U.S.
Fish & Wildlife Service
Neosho National Fish Hatchery Newsletter
Current Events in Fish
Production
Sharing the Wealth
Missouri Department of
Conservation’s Roaring River
Trout Park serves as a valuable
source of recreation and revenue
to visitors all over the country.
The trout park relies on the
adjoining state hatchery for its
rainbow trout supply. Due to
recent shortcomings, Roaring
River State Hatchery called on us
twice this month to share our
surplus fish. Fortunate to be able
to answer their call, Neosho
donated 4,500 rainbows averaging
3.7 inches in length and 17,800
rainbows averaging 2.5 inches.
We hope their production will
continue to improve, and were
glad to be of assistance.
Roaring River’s staff arrives to pick
up our surplus fish.
Making Us Proud
Despite fluctuating temperatures
typical of our winters here in
Neosho, MO, we have tried to
maintain stable conditions for our
endangered pallid sturgeon. The
building in which our youngest
sturgeon are held only receives
spring water, which can drop to
freezing temperatures without
heat. To boost growth and trigger
active feeding, we heat all nine
January 2009
tanks holding our young of the
year. These 2,227 pallids
currently average 7.5 inches in
length and enjoy an average
temperature of 69°F regardless of
the ice/rain/wind outside.
The pallid juveniles are fed using the
feed association method.
The 1,100 pallids on station from
the 2007 spawning season are also
experiencing relatively consistent
growth. These larger juveniles are
12.5 inches in length on average.
Supplied only well water, the
tanks holding these older pallids
remain unheated since our well
water temperatures remain mild
throughout the year, occasionally
dropping to 49°F at their coldest.
Community Activities
Emergency Assistance!
This month, Assistant Manager
Rod May and Terry Cook of
Missouri Department of
Conservation’s Forestry Office
shared ideas on how to convert the
property surrounding the
hatchery’s springs into a
discovery area for environmental
education. While surveying the
property, Terry received a call to
investigate a wildfire that was
burning city property. Due to the
urgency of the call, they
immediately drove to the scene of
the fire. Because additional fires
had also spread in other areas of
Neosho, this wildfire was severely
understaffed. Rod and Terry
managed to hold back the fire
until a heavy equipment operator
arrived on the scene with a dozer.
The operator took control of the
rescue effort by creating a fire line
around the area that was still
aflame.
Although this is not typically part
of his current job description, Rod
received basic and advanced fire
training while beginning his
career in the Refuges and Wildlife
Division of the US Fish and
Wildlife Service. He was
classified as a federal firefighter.
-Rod May
Hatchery Improvements
Just in Case
After much anticipation, we
finally have a back-up generator
in place for our new sturgeon
building. Its function is to supply
back-up support to our well water
and keep our walk-in freezer in
operation during a power outage.
The automatic start-up feature
eliminates the need for staff to be
on-scene in an emergency, which
saves us time.
Generator is ready in case of an
emergency.
The generator is a diesel 235KW
3 Phase 480vt “big green

Neosho National Fish Hatchery Newsletter
machine”. We installed a cover
and fuel tank to keep inclement
weather at bay. Within a week or
two, the initial start-up will take
place to ensure that everything is
in working order.
-Jeff Messens
Staff Meetings and Training
Showing the Ropes
Assistant Manager Rod May and
Lead Biologist Jaime Pacheco
gave a demonstration on truck
disinfection at the Missouri
Aquaculture Bio-security
Workshop in Jefferson City. The
85 attendees to the workshop
included staff from the Missouri
Department of Conservation,
USDA, Lincoln University, and
private fish farms. The event
covered the basics on fish health,
farm inspections and
certifications, invasive species
prevention, and trans-state fish
shipping policies.
Jaime Pacheco shares how we
disinfect a distribution unit.
Neosho staff had the opportunity
to demonstrated the how’s and
why’s of our fish health
prevention protocol and HACCP
plans. Staff showed how to
maintain a disease-free
environment by disinfecting
stocking equipment and
distribution units. Details on the
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
January 2009
disinfection materials needed and
how they can be obtained were
also shared.
The workshop allowed us to rub
elbows with members of the
aquaculture field in Missouri. It
also reiterated the importance of
doing everything we can to
prevent the introduction and
spread of invasive species.
-Jaime Pacheco Sturgeon meeting attendees shared
updated information.
Keeping Our Books in Order
Administrative Technician -Dave Hendrix
Heather Williams attended the
Financial Fundamentals for
Administrative Professionals in
Shepherdstown, WV this month.
The course consisted of learning
Federal Financial System budget
allocation, appropriations and
limits of funding types as well as
other financial topics. After
attending this training and
completing the corresponding
exam, Heather plans to return to
the National Conservation
Training Center to attend the
second portion of this training
series, Financial Transaction
Processing.
-Heather Williams
Sturgeon Work Continues…
This month, hatchery manager
David Hendrix and assistant
manager Rod May attended the
Middle Basin Pallid Sturgeon
Unless otherwise stated, articles are
Work Group winter meeting in
written, edited, and assembled by
Blue Springs, MO. Held at the Melissa Cheung.
Burr Oak Woods Conservation
Nature Center, the meeting
brought together biologists,
resource managers, and interest Please feel free to visit us at
groups across four states and 11 520 E Park Street, Neosho, MO
agencies and universities. The 64850.
meeting focused on all aspects of
pallid sturgeon recovery progress Have questions? Call us at
and planning. 417-451-0554.