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A Utah Warm Water Hatchery. Site Criteria. Water enough to eventually produce up to 100,000 pounds of warm water fish. Flow through systems would be preferred, but recycle systems will be considered. Water temperature of 82 to 84 degrees F, but will consider heating.
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Site Criteria • Water enough to eventually produce up to 100,000 pounds of warm water fish. Flow through systems would be preferred, but recycle systems will be considered. Water temperature of 82 to 84 degrees F, but will consider heating. • 8 to 10 acres of ground for a hatchery capable of 100,000 pounds. • To keep distribution costs down the facility should be no more than 1 hour from the Wasatch Front.
Utah Warm Water Sportfish and Native Aquatic Species Hatchery Siting Study • Joe Valentine commissioned a study from Fish Pro to consider warm water hatchery sites across the state in the year 2000. • Information was gathered from 30 individuals and agencies with information on warm water springs. • This study resulted in 106 possible hatchery sites being evaluated by water temperature, water quality and quantity, site ownership, and construction feasibility
Year 2000 Site Evaluations • Fish Pro went through the 106 possible sites and systematically cut sites that were not appropriate for our uses to 34. • Another evaluation by a committee cut the number to 6 after considering the difficulty to develop, ground water issues, water rights, geology, and discharge issues. • Wahweap Hatchery was included in this list, but was cut later due to water problems and a UCRRIP commitment.
5 Remaining Spring Sites • Blue Creek Springs……………………………Box Elder County • Fish Springs………………………………………………Juab County • Gandy Warm Springs……………..……………Millard County • Goshen Warm Springs…………………………….Utah County • Salt Creek Springs…………………………….Box Elder County
Final Ranking of the 5 Remaining Sites After Literature and Field Review • Gandy Springs Millard County 50 points 1 • Goshen Springs Utah County 43 points 2 • Blue Creek Springs Box Elder County 34 points 3 • Fish Springs Juab County 24 points 4 • Salt Creek Springs Box Elder County 24 points 4 • These 5 sites were also recommended by a DWR team in a separate evaluation prior to the Fish Pro study of 2000.
Thoughts on the 5 Final Sites • Gandy Springs……….Too far from the Wasatch Front for fish distribution • Goshen Springs……..Heavy metal contamination and resistance to development • Blue Creek Springs..TDS, Iron, and conductivity were too high • Fish Springs…………..TDS, Copper, Iron, and Sodium too high • Salt Creek Springs…Hardness, TDS, Iron, Potassium, and Sodium too high
We Visited and Documented 4 Sites that are Available or were Recommended • Belmont Springs near Plymouth • Como Springs near Morgan • Blue Springs near Yuba State Park • Crystal Springs near the Utah State Prison • Belmont and Como Springs are currently for sale or lease, and Blue Springs was recommended by Joe Valentine for consideration.
Belmont or Uddy Springs • Water temperature 98 degrees F, about 1,600 gpm. • Total Dissolved Solids at 8,200 ppm or 47 tons output per day of salts. • Melanoides snails present in waterways, as are red claw crayfish, mosquito fish and assorted tropical fish. • Not much chance of a cold water well to mix with the warm water. • Wetland issues everywhere. • Asking price $200,000 per year lease.
Como Springs • Water rights for 5.5 cfs, but doubtful if that much flow is there, 81 degrees F. • 30 acres bordered by the Weber River on the north. • Hydro geologist feels spring is mixing with the river, which is a pathway for pathogens into the site. • Open ponds on site with mosquito fish and tropic fish. • Site has 3 or 4 derelict buildings that would have to be removed. • Asking price is $1,380,000.
Blue Springs • 10 or 12 cfs of 64 and 70 degree water. • Sits on the flood plain 75 yards from the Sevier River 5 miles below the Yuba Dam. • All is privately owned, and part of a cattle operation. • Wetland issues and all water would have to be pumped up to be utilized. • An entrance road and utilities would have to constructed before any site work, and natural gas not available. • Land owners have not been approached about a sale.
Crystal Springs • Just south of the prison. • Water is 68 degrees F. • Only 2 acre feet of water available. Research shows only 60 gpm available. • Sits on 10 acres of land. • The facility has raised tropical fish, and now goldfish. • Owner is asking $5,000,000.
Joe Valentine former Fish Culture Supervisor UDWR • Found that no site was without serious problems. • Why, he decided to build the June Sucker Recirculation Facility at FES. • That facility has proven over time to be very successful.
Search expanded to include existing hatchery sites • Evaluation of the 13 sites based on water, land, and proximity to the Wasatch Front. • Water would have to be heated at any of the facilities so a recirculation system similar to the FES June Sucker Hatchery is the best option. • FES averages 30 gpm makeup water so the water use of this type facility is minimal. We hope that affects to the cold water portion of the hatchery would also be minimal.
Existing Hatchery Site EvaluationsProximity to the Wasatch Front • Much of the product of a WW hatchery will go to the Community Fisheries along the Wasatch Front. • Because of distribution costs associated with a facility of this type, all hatcheries south of Fountain Green and east of Kamas were eliminated from consideration for the WW hatchery site. • This left for further consideration FES, MA, LK, KM, MW, SV, and FG.
Existing Hatchery Site EvaluationsEnough Land for 100,000 pound Hatchery • 8 or 10 acres we are thinking would be a minimum considering buildings, roads, water delivery systems, yard piping, and effluent treatment. • Apply the land criteria to the 7 remaining sites we come up with • MA, LK, SV, and FG
Existing Hatchery Site Evaluations Water Evaluations • MA has 6 cfs of 47 degree F water. • MA eliminated because of cold temperature and low flow. • LK has 62 gpm of 72 degree F water. • LK eliminated because there is not enough water and too expensive to obtain. • SV has 6 cfs of 60 degree F water. • We have more water in the spring pond we could use after treatment for a WW facility. • FG has 8 cfs of 53 degree water. • Only during extreme low flows would production on the cold water side have to be cut back.
Existing Hatchery Site EvaluationsSV Situation • In 2009, HDR Engineering (Fish Pro) looked at the feasibility of converting the west side of SV to a native species hatchery. By November of 2009 they submitted a study advising us that it was possible utilizing a recycle system very similar to the FES June Sucker facility. This study was funded by the CUP Mitigation Commission. • NEPA has begun on the west side of SV in the last couple months. • The west side of SV is committed to the native species hatchery, and will not be considered further for the WW sportfish facility.
Existing Hatchery Site EvaluationsFG Advantages • We own the land, and have a flow thru right to the water. • A fish culture crew is in place. • Power and natural gas lines are on site. • A road accesses the site. • Central location in the state. • 3 tanker and CDL driver already stationed there. • Other infrastructure in place at the hatchery.
Existing Hatchery Site EvaluationsFG Disadvantages • Water temperature, must add 30 degrees F for catfish. • Looking at solar heating • Plate heat exchangers • Geothermal heating • Must bring down O&M costs to be successful
Existing Hatchery Site EvaluationsFG Disadvantages • Costs of a recycle system in $/lb. can be quite high. • Must produce fish for 3 seasons like we do for Cold Water which will keep our costs / pound down.
Warm Water Fish Requests for Utah All management units within the state are requesting warm water sportfish. Their totals for 2015 and 2020 are: 2015…..4,942,425 fish for 54,032 pounds 2020…..5,003,925 fish for 61,838 pounds Requests cover 8 species. 83% of the weight is BHCH.
