HATCHERY REQUIREMENTS 33 



If earthen ponds are being considered, sandy or gravel soils should be 

 avoided. Soils that compact well should be considered where concrete 

 structures are proposed. 



Hatchery labor is an expensive item in rearing fish and good hatchery 

 design, including use of mechanized equipment, can eliminate a large per- 

 centage of the labor. 



Many items of equipment are available today that can dramatically 

 reduce hand labor in the fish hatchery. Consideration should be given for 

 automatic feeding, loading and unloading fish, transporting fish between 

 fish rearing units and access to rearing units with vehicles and motorized 

 equipment. As an example, raceways can be designed so that vehicles have 

 access to all points in the facility. Raceways built in pairs provide a road- 

 way on each side so that vehicle- drawn feeding equipment can be utilized. 



A suitable hatchery site should include sufficient land area for potential 

 expansion of the facilities. Hatchery planners often overestimate the pro- 

 duction capacity of the water supply and underestimate the facility 

 requirements. 



Buildings 



The principal buildings of a fish hatchery include an office area for record- 

 keeping, a hatchery building, garages to protect equipment and vehicles, a 

 shop building to construct and repair equipment, crew facilities and a lab- 

 oratory for examining fish and conducting water analyses. 



The hatchery building should include facilities for egg incubation and 

 fry and fingerling rearing and tanks for holding warmwater pond- reared 

 fish prior to shipment. Storage facilities must also be considered for feed, 

 which may require refrigeration. Separate facilities should also be provided 

 for chemical storage. A truck driveway through the center or along one 

 side of building is convenient for loading and unloading fish. Primary con- 

 sideration should be given to the design and location of buildings and 

 storage areas to create a convenient and labor saving operation. 



Table 4 provides a summary of suggested standards for fish hatchery site 

 selection and water requirements along with hatchery design criteria. 



