The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is announcing the temporary closure on Dec. 1 of the Kern River Hatchery in Kern County. The purpose of the closure is to complete much needed repairs so that, once reopened, the hatchery can serve as a recreational resource for visitors and produce Kern River rainbow trout for the sport fishing community.

“The Kern River Hatchery is the oldest state-owned and operated fish facility in Central California,” said CDFW Fisheries Program Manager Gerald Hatler. “It is an integral part of the community. Completing these repairs will ultimately allow us to develop a native fishery and operate a hatchery that serves Californians in a way that we haven’t realized at this facility before.”

The hatchery will be closed for an undetermined amount of time while CDFW secures additional funding and completes the repairs. The most needed repair will be replacement of a pipeline that is more than 50 years old and no longer adequately provides a reliable water supply for fish production. Several additional repairs and improvements will be made related to achieving an adequate water supply and a fully functioning facility.

The public can email kernriverupdates@wildlife.ca.gov to provide feedback, ask questions or to be included in future updates.

Media Contacts:

Ken Paglia, CDFW Communications, (916) 825-7120

Gerald Hatler, CDFW Fisheries Program Manager, (559) 341-1814