Date: 1/11/11
Contact: Doug Nielsen
Phone: (702) 486-5127 x 3500

NDOW FINALIZES FISH STOCKING PLANS FOR NEXT TWO YEARS

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) recently held its annual fish stocking coordination meeting to finalize stocking numbers for calendar years 2011 and 2012. Approximately 1,212,000 fish will be stocked in throughout Nevada's three regions, (eastern, southern and western) in 2011 and 1,172,000 in 2012, with nearly 96% stocked as "catchables" (8-10").

While most of the fish stocked are rainbow trout (942,500), the agency also stocks Lahontan Cutthroat Trout (77,000), Tiger Trout (13,000), Brown Trout (114,800) and Bowcutts (64,800). The majority of the fish (68%) are stocked into lakes and reservoirs, with the remainder stocked into urban ponds, as well as a number of rivers and streams.

NDOW operates 3 hatcheries and 1 rearing station. However, since the discovery of quagga mussels in 2007, as well as the unprecedented drought conditions on the Colorado River, NDOW's Lake Mead Hatchery has been closed.

Since the closure of Lake Mead Hatchery, fish for the southern region have been reared primarily at Mason Valley Hatchery in Yerington, as well as through a co-operative agreement with Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery (WBNFH), a federal facility on the Arizona side of Lake Mohave. However, this co-operative agreement will be ending April 1, 2011 and will not be renewed. Mason Valley and NDOW's other facilities are already at maximum production capacity and cannot replace the fish that had been reared at WBNFH.

Therefore, the agency has made the decision to no longer stock Lake Mead and Lake Mohave with trout beginning in fall 2011. However, the urban ponds in Clark County, as well as reservoirs on the Key Pittman and Kirch Wildlife Management Areas will continue to be stocked. In addition to these areas, a number of new fishing waters are planned in 2012 for the southern region. These include urban fishing ponds in Beatty and Pahrump as well as trout stocking in Upper Pahranagat Lake.

NDOW plans to bring the Lake Mead Hatchery back into production in the future remain in effect. Planning and design for a new system to provide cooler water from the deeper waters of Lake Mead and a filtration system to remove quagga mussels could be completed by 2012 if funding is approved. Pending future funding availability pipeline construction could begin shortly thereafter.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) protects, restores and manages fish and wildlife, and promotes fishing, hunting, and boating safety. NDOW's wildlife and habitat conservation efforts are primarily funded by sportsmen's license and conservation fees and a federal surcharge on hunting and fishing gear. Support wildlife and habitat conservation in Nevada by purchasing a hunting, fishing, or combination license. For more information, visit www.ndow.org.