Branson fish hatchery to close for two years as construction begins on conservation center

A conservation center and fish hatchery in Branson is closing to the public starting this month as construction for a larger facility is slated to begin.

Shepherd of the Hills Conservation Center will close to the public March 12 in order to better accommodate large annual visitation numbers, according to Missouri Department of Conservation.

The $6.7 million project is projected to take about two years that will result in a facility nearly three times bigger than the existing facility. Work will be done by Neosho's Branco Enterprises Inc.

The location serves as a visitors center for MDC's Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery, at 483 Hatchery Road in Branson. Because construction will impact parking and visitor access, the hatchery will be closed to the public. Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery will continue to produce trout during the construction process.

The trails, picnic area, fishing access and boat ramp to Lake Taneycomo ― all located east of the hatchery complex on Belladonna Road ― will remain open for public use, MDC stated.

Conservation center staff will continue conducting programs off-site and virtually.

“We are very excited to move forward with this new facility,” said Warren Rose, MDC Southwest Region Education Branch Supervisor. “The current facility was never designed to handle the volume of visitors we have each year. This new facility will allow us to better serve the citizens of Missouri as well as showcase the wonderful fish, forest, and wildlife resources Missouri has to visitors from across the nation.”

Why is the facility expanding?

The conservation center sees 250,000 visitors each year and that number was much higher than originally thought.

"When Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery began operation at the west end of Lake Taneycomo in 1958, its sole mission was to produce trout," MDC stated. "It was the MDC’s state-of-the-art answer to the state’s growing interest in trout fishing ― an interest that had out-stripped Shepherd’s predecessor; the much-smaller Sequiota Hatchery in Springfield."

The building was constructed in the late 1970s with the original plan calling for it to be an unstaffed facility for passive visitation.

"These plans did not envision Branson becoming one of the country’s major tourist destinations," MDC stated.

As the area's popularity skyrocketed, the conservation center experienced its own uptick that has surpassed what it could handle.

"During peak busy times, attendance can be as many as 1,800 people per day," MDC stated. "That means an average of more than 200 people per hour are walking through the doors of the conservation center on the facility’s busiest days."

What will the new conservation center in Branson look like?

Part of the construction will be to add a large multi-purpose room that can be subdivided into two classrooms.

"This will allow visitors to view programs about how trout are raised at the hatchery ― long a visitor favorite ― in one classroom while the other classroom can be used for other educational programs and meetings," MDC stated.

Once complete, the refurbished conservation center will have a new indoor aquarium, new exhibits, larger lobby, larger restrooms and more office space for staff and volunteers.

“We realize that, for the next two years, the public may be disappointed when they are unable to visit the center or see the trout at the hatchery,” Rose said. “So, we are asking for everyone’s patience, and we want them to know the wait will be worth it. The payoff will be when the new facility opens. It is going to offer so much more and be another jewel that can spread the message of conservation.”

Branson-area anglers and hunters who are accustomed to purchasing their permits at the Shepherd of the Hills Conservation Center are reminded that they can buy their permits online through MDC’s MO Fishing and MO Hunting apps.

Sara Karnes is an Outdoors Reporter with the Springfield News-Leader. Follow along with her adventures on Twitter and Instagram @Sara_Karnes. Got a story to tell? Email her at skarnes@springfi.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Branson conservation center to close as facility construction begins