Should Money Be Spent On A Put-and-take Trout Lake?

[brownieman]

The newest MDC warmwater hatchery is Lost Valley at Warsaw...it's my understanding that the hatchery is pretty much a total flop.

The corp wouldn't let them use Trumans water and the wells at the hatchery are pumped out, underground water table issues, residents wells being affected, numerous problems.

If this is the case what was suppose to be such a great warmwater hatchery has ended up literally wasting millions of tax dollars. All fish have their place but IMO smallies are in dire need of help, just based on the decline I've seen over the years. Some streams may be holding their own but the ones I have fished...it's just not the same seems to me. In most rivers the natives are just on their own.

IMO if this is indeed the case it's sure a shame.

later on

[Chief Grey Bear]

Lost Valley Fish Hatchery

Driving Directions

Located east of Highway 65 on County Road 620, northeast of Warsaw.

Highlights

The area is mostly old fields with some forest. Facilities/features: hatchery, nature center, numerous fishless ponds, and permanent stream (Sterret Creek).

About This Area

The Lost Valley Fish Hatchery is the largest state owned, warmwater hatchery in Missouri and one of the largest in the nation. It is located east of Highway 65 on County Road 620, northeast of Warsaw.

The hatchery building houses a 2,000 square foot visitor center, where visitors can learn more about warmwater fish culture, fishing, and the Missouri Department of Conservation's role in aquatic resource management. Visitors may view the hatchery production room from 2 large windows inside the visitor center. The center is open year-round and admission is free. The facility also contains 78 rearing ponds totaling 68.3 acres, as well as a 10-acre ambient temperature pond.

Lost Valley Hatchery rears a variety of fish species including walleye, muskellunge, channel catfish, largemouth bass, striped and hybrid bass, bluegill and hybrid sunfish. The facility is being used to research propagation methods for endangered fish, as well as for native freshwater mussels. Fish raised at the hatchery are used to stock public and private waters throughout Missouri.

Construction began in 1997 as a project of the Missouri Department of Conservation. 75% of the $19 million construction cost was funded by the Sport Fish Restoration Act, which places a federal excise tax on such items as boat motors, fishing tackle, and boat fuel. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service distributes these funds among the states according to the number of fishing permits sold and the amount of land and water. These funds are approved for projects that augment sport fish restoration. To that end, Lost Valley Hatchery is the largest project funded by the Sport Fish Restoration Act in the nation.

The Lost Valley Fish Hatchery and Visitor Center is situated on 971 acres in the Leigh flats area east of Truman Lake. Visitors walking through the hatchery grounds can experience a variety of natural settings from prairie areas to Missouri glades. A section of Sterett Creek runs through this valley. It supports native fish, as well as aquatic invertebrates like crayfish, mayflies and dragonflies.

The hatchery grounds support a diversity of plant life. There are plentiful cedar stands with mixed hardwoods in a forested section where plants like fragrant sumac, violets and star grass are plentiful. Two natural glades are home to native wildflowers, including purple coneflower, Indian paintbrush, fringed puccoon, prickly pear cactus, and feverfew.

Wildlife is frequently seen on the area. The glades are prime locations to see tarantulas, lizards, and scorpions. Uncut timber provides ideal habitat for white-tailed deer and turkey, and even bobcats.

Bird species are plentiful, including eastern bluebirds and indigo buntings. Great blue herons, green herons, and belted kingfishers are also frequently seen. Winter bird visitors include bald eagles and gulls.

Waterfowl use both the detention ponds on the hatchery grounds and a wetland area created from a borrow pit. Ongoing development includes a birding blind, picnic areas, interpretative trails, food plots and native wildflower gardens, as well as bank fishing access to Lake of the Ozarks.

[ness]

This only goes to show there are all kinds of people, anglers with different opinions and we all have our favorite fishing holes with our favorite fish and we get to fish for these fish in a free country. And they're pretty good fishing holes too!

Praise God for that!

But it's not enough!!!

Just kidding, of course. It's often overlooked because we're so used to it. But we have it really good here.

A friend of mine was an ex-pat in England for a few years, and he came back with a lot of stories about how different things are over there. One of them that sticks in my mind is that, in his words, 'everything is owned by somebody'. So, fishing or hunting opportunities are extremely difficult to come by. Public land is rare and under a great deal of pressure. The landed gentry control most of the good stuff.

Turning back to Missouri, no, MDC doesn't get it right all the time. But overall, they do an excellent job and we should be thankful for what we've got.

That said, let the grumbling continue.

[ozark trout fisher]

This only goes to show there are all kinds of people, anglers with different opinions and we all have our favorite fishing holes with our favorite fish and we get to fish for these fish in a free country. And they're pretty good fishing holes too!

Praise God for that!

You're right.... Honestly, I'll admit that I just read that the MDC isn't funding this.... I should have read the whole thread before I began my session of rant session. I had just assumed that they were funding it, and it does change things now that I see that it's private money going into this. I guess it just shows what assuming does LOL

I guess it just kinda to each their own. I personally prefer to fish the creeks and rivers that are undammed, because I really like to be fishing in a natural setting. But you all do have some big fish down there,

Anyway, I'm done with this for the time being

[Wayne SW/MO]

All fish have their place but IMO smallies are in dire need of help,

I agree, but evidence indicates that stocking doesn't work, and they certainly don't need more attention in the form of access and failed stockings. Stream habitat would help, but in light of environmental changes protection is probably going be the most bang for the buck. If we continue wet years and the aquifer makes some recovery then the transfer of some fish through egg collection might pay dividends. They do it with Walleye, so they have the expertise.

As ar as putting more money into Smallies, I'm against it at this time. More money means more exposure and the population can't handle that in my opinion. I'm happy that many bank bound fishermen have trout to pursue, keeps them off of the Smallie waters

[eric1978]

Man, I got way off subject. Should money be spent on a put and take tout lake? Heck no!!

Hey Eric, how did that new rod turn out???

The whole set up is great and I'm really happy with it...now if I could just cast the thing correctly...

Should money be spent on a put and take trout lake? Depends!

[Gavin]

Eric, you might want to head over to Hargroves tomorrow and try to round up a casting lesson. First Saturday in December is Tom's annual Xmas party...Should be plenty of food, drink, & a band. I'll be up there for a bit. Cheers.

[Phil Lilley]

K- got a reply from Clint Hale, hatchery manager.

Trout Stamps. I got it really, really wrong.

In 2008 the price was $1.376 per trout raised. This represents the average per fish and not per pound.

Historically, the trout program has been self sustaining due to the income from daily tags and yearly trout fishing permits. Recently, this has not been the case. The total income from tags and permits in 2008 totaled $1,851,803.38. The total expenditure to produce trout in 2008 totaled $2,219,332.97.

Trout and money from Feds vs State-

Everything Shepherd stocks is paid by MDC. 700,000 trout and 10,000 brown trout are stocked annually into Taneycomo. Shepherd stocks 475,000 rainbows and 10,000 browns and Neosho stocks 225,000 annually. The largest portion of the commitment comes from Shepherd and is MDC funded.

Taneycomo is labeled as an imperiled stream. That is the reason for the trout hatchery being built and federal mitigation when the warm water stream was eliminated by the dam.

[fiveweight]

Thanks for checking on that Lilly. Now if you could only tell me how much the owner of China 1 Buffet pays per pound of crab legs I'd know how much I need to eat to get my money's worth

Seriously though, it's great to hear the program is typically self sustaining.

[fishinwrench]

K- got a reply from Clint Hale, hatchery manager.

Everything Shepherd stocks is paid by MDC. 700,000 trout and 10,000 brown trout are stocked annually into Taneycomo. Shepherd stocks 475,000 rainbows and 10,000 browns and Neosho stocks 225,000 annually. The largest portion of the commitment comes from Shepherd and is MDC funded.

Wow, I wish we could have a slightly larger sliver of that kinda stocking...for the trout holding portion of the Niangua.

What that would do for the area would be amazing.