Page 4 - FEB2025

Page 4 NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM February 2025 Community
Groundbreaking Ceremony Marks Progress for
By DoNNa RhoDes
NEW HAMPTON – In his final few weeks as Governor of the State of New Hampshire, Chris Sununu was excited when he joined members of the N.H. Dept. Of Fish and Game De- partment as they held a ground- breaking ceremony for a new state-of-the-art fish hatchery in New Hampton on Dec. 13th.
During his opening address to the crowd on hand that day, Sununu said, “This is not just a fish hatchery. It’s really a pivotal project.”
More fish, less cost, as the state moves “environmentally forward” in their endeavors, he added.
After speaking about the time and energy put into the develop- ment of the new state-of-the-art facility, the governor finished by congratulating everyone who had worked hard over the past few years to make the new fish hatchery a reality. He also re-
N.H. Fish and Game Hatchery
minded them that although he will no longer be governor when it is completed in two years, he can be found at his home in Newfields, where he hopes to re- ceive an invitation to the ribbon cutting in 2026.
Fish and Game’s new Execu- tive Director, Stephanie Simek, PhD., was next to take the po- dium on the grounds of what remains of the old fish hatchery. Simeck said she was pleased to see New Hampshire move forward in modernizing the fish farming industry, making it more efficient and much more environmentally friendly. The new facility will not only be capable of provid- ing more fish to state waterways but be more environmentally friendly as well. Phosphates are recognized as a substantial threat to fresh water, causing higher algal blooms, among other issues. The new hatchery, however, will greatly decrease the amount of phosphates discharged from its
Photo by Donna Rhodes
On Dec. 13th, Gov. Chris Sununu, N.H. Fish and Game’s Executive Director Stephanie Simek (center) and N.H. District 1 Executive Councilor Joe Kenney (far right) were joined by representatives from the Town of New Hampton, HDR Engineering and MWH Construction, and N.H. Fish Hatchery Superintendent Scott Phinney as they officially broke ground for a new state-of-the-art fish hatchery in New Hampton.
fish pools, which then flows into the nearby Dickerman Brook and pond.
“This is an amazing project for New Hampshire. Amazing people made it happen,” Simek
said.
Dianne Timmons, Inland
Fisheries division chief of N.H. Fish and Game, stated that the project has long been a dream of hers, and the collabora- tion of people who are making that dream come true has “just been excellent.” After Timmins thanked the many state agencies, private engineers, and contrac- tors for their time and efforts in drawing up plans for the new hatchery, Rebecca Owens of HDR Engineering, Inc. then spoke briefly about her compa- ny’s role in the process.
Owens said HDR is not new to projects like fish hatcheries, but this time, they put extra effort into environmental safeguards, such as lowering phosphates. She noted, “This one stands out as the first in the nation to decrease phosphates [discharged back into the waterways].”
The last to speak that morn- ing was New Hampton Fish Hatchery Superintendent Scott Phinney.
Phinney lives locally and said he has worked at the New Hamp- ton station, one of six in the state, for 30 years. He was pleased to hear the new facility would pro- vide a safer working environment for his employees along with the more environmentally safe fea- tures it will provide.
“The future is so bright,” he said with enthusiasm.
While it will be two years before the new hatchery will be fully operational again, Phinney later said his team will continue to provide both brook and brown trout eggs to the other five hatch- eries around the state. Once they are able to raise their own fish again in New Hampton, they will be able to raise as much as 75,000 lbs. of trout in the first year alone. From there, it should double to 150,000 lbs. a year later before reaching its peak of 300,000 lbs. after that.
So, while the fishing may quiet down slightly until 2026, anglers will find a lot more trout in area lakes, rivers, and ponds in the near future. It will be a win for N.H. Fish and Game, as well as for those who enjoy fishing in New Hampshire’s great out- doors.
Engineering design for the project was done by HDR En- gineering, Inc. from Manchester, and general contracting will be done through MWH Construc- tors of Plaistow—the cost for the design and construction of this latest state-of-the-art N.H. Cap- ital Improvement Program proj- ect is reported to be $47,333,775. When complete, it is expected to serve as a model for other hatch- eries, not only in New Hamp- shire but around the country as well.
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