchery

Karla Bartelt, 1/29/2008. Stocking lake trout into lake superior.

Iron River National Fish Hatchery helped the state of Minnesota by providing lake trout to fill a portion of its yearling stocking request for Lake Superior.  Biologist sorted a group of 50,000 young fish marked with a unique year-class and lake wide fin clip.

This past August, pounding rains (up to 15” in as little as 24 hours) created a tremendous flood throughout southeastern Minnesota.  Floodwaters reached 13.5 feet over normal river stage.  Crystal Springs state fish hatchery near Elba, Minnesota, is located in the heart of the devastation.  Floodwaters destroyed all fish production lots on station.  In late January, biologists at the Iron River National Fish Hatchery with cooperation from the Minnesota DNR, stocked fish into the partially frozen waters of Lake Superior, just north of Duluth.  

The summer flooding along the Whitewater River valley was devastating to the programs at Crystal Springs State Fish Hatchery.  When bad things happen, a little help from friends can often ease some of the burden and in this case, keep fish stocked into Lake Superior.