Project Title: Repair Public Use Road (FFS #R6PB)

State: South Dakota

Initial Project Description: The D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery and Archives is receiving money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to repair and restore its entrance. The repairs will fix damage caused by the June 4-5, 2008 flood. The water rushing down the Ames Canyon damaged a historic stone wall and the facility’s only access road. The wall, built in the late 1800s, separates the road and serves as both the road retaining wall and as the channel wall for a drainage canal.

The hatchery was established in the Black Hills of South Dakota in 1896 to propagate, stock and establish fish populations in Wyoming and South Dakota. It presently serves as the national fisheries archives with the purpose of preserving the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s historic and cultural heritage. The facility houses fisheries records and artifacts for educational, research, and historic purposes. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The repairs will prevent further damage from any subsequent weather events. Without these repairs, such events could place people at risk, cause the loss of irreplaceable artifacts, and cost millions of dollars to repair.

May 2011 Project Update: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) completed the Recovery Act-funded repair of the public use roads and canal rock wall at D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery that were destroyed by a June 2008 flood. The project was completed in two phases.

Phase one, to repair all affected roadways, was completed in October 2009 by a disabled-veteran-owned South Dakota firm.

Phase two, to repair the stone structures that serve as drainage channels and retaining walls, was completed in August 2010 by STEP students and Job Corps youth workers under the leadership of FWS personnel. Workers were required to use special techniques and materials to complete the project, since the facility is on the National Register of Historic Places (many of the stone structures date back to the late 1800s). Some of the workers previously received training from the National Park Service for this type of project. The stone wall repair crew was commended for producing efficient and high-quality work while exhibiting a high degree of reliability in completing assignments. Although the project was complex and at times dangerous, there were no injuries and work was frequently ahead of schedule. Eight STEP students, Job Corps youth workers, and seasonal FWS employees were temporarily employed as a result of this project.

According to the Hatchery Director, Carlos Martinez, “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provided much-needed assistance to D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery and Archives. Historic stone walls and roadways were severely damaged by June 2008 flooding down Ames Canyon. The destruction caused some safety issues and made the site vulnerable to catastrophic damage from future weather events. “

In addition, Martinez provided the following background on the Hatchery, “D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery and Archives was established in 1896 to propagate, stock, and establish trout populations in the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming. Still rearing trout through a cooperative effort with the state of South Dakota, the hatchery also serves to protect and preserve our nation’s fisheries’ records and artifacts for educational, research, and historic purposes (the collection is estimated at 175,000 items). Numerous and diverse partnerships allow D.C. Booth to provide interpretive programs, serve as a living fisheries museum, and support national fish culture and resource management organizations. The facility receives approximately 155,000 visitors and 14,000 volunteer hours annually. “

For additional information about the D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery and Archives, visit the facility’s website.

News Releases: $100,000 Recovery Funds Provide Boost for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the D.C. Booth Historic National Hatchery and Archives

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Originally posted 09/14/2009
Updated 10/07/2009
Updated 12/09/2009
Page Completed 05/25/2011