Overview: Harrietta State Fish Hatchery is the Michigan's oldest operating state fish hatchery and was first opened in 1901. It is a major rearing facility for rainbow (mostly for inland waters) and brown trout (both inland and Great Lakes waters). The current facility was completely renovated in 1979 with minor improvements made in 1994 and 1999. The current rearing facility uses only well water and has both indoor and outdoor rearing facilities. The facility includes an interpretive area (renovated in spring of 2003) that focuses on watershed dynamics and the role that hatcheries play in their management.

Location: 6801 West 30 Road, Harrietta, MI 49638

Photo 1. Harrietta State Fish Hatchery

Driving Directions: The hatchery is located on 30 Road about 18 miles west of Cadillac, MI and 1 mile west of Harrietta, MI.

From Cadillac: Take M 115 north to the road to Boon (No. 32 Road) and continue follow main road to hatchery through Boon and Harrietta.

From Mesick: Take M 37 south to No. 30 Road then go east to the hatchery (about 2.5 miles).

We are located a short drive from Mitchell State Park and Caberfae Ski Area as well as some of Michigan's best trout waters such as Pine River, Manistee River, Pere Marquette River and many smaller high quality streams.

Map:

Telephone: (231) 389-2211

Hatchery Manager: Edward Eisch (Stationed at Oden Hatchery)

Hatchery Biologist: Jon Jackoviak

Year Opened: Originally opened in 1901; rededicated after renovations in 1979.

Photo 2. Harrietta State Fish Hatchery main hatchery building in January 17, 1918.

Photo 3. Harrietta State Fish Hatchery main hatchery building in 1928.

Renovation History: Harrietta State Fish Hatchery was re-opened in 1979 after undergoing a total renovation. The major change in the facility was the switch from using a combination of springs and surface water (Slagle Creek) to only well water. A few of the springs are currently piped in for use in the outdoor raceways but do not contribute significantly to flow. The switch to well water also made it necessary to design a degassing and aeration system as the well water comes out of the ground with virtually no dissolved oxygen and supersaturated with nitrogen.

Photo 4. Harrietta State Fish Hatchery aerial view taken in 1978.

Since 1979, the only major construction activities that have taken place was the addition of an enclosure built over the raceways, which was completed in 1994 and effluent pond improvements, which were completed in 1999.

Photo 5. Harrietta State Fish Hatchery showing new effluent pond and raceway covers, taken in 2001.

The new outdoor raceway covers keep predators (great blue herons, possums, raccoons, mink, etc) out of the raceways, which reduces the chances of infectious disease outbreaks. They keep fish out of direct sunlight which reduces stress, improves fish quality and decreases fish wastes by improving food use. For example, ultraviolet radiation has been proven to cause cataracts in rainbow trout which clearly reduce their ability to survive after stocking.

As part of the most recent capitol outlay project to upgrade Michigan's hatcheries, the effluent treatment pond was dredged and lined with sheet piling. This greatly improved our wastewater treatment by increasing settling time and will reduce discharges of phosphorus from this site to Slagle Creek.

The new Great Lakes Ecological Information Center at this hatchery will provide visitors with watershed and hatchery information. This interpretative area includes indoor and outdoor exhibits, and a stream interpretative trail. The interpretative focus is on the role of headwater streams in Great Lakes watersheds and how the hatchery operates. The project was primarily funded by the Great Lakes Fishery Trust (www.glft.org) with some funding from the Department of Natural Resources. Michigan State University provided the engineering and design work for the interpretive improvements.

Production water: The water supply for this facility is ground water from four 16-inch wells. Depending on the time of year the water flow ranges between 2.7 million and 5.0 million gallons per day. Water temperature is constant year round at 46.0 degrees Fahrenheit.

Hatchery Staffing: Facility staffing includes the Hatchery Manager, secretary and Maintenance Supervisor, all of which split their duties among the three NLP hatcheries, one Hatchery Biologist, three Fisheries Technicians, one Maintenance Mechanic and one Trades Helper.

Broodstock: Broodstock are fish held in captivity to allow us to easily obtain eggs and sperm. No broodstock are maintained at this hatchery. All eggs for fish reared at Harrietta are obtained from broodstock that are maintained at Oden State Fish Hatchery near Petoskey.

Management Role: This facility produces brown and rainbow trout for both inland and Great Lakes waters.

Areas of interest to the public: Harrietta State Fish Hatchery's interpretive area has a self-guided outdoor trail system that appeals to many different areas of interest from some old hatchery construction to information on ecosystems and the roll hatcheries play in ecosystem management. The indoor interpretative room provides information on the Big Manistee watershed, your connections to the Great Lakes, the operation of the hatchery including an indoor tank room viewing window, and an interactive computer with hands on learning opportunities concerning our watersheds and other aspects of fish culture.

Harrietta Hatchery is located on 160 acres of very hilly state land. The area is a mix of conifers and hardwoods. There is a wealth of groundwater in the area as is evidenced by the many springs scattered through the hills. The property is bordered on the east and west by private property, but it backs up to thousands of acres of federal property in the Manistee National Forest on the south. Visitors are welcome to wander the hills, but access is limited to walk in only, as we cannot risk having access to our wells blocked by parked cars.

Hatchery Hours: The hatchery is open at no charge to the public. Visitor hours are weekdays from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm and weekends from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. For more information or to schedule group tours contact Jon Jackoviak at (231) 389-2211.