More than sixty City, County, Regional, and State officials, notables and dignitaries gathered at the Umphrey Family Pavilion on Tuesday, August 9, to celebrate and take part in the special ground breaking ceremony for the New Texas State Fish Hatchery.
His Honor, Jasper County Judge Joe Folk, introduced the attending representatives for; Texas Parks & Wildlife; Jasper County Commissioners Court; Angelina County Commissioners Court; Tyler County Commissioners Court; Sabine County Commissioners Court; San Augustine County Commissioners Court; Nacogdoches County Commissioners Court; Lower Neches Valley Authority; US ARMY Corps of Engineers; Bob Shaw Consulting Engineers; Temple Inland Corporation; Texas Dept of Transportation; Hancock Timber Resource Group; Martin Dies III; Commissioner John Parker TPWD; Jasper Title Company; East Texas Surveying Company; Deep East Texas Council of Governments; and the Lake Sam Rayburn Pavilion Association.
Judge Folk addressed the attending legislative body about the importance of this fish hatchery project that will have a positive impact for the entire Lake Sam Rayburn area and its surrounding business communities for many years to come. Thanking all who involved themselves in this important project, Judge Folk applauded all involved for their hard work in helping put this multi-Million dollar hatchery facility together with a special âthank youâ added for the memory of Col; Bill E. Marshall, former chairman of the Lake Sam Rayburn Pavilion Association, for his diligent work in procuring the grants needed to help bring the Pavilion project to completion.
After construction this new 200 acre facility the fish hatchery will become the second largest hatchery of its type in the State of Texas. The newly constructed Rayburn hatchery will have sixty five holding ponds and rearing tanks with operations buildings for supporting the ponds and its testing facilities. The new hatcheries primary purpose will be for production of Texas native and Florida strain Largemouth Black Bass and Catfish for restocking projects throughout the state, as well as building an on site hatchery information center and hosting an entry gate Tourism Information Center being planned for construction and operations by The Texas Dept; of Transportation.
The planned completion date for the new hatchery is set for the year 2009 with possible fish hatchery operations beginning prior to that date when construction allows. The location of this new facility is just 7/10ths of a mile south of the Umphrey Family Pavilion located on Hwy-255 West, about 2 miles west of Piney Point Plaza at the Sam Rayburn Township, and 1/2 mile east of the Rayburn Dam causeway, which is situated next to the public boat ramp.
For more info call; Umphrey Pavilion at (409)-698-2790 -or- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744 – Toll Free: (800) 792-1112By: Ed Snyder / Ed Snyder Outdoors
