History of Mojave River Hatchery

Construction of Mojave Hatchery began in 1947 with funds supplied through California legislative appropriation. Located in the western Mojave Desert, the hatchery initially had only four ponds. One of the well-water supplied hatcheries, initial experiments at Mojave showed high nitrogen content in the well water, which is lethal to trout. Aeration towers were installed to remove nitrogen and add oxygen to the water. The hatchery was subsequently expanded adding sixteen more ponds in 1949 and twenty more ponds in 1952.

To this day, Mojave River Hatchery is a major supplier of catchable trout for anglers in Southern California.

FIGURE 44. Mojave River Hatchery during development in 1950. An ancient Joshua tree, a member of the lily family, in foreground. Apple Valley in extreme background. Photograph by Kramer A. Adams, 1950. (desert landscape)

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