Neosho National Fish Hatchery's Blog

Summer Growth of Native Fatmucket Mussels

2011-09-08T14:56:00.018-05:00

Ever since early May, biologists Jaime Pacheco and Melissa Cheung have spent an unusual amount of time on Pond 20. Normally home to freshwater drum, this pond is the current site of our fatmucket floating upweller system (flupsy). While the drum still use this pond, the flupsy is situated adjacent to an aerator near the center of the pond.

The floating upweller system and anchor (with float attached)
are near an aerator. Surrounding the aerators is duckweed.

To provide the native mussels with sufficient food, we had to improve water quality and nutrient conditions. In order to discourage filamentous algae, concentrated blue dye has been added routinely. Highly concentrated bacteria in dry form is added to accelerate the breakdown of detritus and dead algae. The four aerators, which have been in this pond for years, are still working and filamentous algae was manually removed in early summer. Hundreds of pounds of alfalfa meal have also been added on an as needed basis.

A comparison between a dead fatmucket from late

August and another from a previous cleaning.

Slowly and without the use of chemicals, the pond is becoming a place that can foster mussel growth. There has been a visible shift from filamentous algae covering the top and bottom of the pond to duckweed covering the surface of the water. The duckweed, in combination with the concentrated blue dye, has blocked out the sun, preventing the growth of most of the undesirable filamentous algae. Duckweed, being a tiny floating plant, is moved by wind and water current. The duckweed does not inhibit the growth of plankton, an important food source for mussels. In addition, the flupsy is kept near an aerator to prevent duckweed from surrounding the flupsy.

Austin Drake and Christian Neff from the YCC program
spread the alfalfa meal with MSSU student Brett Nichols.

Although there are still more ways in which we can manipulate the system in Pond 20, it is nice to see some positive results. On May 3^rd, the day the mussels arrived, a water sample was obtained and examined for levels of “mussel-edible” food by Dr. Barnhart’s lab at MSU. The results were not great, 1.6 nl/ml. In late August, food concentration was examined again. While the result was not near as productive as the water source surrounding the Kansas City Zoo flupsy (10nl/ml), the water samples did show an improvement (3nl/ml). The increase also suggests that food is available for the fatmuckets.

MSSU student Brett Nichols and YCC members Austin, Sydney, and
Elizabeth clean the four buckets from the flupsy. This is done once a week.

This is still the first year that mussel propagation has been attempted in this pond. Because the pond has a leak, any overflow goes straight into the creek. Knowing this, the biologists avoided any harsh chemicals, opting for natural alternatives. The eventual goal is to provide grow-out space for endangered native mussels. As the staff becomes more familiar with manipulating pond conditions, the mussels will benefit.

Jaime, Brett and Elizabeth used a jon-boat to deploy the anchor for the flupsy. Marked by a float from above, the anchor ensures that the flupsy stays close to an aerator and reduces fouling on the buckets.

Hatchery Painting Unveiled at Opening of Local Bank

2011-09-07T15:54:00.039-05:00

Last Tuesday, hatchery staff set aside their normal duties to visit a new bank in town. The Neosho Branch of First Community Bank had its grand opening and the hatchery crew had been given advanced notice to be there. Surrounded by bank executives, community leaders, local community supporters, and the hatchery Friends group, hatchery staff waited for the ceremony to begin. Although we felt like fish out of water (pardon the pun) amidst the suits and ties, this was not just any bank grand opening. Thanks to the work of local artist W. Jeffrey Jones, the annual seining of rainbow trout at Neosho National Fish Hatchery is forever captured in a large painting for all to see.

Painting by W. Jeffrey Jones on display at First Community Bank.

Mr. Jones’ painting of the fish hatchery was showcased at the grand opening of First Community Bank. After formal introductions, the painting was unveiled by the artist himself and hatchery manager David Hendrix. The painting shows biologists Jaime Pacheco, Melissa Cheung and Jeff Messens pulling in a seine net full of rainbow trout. Jonathan Lara, one of the volunteers that helped with the pond seining, is also in the painting. In the foreground, hatchery manager David Hendrix holds a rainbow trout ready for release into the pond. Hung on a wall facing the main entrance, it occupies a prominent space in the bank.

The study of the seahorse column is on
display at The Grotto Fine Art Gallery.

Months before the bank was set to open, First Community Bank contacted Mr. Jones to depict a local landmark in a painting. The painting would be approximately 3’x4’ in size. A Neosho resident since childhood, Mr. Jones admittedly had a variety of local sites in mind. It was not until he visited the new visitor center, toured the facility, and met the staff that he decided to focus on the fish hatchery. After learning about the hatchery’s Friends group, he and his wife Donna, who works at First Community Bank, became members. Since then they have actively worked with hatchery staff and the Friends group and are fierce advocates for the hatchery. Although we will never know what exactly caught Mr. Jones’ interest in our facility and hatchery community, his work has more than exceeded our expectations and made us his avid supporters.

Artist W. Jeffrey Jones and Dave Hendrix
unveil the mural together.

After taking hundreds of hatchery photos, Mr. Jones created numerous paint, pencil, and watercolor studies. These works highlighted features of the hatchery that locals have come to recognize as characteristic of Neosho National Fish Hatchery. A couple noteworthy examples include the seahorse column at the hatchery entrance, the Cushman carts that are used by staff to get around the hatchery, and the new visitor center that faces 86 highway.

Hatchery staff pose with the artist holding the framed lithograph of
the painting that was given to the hatchery by First Community Bank.

Although the 8 weeks or more that it took Mr. Jones to complete the hatchery painting have come to an end, he has already begun another painting for the Goodman Branch of First Community Bank. An artist with a penchant for giving back and doing it locally, Mr. Jones hopes the media and attendees of the bank’s grand opening will help the fish hatchery and its Friends gain exposure. The artist would like his painting to garner financial and community support. He would like to see news of the hatchery painting in the state agency’s Missouri Conservationist magazine. At Mr. Jones’ prompting, First Community Bank agreed to have a lithograph of the painting framed and matted for Fish and Wildlife Service Region 3’s new main office building. To support the fish hatchery, he has made prints of the visitor center available for purchase in the hatchery gift shop. Mr. Jones kindly gave each member of the hatchery staff their own print. The seahorse study and a study of the seining crew will be available for viewing and purchase at The Grotto Fine Art Gallery in the Neosho square.

The artist at home painting the
study of the seining crew.

People like W. Jeffrey Jones ensure that the hatchery has a place in this community. By doing what he does best, Mr. Jones taught us what it means to be an advocate in our community. We are lucky to count him as a “Friend”, but consider him a friend as well. The momentum he has created with this hatchery painting continues. Luckily for us, he is not stopping anytime soon.

Photos from the June Fishing Derbies

2011-08-17T12:03:00.004-05:00

This year we held the annual Kid's Fishing Derby and Elderly and Handicapped Fishing Derby in the first two weeks of June. Thanks to our volunteers, Friends group, and staff, the events ran smoothly.

Who better than hatchery manager David Hendrix to show kids how to catch a rainbow?

Volunteer Jordan Shope, a YCC intern from summer 2010, removes a hook from a trout for a participant.

Toward the end of June, we held a special fishing derby for children 5-18 that were impacted by the tornado in Joplin. This third derby was an event hosted by the Sugar Creek Gobblers National Wild Turkey Federation Chapter. The hatchery Friends group, hatchery staff, staff from George Washington Carver National Monument and the Missouri Department of Conservation, additional Fish and Wildlife Service staff, YCC interns and volunteers came out to contribute to the cause. The Joplin public school buses donated their time and fuel to transport children from Joplin to Neosho.

Donations were brought in from across the United States for the day. Ice was donated for the fish cleaning station. A Blue Bunny ice cream trailer full of donated treats served popsicles and ice cream bars. Fresh snow cones were also served throughout the day. Lunch and drinks were also provided. Items given to each participant included t-shirts, sleeping bags, camping chairs, and fishing poles. Although it was a very hot summer day, children still came out to catch a rainbow.

A couple participants of the Tornado Fishing Derby.

These kids are proudly showing off the shirts that were donated for the big fishing event. The event was titled "Fishing for Rainbows".

Do the fish really like to eat these?!

Items given to each child that attended, including a brand new fishing pole.

The air rifle shooting range being utilized by attendees.

The Youth Conservation Corps of 2011

2011-08-17T11:15:00.008-05:00

Elizabeth, Austin and Sydney
(left to right) get started on the planting.

This summer, Neosho NFH was graced with four YCC interns. Our 17 year old YCC leader, Elizabeth Wood, was a returning intern from the year before. The new YCC interns for the year were Austin Drake, Sydney Isley, and Christian Neff. Austin and Christian, both 16, attend Neosho High School. Sydney, also 16, goes to East Newton High School. These interns worked with the hatchery biologists for 8 weeks. A typical work week involved three of the YCC accompanying biologists with routine fish culture duties. The fourth intern remained inside the visitor center, keeping it clean and manning the receptionist desk. The YCC interns rotated who would stay inside all week.

This year, the four high school students were able to participate in a unique project involving the drainage area by the new Visitor Center. This drainage area is an old pond that has been modified to fit the new visitor center parking lot and serve as a wetland pond. The hatchery hopes to attract native birds and insects to this future wetland pond by putting native plants in and around the standing water.

Thanks to the expertise of native plant expert and nursery owner Mervin Wallace from the Missouri Wildflowers Nursery in Jefferson City, we were advised on how best to start on this long-term project. He also was instrumental in deciding which plants would work best in and around the drainage area. As of now, we have purchased 106 plants from his nursery. We will call on his expertise again this fall since he recommended most of the plantings be done during the cooler temperatures.

Christian begins removing cattails.

Before anything could be planted, the dominant cattails had to be removed. The YCC crew made light work of this and were able to begin planting the same day. Over the course of a couple days, a total of 11 different plant species were dispersed in or around the pond. Submerged plant species included water canna, pickerel weed, water willow, lizard's tail, and water plantain. Along the water's edge and higher on the banks, we planted southern blue flag iris, copper iris, rose mallow, arrow arum, cup plant, and soft rush.

As with most outdoor duties, the project was made all the more challenging with the intensely high heat indices this summer. The crew worked hard, tried to maximize the cooler morning temperatures, and took frequent water breaks. Not only that, the pond area dried out after two weeks of the abnormally dry 100+ temperatures! We resorted to filling our fish cart with water and unloading it in the wetland pond five times a week. Although not all of the plants survived the severe heat, many of them have and are flowering. They are doing an excellent job attracting damselflies, dragonflies, bees, moths and butterflies. Being native to southwest Missouri, the plants have adapted well to the harsh conditions and we expect they will come back stronger next spring!

Butterflies feeding on the pickerel weed flowers.

Dragonfly on burhead, a self-established native wetland plant.

As for the YCC interns, their internship has ended and school has begun. Neosho NFH appreciates all the extra help that the YCC program has brought. We hope the lessons learned and knowledge gained here at the fish hatchery will carry them forward in their future careers.

Upcoming Fishing Derbies

2011-06-02T15:42:00.000-05:00

As always, both events are free. We do recommend bringing sun protection since both days are expected to be hot. Come prepared for a good time!

Kid's Fishing Derby
June 3rd
8:30am-3:00pm
An adult must be present to register the child(ren). We will provide lunch, plenty of water, and all fishing equipment needed.

Handicapped and Elderly Derby
June 10th
8:30am-1:00pm
Lunch is provided along with refreshments and all fishing gear.

Local Artist's Fine Art Prints for Sale

2011-04-19T10:00:00.001-05:00

We are increasingly impressed by the local talent that supports our fish hatchery. Over the course of a couple days, artist Jeffrey Jones observed and photographed the hatchery grounds and staff (his photos were used in the seining slideshow on this blog). The above photo is a print from one of his pieces centered around the Neosho National Fish Hatchery.

The piece was originally drawn in pencil by the local artist who had the drawing reproduced as a fine art print. The print is available in two sizes: 8 1/2 x 14" that sells for $20 and 13 x 19" that sells for $30 and can be purchased in the gift shop.

Sturgeon Identification | Missouri Department of Conservation

2011-03-29T12:47:00.004-05:00

Sturgeon Species MDC Of the three species of sturgeon found in Missouri, only the shovelnose is a legal game fish. The lake and pallid sturgeons are endangered species. Learn to tell the difference between the three.

Sturgeon ID Video Click on the video link to see how MDC fisheries biologist Craig Gemming describes some of the main physical characteristic differences between the pallid, shovelnose and lake sturgeon.

PEEP Spring Break Open House

2011-03-24T13:13:00.004-05:00

Copy of desk top sign

After this week, PEEP passports will still be available. If you are unable to visit any of these sites during spring break, inquire about obtaining a PEEP passport anyway. You can also print out one of your very own. Ask an adult to help you. Click on "PEEP Passport" below and download the document. Then print the PDF using the "Landscape" setting and front and back printing. The printed pages fold in half like a book. PEEP Passport

Seining the Rainbow Trout Ponds

2011-03-24T09:05:00.007-05:00

Seining and stocking sm 3-11

Much thanks to Jeff Jones for providing the photos!

Distinguishing Shovelnose from Pallid Sturgeon

2011-03-23T08:56:00.000-05:00

Taken from website: mdc.mo.gov/fish/sport/sturgeon/info/

Young pallid sturgeon and shovelnose sturgeon look very similar in appearance, having the same color and body shape. Many anglers and commercial fishermen often misidentify these two fish. The best way to distinguish pallid sturgeon from shovelnose sturgeon is to compare the barbels, belly and head length between the two species. The pallid sturgeon (above) has a) a longer snout and head than the shovelnose sturgeon; b) barbels that form a crescent-shaped line at their bases; c) barbels attached closer to the mouth than the tip of the snout; and d) a skin-like, scaleless belly. In addition, the inner two barbels are usually much thinner and shorter than the outer two barbels. Barbels are the long, tapering, cylindrical fleshy projections attached in front of the mouth that look similar to the barbels or "whiskers" on a catfish.

Jerry Christian, Former President of our Friends Group Will Be Missed

2011-03-21T11:32:00.003-05:00

(Photo taken from Neosho Daily News)

Our Friends of the Neosho National Fish Hatchery 2010 president Jerry Christian passed away on the morning of March 7th. He was a long time Friends group member, community supporter, and Neosho resident. Please click on the link to read more about his impact on the community.

http://www.neoshodailynews.com/features/x1777800880/In-memory-of-Jerry-Christian-Man-of-his-name

Click on the link to view photos of Jerry Christian as President of the Friends group: Grand Opening of New Visitor Center

Bald Eagle Nest at Fish and Wildlife Service's National Conservation Training Center

2011-03-17T12:49:00.003-05:00

Check the EagleCam hosted by the Outdoor Channel to see what the pair of nesting eagles are up to at any time. Spring is their busiest season!

EagleCam Outdoor Channel

Visitor Center Achieves LEED Gold Rating

2011-03-01T09:26:00.002-06:00

Find out how we achieved the Gold status according to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system: Going for the Gold

Visitor Center Gift Shop

2011-01-21T15:53:00.001-06:00

The hatchery gift shop, located in the new visitor center, is currently open Monday-Friday 10am-3:30pm, weather permitting. Because we have just opened and harsh winter weather is upon us, the gift shop may not be open when you visit. It is run strictly by volunteers. If in doubt of the gift shop's hours on the day you are planning to visit, please call the hatchery's main number 417-451-0554.

The gift shop features books about Missouri native flora and fauna and local history by local authors. The store carries handmade arts and crafts made by local artisans.

In Case You Missed The Big Day: Grand Opening Photos

2010-12-28T13:58:00.002-06:00

Please join us as we celebrate the grand opening of the Neosho National

Fish Hatchery state-of-the-art visitor center on Thursday, December 9,

2010.

News release:
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/News/release.cfm?rid=303

Images of the visitors center are available on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmidwest/sets/72157624984564801/

Freshwater Drum from Pond 20

2010-12-15T14:03:00.017-06:00

These freshwater drum were retrieved from Pond 20. The smaller fish in the video are thought to be at least four years old based on otolith aging techniques. They were given to Dr Chris Barnhart's lab for native mussel propagation at Missouri State University in Springfield, MO. Some of the bigger drum were placed in our aquarium tank in the new visitor center. They are thought to be at least 6.5 years old.

Mark Your Calendar!

2010-10-13T15:02:00.001-05:00

December 9th, 2010 is the Official Date of our Grand Opening Ceremony for the Visitor Center

Established in 1888, Neosho National Fish Hatchery in Neosho, Missouri, is the oldest operating federal fish hatchery in the nation. It contributes to endangered species recovery efforts and stocking in the Missouri River watershed.

The “Visitor Center” at Neosho NFH will encompass 9,500 square feet of floor space. It will include an audiovisual room for viewing videos and presentations/seminars; historic exhibits on the Hatchery and the railcar
era in fisheries; aquariums; an Ozark cavefish exhibit; a wet lab and a library; and an outdoor deck that will extend over hatchery Pond 11. The visitor center will also house much needed office space for the hatchery
staff and a bookstore that will be operated by the Friends of the Neosho National Fish Hatchery. The new visitor center is expected to increase hatchery visitation from 45,000 to more than 100,000 visitors annually.

The New Visitor Center: What's in it for you?

2010-09-28T15:48:00.013-05:00

This article is taken from The Joplin Globe. To view the full article, click on title of the post. Since this article was written, the grand opening of the Visitor Center has been postponed until sometime in December.

By Greg Grisolano news@joplinglobe.com

NEOSHO, Mo. — Workers are getting down to the final items on construction of a $4.6 million visitors center at the Neosho National Fish Hatchery. But hatchery director David Hendrix says finishing the building is only one part of the plan.

“Once (construction) is done, the exhibit contractors will come in and work their magic,” he said.

That “magic” is to include installing a 2,500-gallon freshwater aquarium, which Hendrix said will house several species of local sport fish.

“I call them ‘The Big Six,’ and they are the fish we work with right now: channel cat, paddlefish or spoonbill, endangered pallid sturgeon, largemouth and smallmouth bass, and rainbow trout,” he said.

Proposed features of the new center also include a book and souvenir shop, an exhibit hall with displays on the history of the hatchery, a display of artifacts, a training room with a wet lab, and video-viewing equipment. Office space is planned on the second floor. A new parking lot is planned for the northwest corner of the property, along with a wetlands area.

Hendrix said he hopes the 9,500-square-foot visitors center will be open by the end of September.

Construction on the center began last summer, after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service allocated an additional $1.7 million to complete the project.

Hendrix said the hatchery draws about 45,000 visitors annually. He said he expects that number to go to more than 100,000 once the center is built.

He said the center will help complete a triad of area improvements, along with the Wildcat Glades Conservation & Audubon Center in Joplin and improvements to George Washington Carver National Monument near Diamond.

“What we’re hoping to do is draw a lot of people to Southwest Missouri to experience our history and spend a little money,” he said.

“Southwest Missouri is family-oriented, and all these places are all park-like environments and family-oriented. We want people, when they think about where to go for the weekend that’s not costly, they will come to the fish hatchery.”

Pallid Sturgeon Tagging and Stocking

2010-08-20T16:00:00.001-05:00

In a matter of 2 days, we managed to tag, measure and record data for 5,331 pallid yearlings. There is no doubt that this was only made possible by the 28 sets of extra hands we had on station Aug 1-2. That's right, 28 people from 5 different stations and 4 different state or federal agencies showed up to help us get our sturgeon stocked. This included field and hatchery staff from Columbia Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, Missouri Department of Conservation's Chillicothe Field Station, MDC's Blind Pony State Fish Hatchery, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission from Lincoln, NE, and Columbia US Geological Survey.

First a PIT tag is injected into the side of the fish just below the dorsal fin.

The PIT tag is about the size of a grain of rice.

Next, the PIT tag is read by a PIT tag reader and the 10-digit alphanumeric code is recorded by one of our computers.

The length and weight of each fish is measured and recorded into our tagging program.
We set up four stations, each with a laptop and all the equipment necessary to complete the above tasks.

Some of the staff from the Columbia Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (excluding Rod, our Assistant Manager, 2nd from left)

Missouri Department of Conservation Staff (Other than Bruce Drecktrah, hatchery manager of Blind Pony State Fish Hatchery, the MDC staff in this picture are from the Chillicothe Field Office)

Some of the crew from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

US Geological Survey and Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office staff work together. Both groups drove down from their respective Columbia, MO offices.

The group helped our hatchery complete what would have taken our small staff weeks if not months to do. Thanks to them we already have all 5,331 of these fish stocked in the river. Our last group of sturgeon from this tagging session went out today! We hope to see the sturgeon again soon in future mark-recapture studies.

Fishing Derbies 2010

2010-08-20T14:45:00.000-05:00

Our Kids and Handicapped and Elderly Fishing Derbies happened in the second and third weeks of June, respectively. With excellent assistance from our Friends of Neosho National Fish Hatchery Group, our YCC, and many volunteers, the Kids Derby flowed very smoothly. Although a fraction of our usual fishing derby pond was off limits due to visitor center construction and cement was poured near the main parking lot just that morning, the Kids Fishing Derby was a success. We had over 220 children ages 7-12.

The Handicapped and Elderly Derby, held on Friday June 18th, attracted many excited participants. Although we did have some hot weather, the event was not shortened due to rain like last year's. Most participants reached their quota of 4 fish.

Youth Conservation Corps

2010-08-20T14:29:00.001-05:00

This spring and summer, we had the opportunity to work with three talented, smart high school interns through the Youth Conservation Corps Program. The program invites high school students ranging ages 15-18 to participate in an 8-week program with US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Forest Service or Department of Agriculture. While assisting federal agencies with much needed help on public lands, the YCC program provides youth an opportunity to comprehend and appreciate the natural environment and our precious resources.

Jordan Shope, 16, Elizabeth Wood, 16, and Dustin Smith, 16, smile as we celebrate the last day of their YCC internship with us. The three learned the true definition of a hatchery biologist. Whether it be feeding rainbow trout, cleaning their raceways, seining, splitting, stocking, or sample counting, they participated in everything. They also experienced a rare opportunity to work with endangered pallid sturgeon. The interns learned to split, scute remove, PIT tag, and sample count our pallid yearlings. They also fed and weighed the adult broodstock sturgeon.

Elizabeth, Dustin and Jordan shared a moment with Stuart Leon, the Division Chief of Fisheries for the United States.

To learn more about the YCC program or how you can get involved, check out:
http://www.fws.gov/letsgooutside/PDF/youth_fact_sheet_final.pdf

Killdeer Nesting

2010-04-05T13:05:00.001-05:00

Visitor Center Progress...

2009-12-30T14:21:00.024-06:00

Our contractor Crossland Construction is making great headway on our long-awaited visitor center!

August 6th: Clearing away residual clay from previous pond usage.

November 6th: Pouring the foundation

November 19th: Framing begins!

December 10th: Framing of 2nd story started!

December 23rd: Roof construction

January 5th: View of hatchery from the 2nd floor of Visitor's Center

February 17th

March 2nd: Lifting the domes onto the Visitor Center building

March 26: Siding mostly in place

April 28th, 2010: Exterior and interior paint almost complete, solar panels installed, almost all the metal roofing is done

Print out your own Fishing ABC's Coloring Book

2009-12-01T09:50:00.000-06:00

Learn the ABCs of Fishing! Click on the link below and scroll down the page until you can click on the coloring book icon like the one on the left. Print out front and back copies to conserve paper!

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/Kids/

Welcome Newcomers!!

2009-10-21T15:02:00.001-05:00

Within the last two weeks, the hatchery has received two new endangered adult pallid sturgeon! They were caught from the Missouri River and brought to us by Missouri Department of Conservation. We are delighted to have another male (sturgeon on the right) and female (sturgeon on left) to add to our group. Blood, ultrasound, and endoscopy work was completed on these two pallids and our other potential spawners today. We currently have a total of 9 females and 2 males, and have room for more adults. The newcomers make a fantastic addition to our broodstock collection, and we are eager to keep them happy and healthy for the spring spawning season.

View the slideshow below to see other photos from the day.

Book signing on tap for new hatchery book - Neosho, MO - Neosho Daily News

2009-10-15T11:04:00.001-05:00

Book signing on tap for new hatchery book - Neosho, MO - Neosho Daily News

Posted using ShareThis

If you would like to purchase a copy or would like additional information, please contact Kay Hively: rkhively@sbcglobal.net

Are you in 3rd, 4th, or 5th Grade? Are you interested in the environment?

2009-10-14T14:35:00.001-05:00

If the answer is YES, then you need a PEEP passport! If you enjoy being outside and like visiting local parks and nature centers, then you will love the PEEP passport program. Inside the pamphlet is a map of 8 environmental sites within the local area that you can visit with your family. Each site has it's very own page in your passport with questions, activities, and interesting information. Be sure to ask for a sticker or stamp when visiting each site! If you visit at least 6 out of the 8 sites in the passport, you'll receive a special patch with a Spring Peeper frog on it (just like the picture above)! Stop by the fish hatchery today and ask for one or print one out here: PEEP Passport

Set your page setup to "Landscape" and print front to back if possible.

Due to limited funding at this time, this program is only for 3rd-5th graders. We apologize for this but are unable to make any exceptions.

Pallid Sturgeon Update

2009-06-18T15:40:00.000-05:00

Returning Sturgeon to Their Native Habitat

The most satisfying part about raising endangered fish is being able to put them back into their native habitat. This June, Neosho staff has been extremely busy travelling to and from stocking sites. Our juveniles from the 2007 year class were taken to Bellevue, NE, Sloan Landing, IA, and Mulberry Bend, NE. The fish from the 2008 year class were stocked at four sites in four different states: Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota, and Nebraska. These pallids are just about to be released into the Missouri River at Sloan Landing, IA.

These two-year old and one-year old fish are the biggest pallids that we have ever raised from fry and stocked! These juveniles averaged 13.7 and 12 inches in length, respectively. Previously, we have stocked our pallids at 9 inches. We hope the 3,291 total pallids that were stocked are seen again in future mark-recapture studies.

These pallids are just about to be released into the Missouri River at Sloan Landing, IA.

At Bellevue, NE, the tanks are being tempered to ensure the fish adjust easily to the water temperature of the Missouri River.
These juveniles were loaded from our stocking trailer into a tank on a boat. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission staff from Lincoln, NE and Melissa Cheung from Neosho net the pallid juveniles out into their new home.

Tagging
Two of our partners from the Middle Basin Pallid Sturgeon Recovery Work Group visited our hatchery at the end of May to help us tag our two year classes of pallid sturgeon juveniles. Staff from Nebraska Game and Parks Commission out of Lincoln, NE and Missouri Department of Conservation staff from Chillicothe, MO helped the Neosho staff PIT tag, remove scutes, and record valuable tagging data. Rick Horton and Blake Stephens from the local Neosho Missouri Department of Conservation office also volunteered their time to assist. Their teamwork and efficient tagging greatly expedited our task of tagging over 3,100 fish. In fact, it is only because of their help that we completed all tagging in just two days!

Rick Horton records data into our tagging program.

Staff from Missouri Department of Conservation read PIT tags and record lengths and weights.

Just some of the fantastic crew from Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and Missouri Department of Conservation.

Pallid Sturgeon Fry

Our fry started hatching about a month ago. These fry pictured below are only 2 days old. Their bellies appear swollen because they are still absorbing their yolk sac.

These fry are about a month and a half old. They have begun foraging and have show clear signs of development. They are actively feeding on frozen brine shrimp which we grate into smaller pieces.

Recent Activities

2009-04-14T12:29:00.001-05:00

Check back with us next year for these events!

Elderly and Handicapped Fishing Derby
Friday, June 12
9am to 12pm
Senior citizens ages 65 and older are invited to attend.
All bait, fishing equipment, and lunch will be provided.

Kid's Fishing Clinic and Derby
Friday, June 5th
9am to 3:30pm
Ages 8-12
A guardian must be present at registration for each child(ren).
All bait, fishing equipment, and lunch will be provided. Safety glasses will be provided and must be worn while fishing.
Bring sun protection and come prepared for a good time!!

Open House
Sunday, April 19th
8am to 3pm

Thanks to all those that attended our Open House! Despite the rainy weather, we had a fantastic turn out! Missouri Department of Conservation succeeded in giving away hundreds of dogwood, redbud, and pine trees. Special thanks to Missouri Department of Conservation, our Friends of the Neosho National Fish Hatchery Group, the Master Gardners Club, the Monett Bee Club, the Rock Specialist, Tim's educational snake booth, and the many others that volunteered their time and talents!

Endangered Pallid Sturgeon

2009-03-12T14:54:00.000-05:00

Pallid Sturgeon Adults on Station

Adult endangered pallid sturgeon were captured from the Missouri River from October to April. They are kept in well water and fed rainbow trout fingerlings. These broodstock are caught by the Missouri Department of Conservation and US Fish and Wildlife Service, which are partners with us in the Middle Basin Pallid Sturgeon Recovery Work Group.

Determining Sturgeon Sexual Maturity

Our sturgeon were recently visited by Janice Bryan of US Geological Survey. Janice used ultrasound and endoscope technology to determine the gender of our adult endangered pallid sturgeon. She also examined their ovaries and testes to determine if the fish had developed any gametes. This is useful information for us, since pallid sturgeon do not reproduce every year. In the wild, it may take sexually mature females up to 5 years to produce eggs.
Endoscope Video

As is often the case with long-lived species, sturgeons take years to become sexually mature. Pallid sturgeon males become sexually mature after approximately 5-7 years. It can take pallid females 15-20 years before they are sexually mature.

Ultrasound Video

Pallid Juveniles on Station
Currently, we have one-year old and two-year old pallid juveniles on station. They originally started out as eggs that were hatched in the spring. We feed hatch brine shrimp to all our pallid sturgeon fry. Eventually, these fry grow large enough to eat larger food items. We then switch them to grated frozen adult brine shrimp, and later, whole frozen adult brine shrimp. They are currently growing about an inch per month.

Juvenile pallid sturgeon feeding on brine shrimp These sturgeon originated from adult pallid broodstock that were captured from the Missouri River and spawned at Blind Pony State Fish Hatchery in Sweet Springs, MO. This work is done in partnership with members of the Middle Basin Pallid Sturgeon Recovery Work Group.

Rainbow Trout

2009-02-18T21:37:00.001-06:00

Rainbow Trout Sac Fry Moved from Heat Tray to Tank

These sac fry have just hatched. They appear to be mostly orange because their yolk sacs have not been absorbed yet. The fry do not feed on trout diet until this orange yolk sac is completely absorbed. It appears that the sac fry are "raining down" because they are being poured into this tank and right onto the mesh screen (visible in the upper portion of the video screen). The mesh screen allows those sac fry that have hatched from their eggs to swim down to the tank bottom. Those sac fry that have not hatched out of their eggs remain on the screen until they either hatch or die. A biologist will then remove this tray after the majority of the sac fry have fallen through the mesh and settled on the tank bottom.