Oden State Fish Hatchery, Emmet County (2-7-08)
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Michigan Fisheries Visitor Center...the entrance as viewed from US-31 north of Petoskey.
The Wolverine - The only remaining of three "fish cars." This train car was used from 1914 to 1935 to transport fish across the state of Michigan. It was moved here as a permanent exhibit in 2002. It is open for tours during the summer.
This is the original hatchery building which operated from 1921to the early 1940's. It now houses the visitors center and gift shop.
This area was the original location for the hatchery holding tanks. The tanks, which stretched over a quarter-mile were removed during the reconstruction project completed in 2002. It's remarkable how the area has recovered.
The interpretive nature trail begins behind the visitors center along Oden Creek.
The majestic branches of the White Pine, State Tree of Michigan, against a blue winter sky.
Looking through the bare branches of the Tamarack, the only conifer which drops its leaves in the winter.
This was as good a shot as I could get of this Rainbow Trout who was nice enough to make an appearance at the stream viewing chamber.
A Brown Trout, snuggled right up against the glass at the stream viewing chamber. The odd pink area to the bottom left is a reflection.
A unique spot along the trail, this viewing chamber allows visitors to get a underwater view of the creek.
The trail wanders through a beautiful wetland area.
Looking back downstream about halfway between the visitors center and the hatchery.
A Holding Pond...one of at least three such ponds along the trail.
I later learned that these ponds served as homes for fish who were to old to breed. A nice place to retire, don't you think?
Broodstock Building - This building houses both Brown and Rainbow Trout which are used as breeding stock for the facility.
As the trail nears the hatchery the trail climbs slightly into a stand of hardwoods.
Broodstock Tanks - The Oden Hatchery is one of only two that keep breedstock in Michigan. The less agressive nature of trout allows them to do so here.
Big Rainbows...
According to the guide around 33% of the water in the facility is recycled. In these areas to the far end of the holding tanks water is drained out while solid waste (i.e. food & poo) settle to the bottom to be cleaned out separately.
The Brown Trout didn't like a camera pointing at them. Everytime I leaned in for a shot they would scatter.
The fish in these tanks are processed for their sperm and eggs twice a year until they are 8 years old. The fish in this tank are in their prime; about 4 years old.
New Hatchery Grounds - After touring the breedstock building we toured the rest of the facility. From left to right is the main hatchery building, the head tanks (wells), and the uppermost raceway building.
Head Tanks - Water for the facility is pumped up via five wells. Brought from a depth of 305' the water brought to the surface is very oxygen-poor. The blue-topped "head tanks" inject oxygen into the water before it is pumped out to the rest of the facility.
Main Hatchery Building - This is where the magic happens. This is the holding and rearing facility for the million-odd fish the hatchery produces each year.
Water is pumped in from the far end flowing down the main part of the tank where the fish are held to the tubes in the foreground. Some of the water entering the tubes is re-used and pumped back around to the other end...quite efficient I might say!
Overhead pipes deliver water which drains down through the trays of eggs.
A Closer Look
After hatching the "fry's," as they're called, are moved to these holding tanks.
Egg Trays - Fertilized eggs from the broodstock are brought here and placed in trays where they will hatch in 1-2 months.
30,000 Per Tray - That's right, there are potentially 30,000 little fish in this one tray! Amazing!
Water pumped into the tank simulates the natural currents of a stream. The tiny fish give a great demonstration of how fish naturally like to face currents.
Thousands of fry's chill out at the bottom of a holding tank. Still developing the tiny fish are not yet strong enough to swim to the top of the tank.
Now known as fingerlings, these young trout are about 6 months old. Soon they'll be moved to our next stop, the raceway...
OK, It's Cold...the sun was setting and the 20-degree air was finally getting into my fingers.
Oden Hatchery Complex Pano - Looking back up the hill from near the bottom of the raceway. Raceway #2 is to the near left, the broodstock building to the far left, then the head tanks, and the main hatchery building to the right.
Today I'm Authorized!
The Raceway - Eventually all production stock are moved out to the raceway. The raceway is a series of three buildings which house the trout until they are ready to be taken out to a lake or a stream near you!
Once they reach one year old, the trout are known as yearlings, I doubt these are quite there yet. I'm guessing the fish in the center are Brown Trout as they don't want to get near me...
Raceway #3 - The setup of the raceway buildings is similar to that in the broodstock building. Instead of pumps however, these building use gravity to provide the waterflow through these tanks.
This is the clarifier, which helps clean the impurities out of the water after it has drained through the tree raceway buildings.
Making one revolution per hour the arms of the clarifier scrape the sludge from the sides of the tank. After that it is sent to the...
...the Sludge Tank!. This slice of heaven holds 150,000 gallons of sludge when topped off. Believe it or not, it has to be emptied out about once a month!
Finally, all the used water from the facility makes its way to the settling pond. Here, the remaining impurities naturally settle out of the water before it is finally released back into the area watershed.
X-tra info you can't get from me regarding the water purification process here at the hatchery...
The setting sun made for a beautiful sky on the return hike.
A wonderful afternoon at the hatchery, I'm sure I'll be back (though likely when its a bit warmer:) !
Back to the Creek...
