A New Site

Since our hatching experiment in McConnellsville worked out as well as it did, the club decided to investigate moving our hatchery and during the summer of 2010 club members began the process. Harden Furniture has been very supportive in our efforts and has offered to help build a new hatchery for the club. A series of meetings were held to discuss whether it was possible or not.

In the Fall of 2010 the club decided to commit all of its attention to the McConnellsville site. The hatchery in the Town of Ava was shut down and all of the equipment removed. The club completed the planning of the new site by the end of November, 2010 and work began on the new hatchery.

Removing debris from the sluice way

There were lots of large rocks in the sluice way. Rather than picking the larger rocks up, members used a shovel and skidded them out of the way.

Removing debris

There were two chairs in the water and several branches that were removed from above the dam.

Installing the "Silt Fence"

Stakes were placed into the bottom of the mill pond to create a silt dam in preparation of excavating silt from upstream of where the water supply for the tanks will be.

Dredging

The silt was removed from in front of the sluiceway so that water flow to our tanks would not be impeded if the water levels fell too much.

High Water
The dam on the West Branch at McConnellsville

On September 30, 2010 the area got hit with heavy rain and Fish Creek flooded.

The Flood
Data courtesy of USGS

There are no gauges on the West Branch but there is one on the East Branch of Fish Creek a few miles away in Taberg, NY. Data shown courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey