Grand Valley National Fish Hatchery (previously named Ouray NFH-Grand Valley Unit)
What we do:
Ouray National Fish Hatchery-Grand Valley Unit (Ouray NFH-GVU) cultures endangered fish native to the upper Colorado River basin. The facility primarily raises endangered razorback sucker and bonytail for stockings into the Colorado, Gunnison, San Juan and Animas rivers in hopes of long-term retention of these rare animals in the upper basin. Current yearly production goals are stated below. Ouray NFH-Grand Valley Unit has been pivotal for recovery efforts of razorback sucker and bonytail in the upper Colorado River basin, culturing and releasing nearly 400,000 endangered fish since it’s construction in 1995!
RAZORBACK SUCKER (Xyrauchen texanus) are characterized by the distinctive “keel” shape behind its head. They are an endangered, native fish of the Colorado River watershed, which it has inhabited for over 5 million years. One of the largest suckerfish in North America, they can grow upwards of 3 feet long and live to be 40 years old! Being omnivorous, they typically eat insects, plankton, and plant matter on the bottom of the river helping to keep rivers clean. In the wild, reproduction can occur starting at 3 years of age. In the upper Colorado River basin razorback sucker typically spawn between April and mid-June. A large mature female may lay as many as 200,000 eggs!
BONYTAIL (Gila elegans) are distinguished from other chubs by their pencil-thin caudal peduncle (the area foraw of its tail-fin). The rarest of the endangered, native fish of the Colorado River, they are thought to have evolved around 3 to 5 million years ago and were common in both the upper and lower basin. In the wild, reproduction occurs starting at age 2-3 years of age. Uniqulely, and given the proper environment, they may live up to 50 years old! Recovery efforts for bonytail are ongoing, with stocking occurring at with multiple fish hatcheries in both the upper and lower Colorado River basins.
Total Number of all fish stocked into the upper Colorado River basin from Ouray NFH-Grand Valley Unit 1995-2025
Total number of razorback sucker stocked into the upper Colorado River basin from Ouray NFH-GVU
1995-2024
Total number of endangered bonytail stocked into the upper Colorado River basin from Ouray NFH-GVU
2014-2024
Total number of endangered Colorado pikeminnow stocked into the upper Colorado River basin from Ouray NFH-GVU
1996-2016
Yearly production:
Yearly, Ouray National Fish Hatchery-Grand Valley Unit releases approximately 10,000 razorback sucker (target size of 350 mm or larger Colorado/Gunnison rivers (300 mm in San Juan river).
Yearly, Ouray National Fish Hatchery-Grand Valley Unit releases approximately 10,000 bonytail (target size of 300 mm or larger) yearly into the Colorado River between Palisade and Fruita, Colorado.
Our two culture facilities:
Ouray National Fish Hatchery – Grand Valley Unit consists of two facilities near
Grand Junction, Colorado: the indoor 24 Road Hatchery facility and the outdoor 22-pond Horsethief Canyon Native Fish Facility”. The facilities are funded by the Bureau of Reclamation and are managed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife personnel. Ouray NFH-Grand Valley Unit has been pivotal for recovery efforts of razorback sucker and bonytail in the upper Colorado River basin culturing nearly 400,000 endangered fish since it’s construction in 1995
Ouray National Fish Hatchery – Grand Valley Unit’s indoor “24 Road Fish Hatchery” recirculating facility holds 92 tanks and roughly 38,000 gallons of water when at full capacity. It hosts two innovative recirculating, high density aquaculture systems that are independent of each other. Multiple “lots” of endangered razorback sucker and bonytail are housed here year round and thousands of people tour this facility annually.
The innovative outdoor facility, “Horsethief Canyon Native Fish Facility” in Fruita, Colorado was built in 2014 to aid in propagation efforts for endangered fishes living in the Colorado River (currently, primarily utilized to culture both razorback sucker and bonytail). This highly efficient facility has 22 lined ponds fed with aluvial river water through an infiltration gallery on the banks of the Colorado River (left of tree line in photo). There is also an inside spawning/incubating building (right side of photo) with the ability to manipulate pre-spawn water temperatures in order to maximize spawning success. The upper Colorado River basin broodstock for razorback sucker are housed here year-round.
How we culture
razorback sucker Video
Photo timeline of a hatchery raised razorback sucker at Ouray-NFH-Grand Valley Unit
Razorback sucker grown at Ouray NFH-GVU are typically one-and-a-half years old before being deployed into the Colorado, Gunnison, San Juan and Animas rivers. In order to maximize efficiency and growth of these endangered fish, the captive razorback sucker stay outdoor for warmer months and indoors for colder months where temperatures can be manipulated. Here is a timeline of how we culture razorback sucker at Ouray NFH-GVU:
1) Captive razorback sucker broodstock are held in multiple ponds at Ouray National Fish Hatchery-Grand Valley Unit’s Horsethief Canyon Native Fish Facility. Typically, the fish are spawned once per year (mid-April), when the photoperiod of the sun starts to lengthen and pond water temperatures starts to warm. This naturally triggers a reproductive response
2) The appropriate ponds holding mature razorback sucker are drained and the fish are moved to tanks inside the spawning building where they are then sorted by sex and genetic history.
3) The razorback broodstock are typically 3-5 years of age and are robust! Here is a large four year old female.
4) Prior to spawn day, the fish are injected with a spawning stimulant (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) for a period of three days to help induce reproduction and better the chances for a successful spawn.
5) For genetic variability, culturists may take up to 15 paired matings which are validated beforehand to avoid any past common parentage. Eggs and milt are expressed directly into a ziplock bag where fertilization occurs and the eggs begin to “water harden”.
6) After all of the necessary crosses are taken and egg numbers are adequate, eggs are transported to the 24 Road Hatchery indoor facility where they are placed in separate “McDonalds Jars” until hatching.
7) The eggs are sampled periodically throughout the incubation process to calculate fertilization rates and observe growth. Hatching usually occurs in 5 – 7 days (depending on water temperature).
8) Once hatched, the larval Razorback Sucker are held at the 24 Road Hatchery indoor facility until fish “swim up” and are actively feeding. They are fed live artemia shrimp as well as well balanced commercial feed specifically designed for larval fish stages.
9) In mid-spring, after the larval razorback sucker are actively up and feeding, they are transported to the outdoor grow-out ponds at Horsethief Canyon Native Fish Facility where growth rates in the outdoor ponds during the warmer summer months far excede the indoor fish hatchery.
10) All through summer and into fall, the delicate young fish are able to consume a natural, diverse planktonic diet like Daphnia (photo above), along with vitamin packed hatchery feed fed by the fish culturists. These young fish feed vigorously while outdoors.
11) Once late fall comes, these half-year old fish which are now 3′ – 6”are brought back indoors to the 24 Road Hatchery where they can feed and grow all winter long in a controlled environment. If left in the cold outdoor ponds over winter, feeding and growth would slow to a minimum.
12) Over winter and at the indoor facility, the rapidly growing Razorback Sucker get a Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag inserted. Tagging occurs specifically during this time period as it gives hatchery staff an ample chance to monitor any incidental tagging mortality or slipped tags.
13) Once spring arises and pond temperatures warm up, the razorback sucker are transported back to HCNFF where they will stay, actively feeding, until being stocked out into the wild during late summer/fall. The fish are now 6″-8″.
14) Once fall arrives, the fish are large enough to harvest and stock into the chosen river and location.. Razorback ponds are drained. When draining, the fish accumulate in a “kettle” structure at the bottom of the pond where water can be manipulated to continuously flow. The fish can then be sorted, measured or whatever necessary hatchery tasks require. The photo above shows 800 razorbacks ready to be stocked into the Colorado River.
15) The razorback sucker are now 12”-16” long, a year-and-a-half old and very girthy. They shimmer a beautiful purple and yellow and now have a large keel behind their head. They can potentially live up to 40 years of age and this young fish will get much larger throughout upcoming years in the wild!
16) Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags are easily scanned (to aid biologists in tracking the fish once in the wild) and the fish are measured before being gently loaded them onto the fish transportation vehicle.
17) A crane lowers a water tank to gently move the fish from the pond kettle to the transportation vehicle.
18) The crane haul to the truck happens delicately and quickly. Every effort is taken to lower the stress of these animals before transportation to the river begins.
19) The fish transportation truck is a large 4×4 vehicle that can generally drive right to waters edge. It has two 400 gallon insulated tanks with oxygenated water. Hatchery staff gets very specific guidance from biologists on where and when to deploy the animals to have the greatest benefit for their long-term survival.
20) Once at the stocking site on either the Colorado, Gunnison, San Juan or Animas rivers, the fish are acclimated slowly with river water pumped onto the truck. Once temperature and water chemistry are comparable, the endangered fish are finally released into the wild. (video below).
The Razorback Waterslide
Ouray National Fish Hatchery-Grand Valley Unit Annual Reports
Relevant Links For Students, Teachers and Supporters
Directions to the Ouray National Fish Hatchery- Grand Valley Unit “24 Road Fish Hatchery”
Directions to “24 Rd. Hatchery” from I-70 Exit 28 Redlands Pkwy/24 Rd.
- Address: 1149 24 Rd. Grand Junction, Colorado 81505
- Exit I-70. Head east on 24 Rd. (towards the Bookcliffs).
- Continue on 24 Rd. until it ends at the cul-de-sac.
- We are the last building just past the cul-de-sac on the left hand side of road.
- The sign on the building says “Ouray National Fish Hatchery-Grand Valley Unit” and shows a large razorback sucker.
“No human being, however great, or powerful, was ever so free as a fish”