BIG PINE – The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced that a sustained power outage has led to the widespread loss of fish at the Fish Springs Trout Hatchery.
The power outage, which was outside CDFW’s control, occurred in the afternoon of Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in the Owens Valley, and lasted more than two hours. Fish Springs Trout Hatchery, powered by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, has backup diesel motors which can supply continued water pumping during power outage events. During the power outage on Tuesday, the backup diesel motors were non-operational due to a software issue. A contractor had been previously scheduled to come to the hatchery on Thursday, May 22 to diagnose the software issue, assess the motors, and help CDFW resolve the problem.
“We’re devastated by the loss of these fish, which were the product of years of hard work and round-the-clock care by our expert hatchery staff.” said Russell Black, Inland Deserts Environmental Program Manager at CDFW. “As the backup diesel motors are being assessed and repaired, we are also working to secure eggs and fish from other CDFW hatcheries to rebuild some of these lost stocks. CDFW is dedicated to ensuring continued and successful fish planting in Inyo and Mono counties for the benefit of the Eastern Sierra.”
Power outages are not uncommon at CDFW hatcheries. All hatcheries are equipped with backup generator equipment to ensure continued operations. Significant multi-day power outages due to wildfires at Fillmore Fish Hatchery, Crystal Lake Hatchery, Feather River Hatchery, and Warm Springs Fish Hatchery occurred last year during which backup generator systems performed as needed to maintain fish health and operations.
Backup power failures at CDFW hatcheries are rare. During hatchery power outages, water levels drop, flows stop, dissolved oxygen levels decrease, and temperatures rise quickly, leading to untenable conditions for both eggs and fish.
The Fish Springs Trout Hatchery, founded in 1952, raises rainbow trout, brown trout, and Lahontan cutthroat trout for recreational opportunities in Mono and Inyo County waters. CDFW staff are still assessing the totality of loss but estimate that between 75-80% of the fish stock was lost, including eggs and fingerlings for next year, and catchable fish for this year.
CDFW staff at Fish Springs are working to prioritize fish plants based on the remaining inventories, as well as re-allocating fish from other hatcheries for Mono and Inyo County planting. CDFW is also exploring purchasing eggs from private vendors. This loss will likely impact fish plants in the eastern Sierra’s for the next two seasons, though staff are strategizing to ensure that impact is as minimal as possible.
CDFW operates 21 hatcheries across the state to help support threatened and endangered fish species, provide recreational fishing opportunities, participate in important research on fish biology, and support local economies.
For more information on CDFW’s hatcheries, head to CDFW Fish Hatcheries page..
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Media Contact:
Katie Talbot, CDFW Communications, (916) 204-1381