The Fish Hatchery Production Plan was mandated by the Central Utah Project Completion Act (CUPCA Section 313(c)) to identify long-term needs and management objectives for hatchery production. The Central Utah Project and other reclamation projects created many reservoirs in Utah. These flatwater areas provide a variety of water-related recreation opportunities including fishing. Most reservoir fisheries are heavily used and not able to sustain themselves through natural recruitment, requiring management programs dependent on stocking hatchery-reared fish. Fish stocking demands in Utah for reclamation projects have been met in the past through both State and Federal hatcheries. CUPCA identified funding to plan and implement improvements to existing hatcheries and/or to develop new fish hatcheries to increase production of warm-water and cold-water fish for areas affected by the Colorado River Storage Project in Utah.

A plan was developed in 1995 and revised in 1998 that describes Mitigation Commission-funded hatchery improvements in Utah over the next ten years. The planning process considered the need for hatchery improvements, types of fish to be raised, effects on native species from stocking fish and budget and scheduling of implementation. Through the planning process, the need to develop facilities for producing sensitive species, such as native cutthroat trout and threatened or endangered species, has also been addressed. The Plan was revised by a Hatchery Workgroup, incorporating Mitigation and Conservation Plan priorities, feasibility report information, stocking assessment report results and Utah Division of Wildlife Resources stocking policy. An Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact was released in April of 1998.

Implementing the Plan includes:

• Reconstructing Kamas State Fish Hatchery, a cold water hatchery (completed)
• Reconstructing Whiterocks State Fish Hatchery, a cold water hatchery (completed)
• Constructing a new hatchery at Fountain Green (completed)
• Constructing a new cold water hatchery at Big Springs (completed)
• Constructing a new warm water hatchery and an interim warm water hatchery (partially complete)
• Writing State and Tribal stocking policies
• Including information and education components at all facilities
• Considering the use of streamside hatching units