The trout and sturgeon show pond at the Leaburg Hatchery on the McKenzie River will be closed for renovations beginning Monday, July 7.
The construction is expected to take 4 to 6 weeks. The show pond will be off-limits but the rest of the hatchery will remain open to the public.
Hatchery Manager Erik Withalm says they have 70 to 90-thousand visitors each year. The show pond has large rainbow trout and a 9-foot long, 350-pound sturgeon.
Withalm: "Just immediately around the show pond area it just has old asphalt paths that are in different stages of repair and wear. We're going to level out the areas, pour a nice level concrete pad for some picnic tables. And then have a railing around the most visited area of the show pond so people can get up and even closer to the fish."
He says facility upgrades also will be made to improve access for visitors with disabilities. The $30,000 project is being paid for by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
