[nggallery id=34]

Clay County, Tennessee residents Will Wright, Brooklyn Cherry, Jaylan Hancock, and Daryean Daugherty spent this summer working at the Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery as Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) enrollees. The three objectives of the YCC program are to accomplish needed conservation work on public lands, provide gainful summer employment to youth for approximately eight weeks, and develop an understanding and appreciation in participating youth of the Nation’s natural environment and heritage. Will, Brooklyn, Jaylan, and Daryean helped the hatchery staff with feeding fish, collecting and counting dead fish, cleaning tanks and raceways, moving fish around the hatchery, distributing fish to local waters, performing janitorial work, maintaining the public fishing area, assisting with the annual fish health inspection, and carrying out grounds maintenance. The extra help provided by the YCC enrollees was greatly appreciated by the hatchery staff. Having YCC enrollees take on some of the everyday chores, freed up hatchery staff to catch up on some of the station maintenance backlog.

Hatchery Manager Andrew Currie stated “This is the sixth year we have been involved in this program. The efforts put forth by YCC enrollees over the years speaks well of the work ethic of Clay County’s young people.” One of the highlights of this year’s program was that the enrollees got a chance to tour Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery in Jamestown, Kentucky and spend time in the new visitor/environmental education center.  Selection of enrollees was done by random drawing from applications received from Clay County High School students. If funding is available, two boys and two girls will be selected to work at the hatchery next summer in the YCC Program.