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Boon to fishermen

Sportsmen’s Trout Nursery gets major upgrade

KEVIN RAUCH/THE EXPRESS Colleen Krause of Ultra Polymers and Gene Lavelle, nursery manager, watch as Brian Krause applies “Ultra Poly One Coat” to WCSA’s raceway walls.

By KEVIN RAUCH

For The Express

RENOVO — The Western Clinton Sportsmen’s Association’s Trout Nursery received a major upgrade last week that will no doubt help to keep area streams full of trout for decades into the future. The raceways where the fish are raised received a hybrid hypoxic coating that will prolong the life of the structure and avoid costly repairs from normal wear and tear for years to come. The enhancement was made possible thanks to a $7,000 grant from the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation.

WCSA’s trout nursery is fed by Laurelly Fork that empties into the Right Hand Branch of Young Women’s Creek. The constant supply of running water that often froze over during the winter until heating was introduced two years ago would be hard on any man-made structure. The current version of the nursery, including the concrete, was poured in 1982.

The new surfacing will not only stall more deterioration but fills in and seals imperfections such as dimpling that has occurred through the years.

KEVIN RAUCH/THE EXPRESS Pictured from left are Dominion Energy employees Gene Ransdorf and Gene Lavelle, who receives the check for the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation grant from Dennis Johnson and Don Gentzyel. All four men are Dominion employees while Lavelle has overseen the Laurelly Trout Nursery for decades.

Gene Lavelle has a unique perspective to the Laurelly Nursery. In addition to working at Dominion Energy’s Leidy Station, Gene is also the face of the Nursery. Over the past 28 years, Lavelle has served the WCSA as the nursery manager. Over that time, anyone who has caught a trout stocked by WCSA can rest assured that the North Bend man or one of his “Nursery Crew” has fed and raised that fish.

“This is such an upgrade for us and will be something that will benefit us for years,” Lavelle said. “I’m so thankful this has worked out and all of the support that has been given to us from Dominion Energy Transmission.”

The nursery manager said that the pouring of the raceways in 1982 and the pavilion that covers the nursery was funded by Fish America in the 90s now have this momentous occasion that will be looked back upon as highlights of the Laurelly Nursery that enabled it to move into the future.

“The elements from the weather here can be tough; this gives us a major step up on that,” Lavelle explained.

Dominion Energy’s Leidy Station Manager Clarry Sockman said these types of projects for the community are exactly what our Foundation likes to support and this one is extra special in that Gene is such a key part of the operation.

“We enjoy these types of projects and are proud to get behind something that so directly affects the community, involves the youth and is so environmentally friendly,” Sockman said of the project. “It’s an asset to the area and youth friendly makes it a fantastic project to get behind.”

“I’m also proud of Gene, too, as the commitment he has given to the Western County Sportsman Association for 28 years is remarkable,” Sockman added.

Ultra Polymers Inc. is a family-owned business from Gibsonia that worked closely with the WCSA in applying the hybrid hypoxic coating. The WCSA continually expressed its gratitude to the company, and in turn those making the application enjoyed their time spent in Laurelly.

“We normally coat swimming pools, metal, plaster things of that sort, so this was a great experience to come out here and help the WCSA,” Margaret Wilson of Ultra Polymer said. “We have great interest in the environment and our mix is environmentally friendly,” Wilson added. Lavelle echoed those sentiments saying the family-owned product was on a list of approved products by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Laurelly stocked 15,000 trout in April in 10 area streams. Additionally, it caters to places such as Cross Fork’s restricted fishing area that is reserved for children and handicapped people. It also stocks prior to Kettle Creek’s Healing Waters’ Program where wounded veterans are invited to take to the streams in Cross Fork. Lavelle has also been known to raise especially large, even trophy-sized trout, before releasing them into area waters. Field trips from students at Renovo Elementary are also a yearly occurrence.

The trout currently being raised by WCSA were placed in holding tanks inside of Laurelly Stream while the runs received their enhancement.

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