New stream triples length of original creek
FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 26, 2016) — The new Hatchery Creek below the Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery and Lake Cumberland in Russell County will be dedicated on Friday at 2 p.m.
The new stream winds through woods and wetlands for more than 6,000 feet. It flows 18 million gallons of water daily, occasionally splitting into multiple channels. It includes a variety of stream flow velocities, depths, habitat types and temperature gradients that benefit aquatic life, especially trout. The streams will interest all fish and wildlife enthusiasts. Wetlands and riparian habitats attract a wide variety of wildlife.
“It’s going to be a challenging stream to fish,” said Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Fisheries Division assistant director Mike Hardin. “Anglers will find deep water in some places that likely will eclipse their wader tops. But their efforts have a great chance of being rewarded with larger, river-run fish.”
The stream loses 30 feet of elevation along its last 500 feet before flowing in the Cumberland River tailwater. Designers created a series of step pools along this stretch to allow trout from the river to migrate into the stream.
The new stream more than tripled the length of the original Hatchery Creek. The original creek, which flowed through an eroded gully, polluted the Cumberland River with sediment and affected the nearby Kendall Campground. The new Hatchery Creek is designed to
The Kentucky Wetland and Stream Mitigation Program, sponsored by Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, funded design and construction of the new stream. The project required no state General Fund or fishing license dollars.
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