The Big Dry Arm Spring Storm in the Great Basin Red Cliffs Desert Tortoise Reserve March Morning on the Platte River After a Spring Storm in the Great Basin Hunting Upland Birds at Kingsbury Lake Waterfowl Production Area Sandhill Migration on the Platte River Badlands Sunrise The Green River at Ouray NWR North Park Lupines Moab Sunset
Fish and Aquatic Conservation
Mountain-Prairie Region
Graphic button showing the 8 state mountain prairie region

About Us

Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (FWCO) biotech, Jason Marsh, holding a male Arctic Grayling collected from Red Rock Creek, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, MT. Credit: USFWS.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Fisheries Program in the Mountain-Prairie Region helps conserve, protect, and enhance aquatic resources and provides economically valuable recreational fishing to anglers across the country. The program comprises 12 National Fish Hatcheries; a National Fish Technology and National Fish Health Center; and 8 Fish and Wildlife Conservation Offices serving Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.

The Region’s National Fish Hatcheries produce millions of coldwater, coolwater, and warmwater game fish every year for stocking in public lakes, rivers, and streams. Hatchery-raised fish meet legally mandated "mitigation" requirements, compensating for fish losses caused by federal water projects and associated dams. The hatcheries also raise native fish and other aquatic wildlife to help restore populations in the wild and to support recovery of threatened and endangered species. Two of the Mountain-Prairie hatcheries – one in Ennis, Montana and the other in Saratoga, Wyoming – are part of the National Broodstock Program, providing disease-free and genetically sound eggs to dozens of states, tribes, other hatcheries, and research facilities. These eggs support production of millions of fish for recreational angling opportunities, species recovery and restoration, mitigation, tribal subsistence fishing, and other fisheries activities.


Fisheries Continued...

The Fish Technology Center and Fish Health Center, both located in Bozeman, Montana, assist the National Fish Hatcheries by improving aquatic species conservation techniques and methods for the benefit of state and federal agencies and tribes throughout the nation. The Centers’ work also includes fish nutrition studies and diet development, wild fish health surveys, and environmental threat management for issues such as whirling disease.

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Offices throughout the Region support tribal fisheries and wildlife management programs, endangered species recovery, control of invasive aquatic species (such as mussels, snails, fish, etc.), and fish passage for native species, such as Colorado River fishes, cutthroat trout, bull trout, and pallid sturgeon, especially on private lands and streams.

 

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with Others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American People.
Last modified: April 13, 2015
All Images Credit to and Courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Unless Specified Otherwise.
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