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Phone: 417-451-0554 E-mail: Neosho@fws.gov |
Frequently Asked Questions:
1.) Where are all of the big fish?
2.) Where do your fish come from?
3.) Where do you stock your fish?
4.) Can I buy some of your fish?
5.) How can I find out about a job with the USFWS?
6.) What kind of fish do you raise?
7.) How do you move your fish?
9.) What do you feed the fish?
10.) Can we get a tour of the hatchery?
11.) How far is the walking track around the hatchery?
12.) Can I get rainfall data from the hatchery?
Where are all of the big fish?
We raise our rainbow trout to 9.5 to 10.0 inches before shipment. In order to keep our fish below our safe target of .25 density index, we must ship fish in a timely manner so as to free up space for the younger fish. We compute a density index by the formula: Weight / (Length * Cu Ft), where weight and length are an average fish in a given tank and Cu Ft is the cubic feet of rearing water in that same tank.
Where do your fish come from?
We receive five egg shipments per year from one or two specially designated USFWS broodstock hatcheries around the country. They do all of the holding, fertilizing, and shipping of eggs from the large 2 - 3 year old males and females. They send us the eggs at the eyed up stage, meaning that you can see the tiny eyes of the embryos inside the eggs. This practice saves water and space at our hatchery, which enables us to raise more fish.
Where do you stock your fish?
We stock most of our rainbow trout into Lake Taneycomo. Our committment for that lake is 225,000 fish per year. However, we also ship 4,000 fish to Ft. Riley Army base in Kansas, and 1,500 fish to Knoxville, Iowa at the Veterans Administration Hospital each year.
Do you sell any of your fish?
Since we are a Federal hatchey, we are not allowed to sell fish to the public. Besides that, we don't have any excess fish, all of our fish being committed to federal waters.
How can I find out about a job with the Fish & Wildlife Service?
Vacancy announcements for the Fish & Wildlife Service are advertised on the government website at http//:www.usajobs.opm.gov
What kind of fish do you raise?
In this past year, we have raised rainbow trout, lake sturgeon, pallid sturgeon, walleye, and freshwater drum. However, because of our cold, clean spring water, we have in years gone by, also been able to successfully rear lake trout, brook trout, brown trout, and salmon coldwater species. Other warmwater and coolwater species raised here in sun warmed ponds in the summer include bluegill, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, muskellunge, catfish and crappie.
How do you move your fish?
We move our fish in several different ways. When moving fish from one tank or raceway to another tank, raceway, or pond, we usually net them into a 250 gallon fish cart with on board oxygen and recirculation. Once on the cart, the fish are pulled to their destination and discharged through a pipe into the receiving water. When moving fish from a pond to a raceway for distribution inventory, they are seined with a 100 foot seine to one side of the pond by two workers in waders, then netted to the fish cart for delivery to a vacant raceway. The final move for our fish is when they are crowded upstream in a raceway, then netted onto a 3,000 gallon distribution truck for delivery to Lake Taneycomo.
Why are the ponds dry?
We utilize our three earthen bottom ponds from Fall to Spring to raise rainbow trout while it's cool outside, but when the temperatures rise in early Summer, they are left to dry out. This gives us an opportunity to disk up the dirt, which adds much needed oxygen to the soil and allows the soil bacteria to decompose waste products from the previous year's production. We also have two lined ponds, which are drawn down once per year to clean them in preparation for the next season.
What do you feed the fish?
We feed our rainbows a pelleted artificial diet that is high in protein, high in fat, and contains fish oil to make it more palatable. Seven sizes of pellets are used, ranging from a starter size which, when sprinkled, resembles dust on the water, to a 3/16 inch grower pellet for our larger fish. For our sturgeon, we utilize a combination of bloodworms, dry trout diet, and brine shrimp for the larval fish.
Can we get a tour of the hatchery?
Because we have such a small staff, we provide tours to groups by appointment only. This allows us to match tour dates and times with available personnel. We try to allocate one tour in the morning, and one in the afternoon, per day. You can reach the Neosho National Fish Hatchery to schedule a tour by calling Monday through Friday, 8:00 to 4:30, at 417-451-0554. Please have a contact name and phone number ready, along with a couple of dates and times you would like to receive your tour when you phone. As always, the public is welcome to explore the hatchery on their own, and ask any of the staff questions while here.
How far is the walking track around the hatchery?
We have a .3 mile walking trail that is paved with asphalt, which circles the hatchery, winding between ponds, raceways, buildings, picnic areas, and trees. Many people use this track for exercise on a daily basis. While our business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 to 4:30, the hatchery grounds are available to the public from dawn til dusk. No unauthorized personnel is allowed on the grounds after dark, by enforcement of the local police department.
Can I get rainfall data from the hatchery?
Almost from the beginning of the Neosho National Fish Hatchery, climatological data has been recorded. Temperature, rainfall, and snowfall data records are on file at the hatchery for the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1895 til 1939, and for the U.S. Department of Commerce from 1940 to present. Inquiries about this data can be made by calling the hatchery at 417-451-0554.
