Fish displaced by June flood brought back home

CALGARY- A homecoming was celebrated this week, marking the return of thousands of fish who had to be moved during the June flood.

When the Bow River began to flood, the Sam Livingston Hatchery in Inglewood went dark, with no power to filter the tanks. The building’s lower level began filling with three inches of water, prompting staff to race to get generators going.

They eventually moved 250-thousand fish over five days, sending them up to Cold Lake and other hatcheries.

On Thursday, the first 18,000 were trucked back to Calgary, for what staff say feels like a family reunion.

Some of the fish that were big enough were released into Alberta lakes when the flood hit, which is where the rest will eventually end up as part of the province’s fish stocking program.

The hatchery is once again open to the public for tours, and is celebrating the fishes return with a family-friendly event. Click here for more information.