As a former manager of the Hotchkiss National Fish Hatchery I would like to reply to Larry Head's letter concerning the renovations of the hatchery being a waste of taxpayers dollars.
Mr. Head is both right and wrong in his evaluation of the situation. In a natural setting where humans are not involved, the waste products from fish and wildlife are broken down, utilized by plants, etc. and nature stays in balance. By adding a fish hatchery to the river system and not removing the waste in some way, you are adding massive amounts of urine and feces, phosphates, nitrates, etc. to the water on a daily basis. The river system has to break down this material, and to some extent it helps by fertilizing the water, causing plant, invertebrate and insect life to flourish.
But there is always the detrimental side which can and will result in lower oxygen levels and undesirable organisms to take over. Fish and other aquatic animals will leave the area seeking a more hospitable environment.
In some areas of the U.S., aquatic life no longer existed where effluent was dumped into rivers and streams. Federal and state agencies started cleaning up fish hatcheries in the late 1960's. We can no longer just flush waste products into the rivers as a means of disposal. But thanks for raising the issue Mr. Head, this is a case where the government is protecting us from ourselves, and the money is being well spent.
Neal A. Ward
Delta, CO
