| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property named 'Brule River Fish Hatchery'. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office.
2022 DESCRIPTION
The dam and bridge at the Brule Fish Hatchery is a cast concrete dam constructed in 1941 by the Fisheries Department of the Wisconsin Conservation Department. The dam creates the head pond at the Little Brule River and is constructed below the bridge on Hatchery Road. The structure presumably replaced the first dam constructed at the head pond in 1929 for the hatchery and remains extant. Douglas County was constructed in the fall of 1926 concurrent with the construction of the rearing house; it was blacktopped in 1943.
The Brule River State Fish Hatchery consists of the rearing house, a shop/garage building (AHI 32544), two residences (AHI 32543; 32593), two residence garages (244833; 32595), concrete dam (32545), seventeen concrete raceways (32597), four earthen rock-lined raceways, eight rearing ponds, a flood bypass channel, and a waste treatment settling pond.
1991 DESCRIPTION
This bridge features a concrete foundation and concrete walls. Other structures located near this site include a raceway, a garage, a fish hatchery, stairs, two residences, and a garage. (See Map Codes 29/19, 29/20, 29/21, 29/22, 29/23, 30/5).
DESCRIPTION OF COMPLEX:
The Brule River State Fish Hatchery is located one and a half miles south of Brule off of Highway 27 in Douglass County. Located in the beautiful Brule River State Forest, the hatchery is a scenic, serene spot to view first hand how the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources raised fish. Built as a rearing station in 1927, it did not hatch eggs, it received all of the fish from other hatcheries. From the beginning of operations in 1927, until 1988, all of the raceways were outdoors. In 1988, a building was constructed over the raceways to protect the sensitive young fish raised in those areas. Presently, Brule River State Fish Hatchery does hatch eggs and raise fish. The addition of facilities to hatch eggs classifies the facility as a hatchery instead of a rearing station.
The complex consists of two private residence, rearing buildings, a shop/office and garages. The buildings, more used for hatchery operations, are all built with pale adam green wood board and white wood trim. The residences differ in style, but are painted with the same color scheme. The buildings are in above average condition and the raceways are also beautifully well-kept. |
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| Bibliographic References: | Brule River State Fish Hatchery. “The History of the Brule River State Fish Hatchery.” Unpublished manuscript. Brule, Wisconsin: Brule River State Fish Hatchery, no date.
Hubbard, Nancy J. 1991 State Facilities Survey: Reconnaissance Survey Report. Milwaukee: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning, 1991.
Wisconsin Conservation Commission. "Little Brule Dam." Blue prints. Fisheries Department, Wisconsin Conservation Department, 1941. On file at Brule River State Fish Hatchery. |
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