| Pitkin Hatchery | |
|---|---|
  Location in Colorado  Location in United States | |
| General information | |
| Address | 14214 County Rd 76 |
| Town or city | Pitkin, Colorado |
| Coordinates | 38°21′20″N106°18′55″W / 38.35561°N 106.31516°W Coordinates: 38°21′20″N106°18′55″W / 38.35561°N 106.31516°W |
| Inaugurated | 1914 |
The Pitkin Hatchery is a Colorado Parks and Wildlife cold water fish production facility located in Gunnison National Forest right off of Quartz Creek Valley in Gunnison County. [1]
Pitkin Hatchery was inaugurated in 1914. The land was purchased by Scott Land as a response to cold-water problems, such as limited stock in surrounding waters. The building was constructed in 1906 and built to hold a capacity of one million eggs per year. [2] The elevation spans from 9033 ft - 9446 ft. [3]
An overarching mission among the hatchery staff is conservation through the production of the Rio Grande cutthroat trout, which is one of Colorado's native fish.
The facility focuses on broodstock and production of trout and kokanee salmon. Hatchery staff works to support the raising of 1 million fish annually, including 150,000 catchable rainbow trout. Rio Grande cutthroat trout are also raised as brood fish. Their source of water comes from a groundwater spring. [4]
Trout is the common name for a number of species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera Oncorhynchus, Salmo and Salvelinus, all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word trout is also used as part of the name of some non-salmonid fish such as Cynoscion nebulosus, the spotted seatrout or speckled trout.
The cutthroat trout(Oncorhynchus clarkii) is a fish species of the family Salmonidae native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean, Rocky Mountains, and Great Basin in North America, and is the state fish of Wyoming. As a member of the genus Oncorhynchus, it is one of the Pacific trout, a group that includes the widely distributed rainbow trout. Cutthroat trout are popular gamefish, especially among anglers who enjoy fly fishing. The common name "cutthroat" refers to the distinctive red coloration on the underside of the lower jaw. The specific name clarkii was given to honor explorer William Clark, coleader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
The greenback cutthroat trout is the easternmost subspecies of cutthroat trout. The greenback cutthroat, once widespread in the Arkansas and South Platte River drainages of Eastern Colorado and Southeast Wyoming, today occupies less than 1% of its historical range. It is currently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. It was adopted as the state fish of Colorado on March 15, 1994 replacing the unofficial rainbow trout.
Quartz Creek is a stream in Gunnison County, Colorado. It rises in the Rocky Mountains above the town of Pitkin, Colorado. It merges with Tomichi Creek near the town of Parlin, Colorado, along Highway 50. The stream rises in the Gunnison National Forest and is formed by the merger of the north, south, and middle Fox creeks.
The Bellvue-Watson Fish Hatchery is a Colorado Parks and Wildlife cold water fish production facility located near Cache la Poudre River and Watson Lake State Wildlife Area in Larimer County, Colorado. Hatchery staff works to support the raising of approximately 1.5 million sub-catchable trout annually. The Watson Lake Rearing Unit, a division within the hatchery, is responsible for rearing approximately 300,000 catchable trout each year. The hatchery stocks fishing sports in Wellington, Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont and Jumbo Reservoir near Julesburg and Hale ponds.
The Chalk Cliffs Rearing Unit is a Colorado Parks and Wildlife cold water fish production facility located near Arkansas River and Chalk Creek in Chaffee County, Colorado. Hatchery staff works to support the raising of approximately 700,000 catchable, ten-inch rainbow trout annually. The hatchery stocks fish along the Front Range from Loveland to the New Mexico border, and east almost to the Kansas border.
The Crystal River Hatchery is a Colorado Parks and Wildlife cold-water fish production facility located along the Crystal River in Garfield County, Colorado, near Carbondale. The hatchery raises rainbow trout and Snake River cutthroat trout brood fish. The millions of eggs from these brood fish are shipped to other hatcheries to be raised for stocking.
The Durango Fish Hatchery is a Colorado Parks and Wildlife cold water fish production facility located near the Animas River in Durango, Colorado. The hatchery staff raise rainbow, brown, Snake River and native cutthroat trout, and kokanee salmon.
The Finger Rock Rearing Unit is a Colorado Parks and Wildlife cold water fish production facility located near Bear River in Routt County at the base of Flat Tops Wilderness Area.
The Glenwood Springs Hatchery is a Colorado Parks and Wildlife cold water fish production facility located on Mitchell Creek near the Colorado River in Garfield County, which is 2 miles north of West Glenwood Springs.
The John W. Mumma Native Aquatic Species Restoration Facility is a Colorado Parks and Wildlife cold water fish production facility located near Playa Blanca State Wildlife Area and the Rio Grande in Alamosa County.
The Mt. Shavano Hatchery is a Colorado Parks and Wildlife cold water fish production facility located near Arkansas River headwaters at the base of Big Baldy Mountain in Chaffee County. This facility is considered one of the largest trout units in the state.
The Poudre Rearing Unit is a Colorado Parks and Wildlife cold water fish production facility located near Cache la Poudre River at the base of South Bald Mountain in Larimer County. It is considered one of the smaller units in Colorado.
The Pueblo Hatchery is the only Colorado Parks and Wildlife cold and warm water fish production facility located in Lake Pueblo State Park near Arkansas River in Pueblo County.
The Rifle Falls Fish Hatchery is a Colorado Parks and Wildlife cold water fish production facility located off East Rifle Creek near Rifle Falls State Park in Garfield County.
The Roaring Judy Hatchery is a Colorado Parks and Wildlife cold water fish production facility located on East River at the base of Flat Top mountain in Gunnison County. It home to the largest known kokanee salmon run in Colorado.
The Wray Fish Hatchery is a Colorado Parks and Wildlife warm and cold water fish production facility located near Chief Creek and Stalker Lake in Yuma County.