Roxbury, and the State Fish Hatchery, devastated and cut off

By Daniel Staples
Staff Writer
ROXBURY — The Vermont State Fish Hatchery along Route 12A, which housed more than 90,000 trout, was decimated by the flooding Sunday, while residents of this small town of about 700 still are hunkered down waiting for the power to come back on.
“It hurts to come and see it all gone,” said Jeremy Whalen, supervisor of the hatchery station, standing on gravel where there had once been a three-foot deep holding pond. “You just try to stay positive.”
When Whalen left the station Sunday afternoon, three inches of rain already had fallen. Some time during the night, an old stone wall that diverted the Flint Brook gave way, causing a deluge of water to rush through the complex.
As Whalen walked through the debris-filled, seven-acre area, he pointed to where there had been five ponds and drainage brooks used to raise brook and rainbow trout, which would have been used to stock many of Vermont’s rivers and streams in 2012.
“The buildings are old and tough and didn’t really sustain much damage,” Whalen said.
“I’m sure some of (the fish) made their way to the Third Branch,” Whalen said, referring to the branch of the White River.
Whalen said he and the two other full-time staff were able to capture as many as 10,000 fish and contain them in one of the ponds that had a section of open water, but many of the fish were left to die as the water receded and small pools the fish were in dried up.
Also among the losses were 20 percent of the brook trout eggs slated for 2013 stocking.
“It takes a year and half to raise the fish for stocking,”  Whalen said, “so we’re just doing what we can with them, but it is a glimmer of hope for us.”
Whalen said officials at the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife would have the ultimate say as to the fate of the hatchery, but that he was holding out hope it would be rebuilt.
“It’s going to take quite a bit of money to repair all this,” Whalen said.

In town
On Wednesday morning residents of Roxbury were waiting in line for gasoline at the town’s single pump at the Roxbury Country Store, which had a small generator running near the steps.
Inside the dimly lit space, Annette Sargent, manager of the store, joked with her regular customers, many who were there purchasing gasoline for their generators.
“I’ve been busy helping people with their generators,” said Rick Daniels, a master electrician. “A lot of people just weren’t ready for anything like this. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“They need to get help here soon,” said Germaine Morse, a resident. “You can spend $20 to $30 a day to run a generator.”
“I’m one of the lucky ones that have a generator,” Morse said. “There’s a lot of people out there who are just making due without power. We’re just trying to figure out how we’re going to pay for all this.”
It appeared it may not be too long for residents to have power restored, as the town finally has been able to open some of the roads needed for access to utility company trucks, which were parked in the school parking lot.
“Looks like they’re just figuring out where to go first,” Sargent said to a young boy who was asking what was going on.
Sargent said unless a major route to the town is open, there could be a gas shortage, as delivery trucks cannot get into the town from the north or the south, and that the only routes in are either over a mountain from Warren or by back roads from Northfield — many of which are one lane.
Roxbury Elementary School, which was slated to begin today, has been postponed until at least Tuesday.
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Comments

[Luke Wright]

Good luck VT your pride in your State and the will of your people will prosper through this difficult time. Hands will be given, but not held out.