Utah stocked reservoirs with more than 8 million fish in 2022
How does Utah keep fish in its reservoirs and other bodies of water? The state grows them, millions at a time.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources stocked more than 8.2 million fish into bodies of water in Utah this year, the agency announced this week, continuing a practice that wildlife officials in the state have kept in place since 1871.
The fish, grown in fisheries around the state, come from more than a dozen different species, including trout, bass, cub, catfish, salmon and crappies.
Some are meant largely to be fished, but others play key roles in the environment, including some federally-protected species like the June sucker, which is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
In the last two years, officials have actually cut down on the number of fish they use, although they are using larger fish in an attempt to increase their survival rates amid ongoing drought conditions.
Ongoing drought has reduced the amount of water in many lakes and reservoirs. The water heats more quickly, holding less oxygen than cold water, putting added stress on the fish, officials said. The DWR has adjusted its practices to get the right fish into the right areas and give them better chances to survive and thrive.
Utah is one of many states that stock bodies of water with fish, having started the practice more than 150 years ago, when Utah was still a territory. Originally, fish were transported by train, with Utah opening its own hatcheries in 1897, shortly after it became a state.
"These original hatcheries were really impounded streams where we put fry that we got from the federal government," said Craig Schaugaard, the DWR's Aquatic Section assistant chief. "We opened our first traditional fish hatchery — where we produced our own eggs and used raceways like we have today — in Murray in 1899."
The state now operates 13 hatchery facilities.
"Our hatcheries are important because they provide the majority of the fish we stock in the state," Schaugaard said. "Stocking is a crucial management tool that we use to provide Utahns with the numbers and species of fish they desire. Stocking fish helps ensure that the public has a great fishing experience. It also helps in the recovery of threatened or endangered fish."
This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: Utah poured more than 8M fish into lakes, reservoirs in 2022