State Fish Hatchery In Chateaugay, NY - Part 1

It had been raining off and on all morning, so I used that as an excuse to travel to the village of Chateaugay, about a 50 minute drive, to visit the State Trout Hatchery:

I began by walking around the outdoor pools. These tanks, the closest to the office building, were for those smallest fish which had hatched indoors but were being moved outside for the first time:

From there I saw many concrete pools, all with fresh running water and automatic feeders:

I didn't find out if the wires were to hold tarps when it rained or to discourage predators - maybe both:

There were huge numbers of baby trout:

They were small, about finger length, so I suppose they would be fingerlings:

The Marble River was just over that bank but I didn't try to push through the wet foliage to see it. Besides, I didn't want to be barred from accessing the trout (as per the sign):

When I reached the end of the ponds, I looked back toward the office buildings. It was truly an impressive operation:

There was what appeared to be a maintenance area behind the ponds, but it was marked off limits. I got a kick out of the fish net, though. I suppose it would come in handy here:

I began walking back to the buildings, and noted the incredible beauty of the location. This trail would have led up the hill to the access road and was probably a shortcut for the staff. I'll post Part 2 tomorrow: