New Dale Hollow Water Treatment System Will Assist Local Farmers

April 9, 2010, CELINA – Congressman Bart Gordon announced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s $1.35 million contract has been approved for construction of a Dale Hollow water treatment system to purify waste water from the National Fish Hatchery in Celina and produce fertilizing materials, which will be offered free to local farmers.

“The treatment system has the potential to really help farmers whose crops have been significantly affected by droughts over the last few years,” said Congressman Bart Gordon.

The water treatment system will filter waste water from the hatchery’s raceways. The clean water will be directed into the Obey River. Waste byproducts from the hatchery will be dried into a fertilizer material that is both nitrogen-rich and all-natural, so it has no impact on the local environment or water supply. The material will be provided to local farmers to fertilize their fields. Similar fertilizer giveaway programs at hatcheries in other parts of the country have proven to be successful community partnerships, according to hatchery manager Andrew Currie.

“This contract is a real win-win situation for the fish hatchery, the local farms and the environment,” said Currie. “Even before the project got underway, I had farmers coming up to me in the supermarket asking about when they could get a hold of some of our fertilizer.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded the contract through funds made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which set aside $3 billion for the Department of the Interior to invest in job-creating community conservation projects.  The Recovery Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives with Gordon’s support on February 13, 2009.