TWIN FALLS, ID – Most everyone in this industry, and certainly anyone in the trout business, is familiar with the Troutlodge name.
One of the oldest aquaculture companies in the US, Troutlodge – based in Sumner, WA – is the world’s largest producer of pathogen-free rainbow trout eggs, employing more than 100 people worldwide.
There are many components to the Troutlodge story – going back almost 70 years – but for this issue I want to focus on the company’s new Rock Creek facility not far from Twin Falls.
Good location
Troutlodge part-owner Jim Parsons told me he has had an eye on the Rock Creek location for more than 15 years, going back to when Bill Townsend (long-time Troutlodge general manager) was still alive and when Jim was working for Clear Springs.
Why? Well, water might be a good reason.
The site is blessed with water flow rates of just under eight cubic feet per second. For those of us in the rest of the US, that works out to about 3,500 gpm.
In addition to excellent water flow, the location is served by a totally enclosed, bio-secure spring – a huge plus for a trout egg hatchery.
Water temperatures are good, at about 54°F, but slightly colder than other springs in the area.
The water is hard, at 460 ppm. So hard, Jim quipped, that when it hits the ground, it breaks. My guess is this is good for hardening up the eggs, but must require constant maintenance on equipment to keep up with mineral deposits.
…read the rest and much, much more in Issue 1, 2015 of Fish Farming News.
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