Hatchery History

The state’s first trout hatchery was started in 1918 but was destroyed by fire only a year later. A house in Rapid City was converted into a temporary hatchery in 1919. The Department of Game, Fish and Parks constructed the Cleghorn Springs Fish Hatchery in 1972. Cleghorn Springs Hatchery, on the west edge of Rapid City has been in operation since 1928. The spring and later the hatchery received their names from the original homestead founded there circa 1889. The first hatchery, constructed in 1928 was comprised of a brick hatchery building at the East End of the site and about 12 miscellaneous rectangular earthen ponds. This facility was renovated to include 29-earth bottom, stone walled ponds and 7 earthen ponds. The entire facility with the exception of the red brick shop building was rebuilt following the devastating flood of 1972. The ponds were replaced by concrete raceways and a flood proof office/tank room was constructed. A re-circulated water system was developed and installed in 1982. Although providing increased flow to the raceways; high dissolved nitrogen levels, low oxygen levels and suspended solids in the re-use water hampered production. The re-circulation system was abandoned and a nitrogen degassing/oxygen supplementation system was added in the fall of 1988 resulting in improved production capabilities.

During 2006 and 2007, Cleghorn Springs was completely renovated.  The outdoor concrete raceways were replaced by thirty-two 20 foot circular tanks enclosed within a building.  Updates to the hatchery infrastructure and monitoring systems should help ensure great fishing well into the future!