National Fish Hatchery

National Fish Hatchery. . , In 1940, the City of Austin procured and donated 30 acres of land at this site to the US Fish Commission to raise fish for stocking ponds and lakes. Pumps installed in the Colorado River fed irrigation ditches that filled 19 ponds used to raise bass, sunfish, and channel catfish. The fish were then transported by truck to lakes and farm/ranch ponds in 39 counties to "provide 100,000 days of healthful outdoor fishing for Americans of all ages." , Labor to build the ponds and buildings was provided by youths involved with the National Youth Administration Service (NYA) from 1940-42 with an average of 30 youths per period being supervised by skilled laborers employed by the Service. A report from 1941 states that "...the youth labor has consisted almost entirely of Mexicans and colored boys ....providing the Service with much labor without cost, the work has allowed the youths much work experience as well as financial gain.” The youth, who were based at the NYA Training Center at Inks Dam, also built furniture, painted signs, and installed the posts you see at the entrance that used to have beautiful bronze plaques on them. , The two structures on either side of the brick pond housed the Superintendent and the Fish Culturist. There was another building that served as a large office, feed room, workshop, and small lab. , Generations of tourists, school children and nearby neighbors toured the buildings to learn about the fish hatchery program. At the pond, looking slightly northeast, you can still see the large pipes and faucets that brought Colorado River water into the ponds and the concrete ramps used to load the trucks with fish. The hatchery operation closed sometime in the late 1960s. In 1968, with Lyndon Baines Johnson in the White House, the majority of the land was eventually given to a new non-profit, Austin Geriatrics Corporation, to build a model senior citizens independent living residential tower.