
<p>Eric Stanczyk and Adam Kramarsyck oversee operations at Carpenter’s Brook Hatchery, which releases nearly 70,000 trout annually. The hatchery has installed well pumps and sun shades to help with the depletion of the local water table.</p>


Due to hotter than average temperatures and a drier summer, some fish have developed sun burns as seen in the white patches on the fish. As a solution the hatchery has installed sun shaders above some of the tanks for protection.

Laura Oliverio

Eric Stanczyk oversees the fish tank transferring process where fish are corralled and fed down a tube into the next tank.

Rainbow Trout are one of three trout species that Carpenters Brook raise to stock local creeks and rivers.

These eggs will take a little over a year to grow into full size harvestable fish for stocking. They are kept swirling around in a tube-like tank to prevent algae from blooming on the eggs.

Tank cleaning takes place roughly once a week to remove algae and waste build up and is important for the overall health of the fish.

During the tank transfer process, fish can be exposed to high levels of stress, and higher water temperatures in the summer can cause extra stress which could potentially be lethal, making the transfer process risky.

The staff works out of a cozy cottage style office surrounded by memorabilia and antiques from the hatchery’s 87-year history.

Over the years the decreasing water table due to the population growth of Skaneateles has forced the hatchery to utilize their well pumps at full capacity to keep the flow of water sustainable for the fish to survive.

Adam Kramasyck goes through the process of sucking up waste and dead hatchlings as many hatchlings don’t survive the first stage of development for various reasons. This is the main reason why fish lay so many eggs because in the wild only a handful make it to full maturity.

Historically, Carpenters Brook used hand dug holding ponds to house their fish, but in more recent years the Hatchery has constructed cement tanks that are much easier to clean and manage.

The Alexia Fall Workshop

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HATCHING INNOVATION

Produced by

Caleb LeBlanc

Coached by

Laura Oliverio