![Collecting spawning Rainbow Trout from Hazeltine Creek. This was a challenge as the new fish habitat was vast and the fish had lots of places to hide! [May 2018]](https://www.mountpolley.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/collecting-spawning-rainbow-trout.jpg)
After the spill, a population monitoring program on Polley Lake indicated there had probably been a reduction in the age class of the population of Rainbow Trout (as upper Hazeltine Creek was the main spawning area for these trout). There was spawning observed in Frypan Creek at the north end of Polley Lake, however it was noted to be a much smaller habitat. The Mount Polley Environmental Team (MPET) recognized it was important to allow the fish to spawn in Hazeltine Creek, but the Habitat Remediation Working Group (HRWG) had concerns whether the spawn in the reconstructed Hazeltine Creek would be successful.
The MPET developed a backup plan. With guidance provided by Minnow Environmental and David Petkovich (Aqua-culturist), over 11,000 Rainbow Trout fry were raised in an on-site fish hatchery in spring 2018. Eggs were harvested and fertilized from some of the local Rainbow Trout that had returned to upper Hazeltine Creek to spawn.
The fertilized eggs were incubated in trays so temperature, flow and dissolved oxygen levels could be regularly monitored. Water intake was sourced from below the thermocline in Polley Lake in order to maintain cooler water temperatures.
![Egg trays in Mount Polley on-site Rainbow Trout hatchery [2018]](https://mountpolley.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/egg-trays-rainbow-trout-e1597986884789-768x1024.jpg)
Within two months, the eggs hatched into alevins (yolk-sac fry) and within another two weeks the yolk sacs were completely absorbed. Throughout the incubation stage the eggs were counted, and unfertilized eggs removed.
![Fish tray showing Rainbow Trout eggs hatching [June 2018]](https://mountpolley.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/rainbow-trout-eggs-hatching-1024x768.jpg)
![Rainbow Trout fry in shallow ponding tanks [early July 2018]](https://mountpolley.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/rainbow-trout-ponding-tanks-1024x768.jpg)
The fry were then transferred from the incubation trays to shallow rearing tanks. When the fish reached their target biomass, they were transferred into deeper rearing tanks, and from there released into the Polley Lake watershed.
![Mount Polley hatchery rearing tanks. [summer 2018]](https://mountpolley.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/mount-polley-rearing-tanks-1024x768.jpg)
The MPET and Minnow Environmental released over 11,100 Rainbow trout fry from the hatchery into Polley Lake on September 25 and 26, 2018. The adipose fins from each fry were clipped as a means of tagging (identification). On the second day, students, parents and a teacher from Columneetza Middle School’s Greenologists / Enviro Club based in Williams Lake assisted with the Rainbow Trout fry release
Mount Polley strongly encourages Polley Lake fishers to report if they catch fish with a clipped adipose fin to gabe.holmes@mountpolley.com. This will help the MPET determine how successfully the hatchery trout are surviving. Thank you!