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Hurricane Helene Devastates Trout Hatchery in North Carolina

Approximately 600,000 trout raised by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission perished at a hatchery in McDowell County as a result of the severe weather conditions created by Hurricane Helene, according to reports from the agency.

Heavy rainfall led to landslides and flooding surrounding the Armstrong State Fish Hatchery located north of Marion, severely affecting the water quality within the facility’s raceways and hatchery building. Officials have stated that “extensive repairs” will be necessary to restore the facility, with ongoing evaluations of the overall damage.

“We lost the facility. The facility’s going to need to be rebuilt, but we lost not only this year’s fish but next year’s fish, too,” said Corey Oakley, assistant chief of the Wildlife Resources Commission’s Fisheries Management Program.

The Armstrong Hatchery plays a crucial role in stocking trout across an 11-county region in Western North Carolina, typically producing 20% to 30% of the state’s annual trout stock, as noted by Oakley. However, with the recent damage, a reduction in the number of trout available for stocking is anticipated, though the specific extent of the impact remains unclear.

This facility houses 36 raceways, which ordinarily receive cold, clear water from the Armstrong Creek watershed. Here, the Wildlife Resources Commission cultivates various trout species, including brook, brown, and rainbow trout.

During the hurricane’s impact, Armstrong Creek experienced significant flooding, resulting in the destruction of vital pipes that supplied water to the raceways. The flooding damaged or completely washed away these water delivery systems, which are essential for the functioning of the hatchery, according to Oakley.

The majority of the destruction occurred within a short time frame amid the storm, also leading to the loss of over a mile of roads traversing the facility near the creek.

“What we ended up with in the raceways was either no flowing water because the raceways were high and dry due to the broken pipes or we had raceways that had muddy water entering the system,” Oakley explained. Both scenarios proved detrimental to the fish, which require clean, oxygenated water to survive.

As a result, most of the trout being raised at Armstrong succumbed to the adverse conditions within the raceways. Plans are in place to eventually remove and properly dispose of the deceased fish.

Fish typically take about two years to grow to a size suitable for release into the wild. At the time Hurricane Helene hit, there were trout of various sizes at the hatchery, ranging from a couple of inches to up to 14 inches long. Some of these fish were expected to be stocked this fall, while others were on track for spring and fall releases in the following year.

“We lost a whole production system, basically. We didn’t just lose right now,” Oakley commented.

Despite the challenges faced, Oakley expressed a degree of optimism regarding the future of wild trout populations in Western North Carolina. The flooding resulted in the scouring of creeks and rivers, which has the potential to create favorable rocky habitats with minimal silt—conditions that are beneficial for trout growth. Oakley anticipates that these new habitats could yield a robust trout spawn in the coming years.

“In a year to two years we probably will have a really great trout spawn in our mountain region,” he said.

The economic ramifications of trout fishing in Western North Carolina are significant, contributing an estimated $1.38 billion annually, according to a Wildlife Resources Commission report released last year. The report concluded that around 370,000 individuals participated in trout fishing in North Carolina in 2022, with average anglers making nine fishing excursions each.

In response to the hatchery disaster, the Wildlife Resources Commission is postponing a planned renovation project at the Setzer State Fish Hatchery, originally slated for 2025. This decision allows for a focus on restoring operations at the Armstrong Hatchery first, as noted in a press release by commission spokeswoman Fairley Mahlum.

Oakley estimates that the work necessary to repair the damaged pipes, roads, and water oxygenation systems at the Armstrong Hatchery could take between 12 and 18 months, depending on the availability of labor.

Once the facility is restored, trout will be reintroduced into the raceways, where they will need time to adjust to the water conditions. The staff aims to create a familiar environment to reduce fish stress, which is critical for increasing spawning success.

“It’s a years-long process,” Oakley explained, emphasizing the length of time required to rebuild the hatchery’s production capabilities.

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