Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge Park Ranger Thomas Horb assists with fish stocking at Green Point ELC. - USFWS photo by Steven F. Kahl

Anglers visiting the pond at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge’s Green Point Environmental Learning Center (ELC) will have greater success thanks to the Genoa National Fish Hatchery.  Green Point ELC is surrounded by the residential neighborhoods of the City of Saginaw.  Consequently, it is a popular destination for school age children to wet a line.  However, the 1.5 acre pond had not been stocked in over 10 years and the fish community had become poor for angling.

The hatchery provided 50 largemouth bass, 200 bluegill, 200 black crappie, 200 channel catfish, and 25 pounds of fathead minnows.  The waters of the pond are nutrient and plankton rich and the fatheads have a high reproductive rate.  Thus, the game and panfish will grow and multiply quickly.  This effort will help reinforce the connection of neighborhood children with nature.