DWR outlines hatchery optimization plan; Loa facility slated to begin stocking by fall 2028

Division of Wildlife Resources staff presented a strategic, multi-year hatchery optimization and implementation plan that identifies capacity constraints, disease and biosecurity risks, water-quality limitations and workforce needs across the state hatchery system. The plan packages actionable steps (broodstock review, biosecurity practices, selective strain imports and infrastructure upgrades) to increase flexibility and reduce outbreak risk across the network of hatcheries.

Staff said key drivers include invasive species and pathogens (e.g., problematic mud snails and fish-health issues), rising feed and operating costs, and limitations on water and infrastructure at some stations. The plan describes using the Loa hatchery as a flexibility resource — allowing managers to move or stage fish while other stations are cleaned or upgraded — and flagged specific broodstock actions (for example, importing Arlee rainbow trout from Montana and replacing some broodlines with alternate strains where appropriate).

DWR staff emphasized the plan is not a single-year change but a phased, 30-year implementation with annual tasks that include outreach to anglers, monitoring, and hatchery optimization. Staff told the council that Loa should have fish on station next year and that stocking from Loa is currently planned for fall 2028.

The presentation stressed that hatchery actions will be paired with outreach and regulation choices to preserve angler opportunities while addressing long-term sustainability of stocking operations. Staff framed the effort as an attempt to maintain angler satisfaction and the productivity of key waters without continuing to rely solely on increasing hatchery outputs.