Water woes at Maryland trout hatchery prompt seismic probe

Associated Press//February 15, 2017//

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HAGERSTOWN — Maryland fishery managers say they’re looking for a geological explanation for a historic drop in the flow rate of a spring that feeds the state’s largest trout hatchery.

The Department of Natural Resources said in a statement Tuesday it’s using a seismometer to determine if underground activity is affecting the spring at the Albert Powell Hatchery near Hagerstown.

The agency says the flow rate from November through January reached a record low, and the water became silty twice in December and January.

The agency says it’s stocking some rainbow trout in waterways earlier than expected to reduce the density of fish at the hatchery.

The department also says it plans to reduce trout stocking next year. The agency says it’s working on a system to re-use hatchery water.

Tags: Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Albert Powell Hatchery

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