NATCHITOCHES, La. (This Week in Louisiana Agriculture) — A place many Louisiana residents remember from school field trips is now playing a much larger role in wildlife conservation. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery focuses on restoring endangered species and managing interjurisdictional fish.
The warm-water facility also includes 53 one-acre ponds and an aquarium with alligator snapping turtles.
Project Leader Brett Hortman says the turtles are being raised at the hatchery to help repopulate the state using funding tied to an oil spill recovery effort from 10 years ago: “After litigation from the oil spill, the company paid for the recovery. We’ve raised 600 alligator snapping turtles for this project that will be stocked back in Northern Louisiana.”
The alligator snapping turtles are just one of the hatchery’s many projects. The hatchery also works with the state to help stock ponds with commercial species like bass and bluegill.
Officials say that as the hatchery’s mission has expanded, existing facilities have been adapted for new projects, helping save both time and taxpayer dollars.
The Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery aquarium is the only national fish hatchery in Louisiana and is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
