Oden State Fish Hatchery receives $2.6 million for infrastructure improvements
ODEN — The Oden State Fish Hatchery is among six hatcheries in the state using grant money to update outdated and aging infrastructure.
According to Patrick Van Dale, natural resource manager for the Oden State Fish Hatchery, the hatchery will be using the money to make infrastructure improvements at the facility.
A total of $30 million is being split among the hatcheries, with Oden taking home $2.6 million. The money was granted in the fiscal year 2023, and the hatchery has three years to spend the money, Van Dale said.
Because Oden's hatchery is one of the newer ones in the state, at more than 20 years old, less work needs to be done to make improvements.
Some of the improvements that will be coming include repaving the visitor parking lot and some walking trails, as well as updating the siding on the main hatchery building. Additional projects will also include improvements in the building that houses broodstock fish and fixing up wells to make them more energy efficient. The money will also be used to get a new feeder system so fish will be fed on a more consistent basis, leading to better growth and quality of the fish.
The fishery has also re-epoxied the raceways the broodfish are kept in to prevent them from rubbing against coarse concrete walls, which helps prevent potential injuries to the fish.
Van Dale said the hatchery will remain open to the public during the work, with projects likely to take place between August and September rather than in the middle of summer during the busy season.
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"Twenty-some years ago, the people in the state of Michigan invested in the new Oden State Fish Hatchery site here, and over time, things deteriorate, things get old and have to be repaired and that's where we are right now at Oden," Van Dale said. "It's important to me, even as a citizen of Michigan, to protect our investment in our facilities and make sure that they're in really good shape and that they'll last for many years to come. Things aren't going to last if we don't take care of them."
While Oden's improvements may not be as glamorous as some of the other hatcheries' improvements, Van Dale said, they're just as important.
— Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Oden State Fish Hatchery receives $2.6 million for infrastructure improvements
