The Palisade High School Fish Hatchery Partnership. The Many Benefits Of Partnering Directly With Colorado River Communities To Build Trust And Achieve Long-Term Conservation Goals…Ownership For All.

Authors: Mike Gross

Year: 2024

Abstract

Initiated in 2015, the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program has partnered with Palisade High School to create the Palisade High School Endangered Fish Hatchery. This collaboration is unique in that it directly involves the Palisade, Colorado community with the ongoing conservation of native fishes. Motivated students and faculty from Palisade High School culture, tag and release hundreds of endangered razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) annually, stocking them into Critical Habitat along the Colorado River. The rare fish are reared at their student operated, on-campus, indoor-recirculating fish hatchery facility at the high school. This partnership is serving as a blueprint for other similar grass-roots conservation projects in the Colorado River basin including the Uintah High School Aquaculture Lab because of the many benefits for students, faculty, local stakeholders, supporting agencies, imperiled fish species, and the next generation of Americans.