Written By
Norfork National Fish Hatchery just acquired a huge equipment upgrade for it鈥檚 mussel propagation efforts. In the past, the host fish and the juvenile mussels were housed in cages sitting in aluminum frames suspended in the lake. This meant that placing fish in the cages or harvesting the mussels was very physically demanding. The cages (full of sand in the bottom) had to be manually lifted out of the lake and then place back into the frame after the host fish or mussels were taken or put in. For years now, there has been discussion regarding an easier, more efficient set up.
Thankfully, all the brainstorming and hard work has paid off! Recently, two boat lifts were installed in the slips we use for holding mussels. Hatchery employees constructed a flat surface on top of the lifts for the cages to sit on. This will allow the cages to be raised and lowered by the lift instead of by sheer manpower. While it is obviously a great way to save a few backs, it should also decrease the loss of sand/mussels from struggling to keep cages level while handling them. It is really going to be a game changer going forward. A huge thank you to Malacologist Ken Moles and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for acquiring funding for the boat lifts.Without them, none of the mussel work at Norfork would be possible. Another thank you goes to Blue Diamond Marina for allowing the hatchery to use two boat stalls for mussel propagation. It is much appreciated!
