Welcome to Bennett Spring 2015

A special edition of Trout TalkA special edition of Trout Talk

2015 ISSUE2015 ISSUE

PAGE 2 WELCOME TO BENNETT SPRING

26248 Hwy 64A • Lebanon, MO 65536For Information or Reservations: (417)532-4307 or (800)334-6946

www.bennettspringstatepark.com E-Mail: [email protected] www.jimrogersflyschool.com

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Bennett Spring State Park

WELCOME TO BENNETT SPRING PAGE 3

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Welcome to Bennett Spring State Park!

Something for Everyone Bennett Spring State Park offers a little something for everyone in the family ......................................... Page 5

From Brice to BennettBennett Spring State Park is rich in history. It was once a milling community known as Brice, but it's now known for its lunkers, camping and canoeing......................................... Page 8

Opening Day: Traditions March 1 opens the trout season ......................................... Page 11

Get back to natureThe Bennett Spring Nature Center offers a unique look of the area......................................... Page 15

Lebanon, MO: We're Just Up The RoadJust a few miles up the road, Lebanon, Mo., offers unique shopping and entertainment opportunities........................................PAGE 16

Helping Mother NatureBSSP Hatchery staff spawn thousands of trout each year......................................... Page 20

Honoring Clarence HollandAnnual fi shing derby pays tribute to late hatchery manager's battle against cancer, raises funds to fi ght the disease ..........................................Page 28

CONTENTS

Cover design by Crystal Stokes

PAGE 5WELCOME TO BENNETT SPRING

Bennett Spring State ParkBennett Spring State ParkFrom picturesque scenery to rugged trails, fabulous fishing to cozy cabins — we've got it all!

enturies ago, the “Eye of the Sacred One” fi rst drew the Osage Indians to its banks. The clear blue waters are now known as Bennett Spring, the centerpiece

of one of Missouri’s oldest state parks.Bennett Spring continues to entice nature

lovers of every description. Situated in the Niangua River valley, the park offers many opportunities for trout fi shing, camping, hik-ing, bird watching, swimming and picnicking. Not only are the recreational options diverse and intriguing, but the scenery is enchanting and breathtaking — no matter what the season might be.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) completed many of the improvements and ad-ditions to the park during the 1930s. The rustic hiking trails carved out of the woods, the old stone bridge that arches over the waters of the spring, and the cozy park cabins welcoming weary fi shermen all resulted from their efforts. The serenity of the park, however, was perfect from the beginning.

A leisurely walk along the shaded Stream Trail reveals a stunning view of the clear spring waters. Fitness enthusiasts can opt to brave the rigorous seven-mile hike to the Natural Tunnel, while less-determined hikers may tread the two-mile Savanna Ridge Trail, which winds through the woods and atop bluffs overlook-ing the picturesque Ozarks mountains.

C

See ʻBennettʼ/ page 6

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From Page 5Nature walks guided by park natu-

ralists at the Nature Interpretive Center guarantee an authentic outdoor experi-ence. The nature center also houses ex-hibits explaining the history of the spring and describing the natural environment of the park. A variety of free and inter-esting presentations and programs are available throughout the year.

Bennett Spring’s most popular attrac-tion is the fi shing. Although the rainbow trout is not native to Missouri, it has become the state’s most popular sport fi sh since its introduction to the area.

Until they are large enough to be released into the spring branch, the trout are raised at the recently renovated hatchery in the park. The regular trout season runs from the beginning of March

to the end of October. In November, the “catch-and-release”

period begins and continues on Fri-days, Saturdays and Sundays through February. Year-round the rainbow trout beckon fi sherman from the Midwest and beyond.

Although Bennett Spring State Park is most widely known for its fi shing, its other amenities are readily available to those living within a day’s drive. When local swimming pools become overcrowded, the park’s impressive swimming pool can serve as an ideal alternative. When dinner at the same old restaurants seems unappetizing, the park’s dining lodge can impress dinner guests with its “down home” cooking. When the town’s event calendar is less than full, Bennett Spring area outfi tters can provide thrilling fl oat trips on the Niangua River.

Bennett Spring State Park is the region's very own Oz.

• Bennett


rout Fest is a celebration of trout fi shing in Missouri. It is taking place June 6 and 7 at Bennett Spring State Park. This is also “Free Fishing Weekend,” so all Trout Fest attendees are able to fi sh for free.

Trout Fest is a partnership between the Conserva-tion Federation of Missouri (CFM), Missouri State Parks, Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC).

Bennett Spring is one of the most popular state parks in Missouri, with visitors coming from all across the Midwest each year to fi sh, camp, picnic and more. The spring from which the park derives its name is the third largest in the state, producing an average of 1,000,000 gallons of water a day that pour into the Niangua River. This makes for prime trout fi shing habitat and opportunity.

Trout Fest consists of two days of free fi shing, edu-cational opportunities, hands-on experiences, vendors, entertainment and more. There will be tagged trout released each day into the stream. If an angler catches a tagged trout, all they have to do is bring it to the CFM booth where they will receive a prize. There are no fees to participate. Once Trout Fest attendees have fi nished

Inaugural event set for June 2015

T

See ‘Trout Fest’/ page 32

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ennett Spring State Park is one of Missouri’s first and most popular state parks, at-

tracting a growing num-ber of tourists every year.

The third largest natu-ral spring in the state of Missouri pumps one mil-lion gallons of water each and every day. Anglers from around the nation wade in the spring’s wa-ters in search of lunker-sized trout, and those looking for adventures in camping and canoeing come in droves each year, but there was once a time when Bennett Spring State Park was simply known as Brice, Mo.

During the 1920s, when America was enjoying prosperity following World War I, Bennett Spring (then known as Brice) was one of many areas considered by state planners to be preserved as a state park.

A Dec. 12, 1924, article in the Laclede County Re-publican newspaper stated that Lebanon Chamber of Commerce President O.A. Mayfi eld requested that the state consider Bennett Spring as a park site. It said the fi rst parcel of land, 8 1/2 acres that belonged to Josie Bennett Smith, would become a part of Bennett Spring State Park. The land was

purchased from Mrs. Smith on Dec. 27, 1924.

Several weeks later, an-other contract was signed between William Sher-man Bennett, Mrs. Smith’s brother, and the state for the sale of 565.33 acres. Of that land, 427 acres can be traced as belonging to James Brice, who settled there in 1837. The land where today’s park store, office, dining lodge and hatchery buildings stand once belonged to the Ben-nett family.

James Brice first came here while traveling in Missouri from Illinois in search of productive land and a healthful climate. He decided to stay at the

beautiful spring area, which reportedly teemed with wildlife. Elk, deer, wild turkeys and buffalo, even panthers, were said to drink from the enor-mous spring.

Brice homesteaded 160 acres, which included the spring, and eventually homesteaded additional acreage that included all of the land and the spring branch area.

He built the first mill in the vicinity where early farmers brought their corn for grinding. The mill eventually was washed away during a violent rainstorm and flood. Brice, the first permanent settler in the Bennett Spring area, died in 1855 and is buried in the Ben-nett Cemetery.

BThe homesteads of some of the area's founding families The homesteads of some of the area's founding families

are part of one of the state's most popular parksare part of one of the state's most popular parks

See ʻBriceʼ/ page 10

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From page 9The Bennett family later settled

at the spring area on land known as the Elmer Conn farm, site of the present Sand Spring Resort. The enterprising Peter Bennett built a mill at the spring outlet and Nian-gua River, which also later washed away in a rainstorm and flood. Ben-nett built a second mill, known as Bennett’s Mill, during the Civil War years. It became a center for trades-men and farmers. The mill was too small to accommodate the increase in business, so Bennett built a third mill and included a carding ma-chine that prepared wool for the spinning wheel. He also built a saw-mill in one section of the mill.

As business continued to grow, Bennett decided to construct a three-story building, and he pur-chased equipment for it in St. Louis. Since the railroad track went only to Rolla, Bennett and his employees

had to meet the train there and haul the equipment to Brice in ox-driven wagons — a slow process over the rocky fords of that time.

Peter Bennett married Anna Brice, the daughter of homesteader James Brice. After James Brice’s death, Peter and Anna inherited the property.

When Peter Bennett died in 1882, his son, William Sherman Bennett, continued to run the mill. Bennett’s daughter, Josie Bennett Smith, oper-ated a hotel at Brice for many years.

The Bennett Mill was destroyed by fire in 1895. Dr. John B. and Free-man Atchley built the last mill at Brice. Others who operated the mill in later years were J.E. Kelly, Mr. Runge and B.J. Usery. The mill stood as a landmark at Bennett Spring for sightseers and tradesmen alike. The Civilian Conservation Corps, which worked in the area during the 1930s, improved the mill. However, it later

was destroyed by fire. The CCC also constructed a log dam, foot trails, a new bridge and many other build-ings at the park.

The spring valley already had become a popular camping site in the late 1800s as area farmers waited their turns at the mill. According to a Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) brochure, campers would fi sh, hunt or visit with local townspeople to pass the time.

By the turn of the century, rec-reation was gaining in importance at Brice. According to the DNR brochure, in 1900 the Missouri fi sh commissioner introduced 40,000 mountain trout into the spring, and a privately owned fi sh hatchery was built in 1923, the year before the state bought the spring and some of the surrounding area for a state park.

The Brice Post Office was origi-nally built as a log building on

• Brice becomes Bennett Spring

See ‘Our history’/ page 30


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A tradition generations in the makingA tradition generations in the makinghere is just something spe-cial about Opening Day at Bennett Spring State Park. For 90 years, families from across the country have

been fl ocking to the park to fi nd their own special memories.

Gov. Jay Nixon, as well as leaders from the Missouri departments of conservation, natural resources, agri-culture and the state parks, were on hand for the March 1, 2014, Opening Day festivities, which was highlighted by the offi cial start of the season with the opening siren being sounded by Jefferson City’s Milt Barr.

Hatchery staff at Bennett Spring State Park take nominations all year long for the honor of sounding the opening siren. Typically, a long time angler at the park is tapped for the position, and 2014 was Barr’s year. He has been fi shing the banks of Bennett Spring for more than 50 years.

Barr said being the honorary whistle blower was like being selected to throw out the fi rst pitch of a major league baseball team’s season opener.

An avid angler at Bennett Spring State Park, Barr said he thought he

See ‘Opening Day’/ page 12


From Page 11might miss casting his line into the park’s waters when the opening siren sounded , but he wasn’t going to miss out on fi shing completely.

“I’m in the stream a lot, so I guess I can forfeit just this one time to repre-sent all of the passionate trout fi sher-men out there,” he said as a crowd began to gather inside the hatchery offi ce in anticipation of the 6:30 a.m. siren. “I will go out fi shing, and actu-ally my daughter and her husband will join me.”

When asked what the big draw was about a day to fi sh, Barr said cabin fever was to blame.

“Trout fi shermen have been cooped up all winter, and we have had a bad winter this year,” he said. “There is also a passion there. When you add cabin fever in there and reasonable weather, people are going to come out.”

Barr said he wasn’t nervous about

sounding the siren on Opening Day for his fellow anglers because he actu-ally had a little “dry run” on the day before with BSSP Hatchery Man-ager Mike Mitchell.

“I came and prac-ticed,” he said. “(Mitch-ell) assured me that if I profes-sionally hit the button, it would go off like it is supposed to.’

In honor of being selected as the honorary whistle blower, Barr was presented a trout tag with the number

0001.“I hope the governor is OK with

that,” Barr said with a laugh.As the clock continued to count

down, on-lookers and dignitaries began to fi ll the offi ce. Among those were on hand were Mis-souri De-partment of Conserva-tion Direc-tor Robert Ziehmer and MDC

Commission member Marilynn Brad-ford.

Bradford said she has many fond memories of Bennett Spring State

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Park, but March 1, 2014, was her fi rst trip to the park for Opening Day festivities.

“We are from Jefferson City, and my husband is the one who intro-duced me to fl y fi shing,” she said. “We come down often, but usually in warmer weather. It is just a wonder-ful resource and so family oriented here. We actually brought our grand-kids down several times last year and we had a great time.”

She added that Bennett Spring was her family’s “home park” and she feels a special connection to the area, so much so that she and her husband were among the private donors who gave to the handicapped assessable ramp that was installed in 2013 across the stream from the hatchery offi ce.

Ziehmer said Opening Day was more than just the start of fi shing in Missouri’s trout parks.

“It is really the fi rst day of spring,” he said. ‘Really, you stand or walk up and down the bank; you are going to see a lot of smiles. I’d really like to remind folks that this didn’t happen by accident. Citizen support to advanced conservation makes this possible, combined with world-class staff working day in and day out.”

He added that the staff of the hatchery at Bennett Spring not only works year-round to provide fi sh for anglers locally, but for other parks and urban fi shing areas across the state.

“This hatchery produces 300,000 fi sh a year,” Ziehmer said. “Most of those end up here in the spring branch, and it helps with our urban fi shing efforts. Missouri has 1.2 mil-

lion anglers in the state, and trout produced here at Bennett Spring fi nds their way to the urban fi shing program, as well as to the west side of the state to Kansas City and into the Niangua River.”

With 90 years under its belt, Ziehmer said things are happening just right at Bennett Spring.

“When you look at 90 years ago, I look at the landscape around here, and at some of the water qualities that we had right here in the Leba-non area years ago and look at what has changed,” he said. “The water in the spring branch and the Niangua River is much improved through pri-vate land owners and conservation efforts that have been made. The his-

tory of the park and of conservation and the state of Missouri is incred-ible. It is a national model.”

About 10 minutes before the of-fi cial start, Nixon made his way to the hatchery and eagerly shook the hands of those who were waiting his arrival.

Soon, the delegation moved to their posts, and as Barr’s smile began to grow, Mitchell coaxed a countdown from onlookers.

As the crowd counted down to one, Barr “professionally” pressed the button to sound the siren to offi cially open the season at Bennett Spring State Park and launch another year of tradition.

Following the sounding of the siren, hatchery manager Mike Mitchell said the start of the season is always an exciting time. Hatchery staff stocked about 10,000 fi sh and 100 lunkers in the stream in anticipation of about 3,000 anglers.

Mitchell described Bennett as a “tried and true facility,” with a tre-mendous amount of family ties that have been developed over the park's 90 years.


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trout fi shing isn't exactly what you and your fam-ily are looking for, there's still lots to do in the Ben-nett Spring area — including a leisurely trip down the peaceful Niangua River.

The Niangua River (pronounced “nigh-ang-wha”) is a 125-mile-long tributary of the Osage River in the Ozarks region of southern and central Missouri in the United States. Via the Osage and Missouri rivers it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.

The Niangua River is formed in Webster County by the confl uence of its short east and west forks, and fl ows general-ly northward through Dallas, Laclede and Camden counties,

past Bennett Spring, Lake Niangua and Ha Ha Tonka state parks. It fl ows into the Osage River as an arm of the Lake of the Ozarks, which is formed by the Bagnell Dam on the Osage. As part of the lake it collects the Little Niangua River.

While the Niangua is toasted as one of the better fi shing rivers in the state, it also offers on-the-wataer adventures for all skill levels.

There are numerous locally-owned river outfi tters near Bennett Spring State Park that offer canoe, kayak, tube and raft rentals.

Outfi tters offer fl oat trips, camping along the Niangua River

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Get back to natureThe Bennett Spring Nature Center

has seen more visitors than one can possibly count in its more than 45-year history.

Originally intended to be the trail-head of the park, the center included living quarters, kitchen facilities and bathrooms for the naturalist stationed there. Since then, it has become much more than the original contractors intended.

Before its construction, the area was quite bare. What is now a forest with trails and an amphitheatre was once a large hayfi eld used by the farmers that had inhabited the area since the days of the Brice Township.

In 1969, the original nature center was converted into a feed center for the fi sh hatchery, and the current Nature Center opened its doors. The Center was one of the fi rst facilities built in Missouri for the sole purpose of being a nature center.

George Kastler served as the natu-ralist from 1969 to 1979, followed by Doug Ladd (1980-1985) and Diane Tucker (1986-present).

See ʻNature Centerʼ/ page 17

ome to Lebanon to relive the history of Route 66, the “Main Street of America." Historic Route 66 brings travelers from throughout the world to Leba-non, eager to "get their kicks

on Route 66." You can learn more about this era with a visit to The Route 66 Museum and Research Center, which has been featured in Best of the Midwest Travel Magazine. This fascinating 3,500-square-feet museum is located in the Lebanon-Laclede County Library and has an extensive map col-lection and vignettes about the diners, gas stations, motels and communities

built along Route 66. Come learn what travel was like in its heyday. Admission is absolutely free.

Set aside a nice chunk of time to experience our shopping. Lebanon is home to the Shepherd Hills Fac-

tory Outlet, the world’s largest dealer of top-selling Case Knives. The huge store also offers so much more, including Ozark walnut bowls, Mikasa china and Denby pottery.

There’s outstanding outlet shopping at The Mall, which offers jeans, shoes, housewares and other must-have items. Visit one of our many family-owned antique shops and be sure to

stop in at the Heartland Antique Mall, which has more than 250 dealers and 40,000 square feet of antiques, a Rus-sell Stover Candy Outlet, cheese outlet and crafts mall.

The Kenneth E. Cowan Civic Cen-ter is the pride of Lebanon, a state-of-the-art, multipurpose facility with a 46,000-square foot exhibition hall, meeting rooms, a 675-seat theater, out-door arena and grand foyer. This fa-cility has been home to diverse events such as rodeos, trade shows, concerts, demolition derbies, banquets, fairs, plays and weddings.

In addition, we are extremely ex-cited that NASCAR short-track racing has returned to the I-44 Speedway with racing every weekend from April through September. You can also be sure to catch some mudslinging fun at our premier dirt track, Lebanon Mid-way Speedway. Golf is available at our GreatLife Golf and Fitness Center, a semi-private, 18-hole championship


C

We're just up the road!Lebanon, Mo., has a little something

for everyone year round

See ‘Lebanon’/ page 29


From Page 15For much of its existence,

the Nature Center was sea-sonal, but now it is open full time.

In the late 1970s, the am-phitheatre was constructed, allowing the naturalists to conduct outdoor demonstra-tions and shows. In 1985, new exhibits were construct-ed as part of the fi rst major update to the Center.

When the living quarters were removed, the remain-ing bathrooms were convert-ed for patron use. During this time, the center’s original fl at roof was converted to a pitched one.

Originally, the St. John’s Wort planted along the sidewalk was intended to be kept small, but it was removed soon because of security issues. Shrubs were planted behind the center in the open fi eld about the

time it stopped being mowed. In the early 1990s, several large Viburnum shrubs at the corner of the center were moved to another location in the park, and the wooden welcome sign between the fl ag poles was taken out a few years ago.

In 2008, the Center received a ma-jor overhaul. Most of the exhibits in-

stalled by Chase Studio in 1985 were ‘refreshed’” with lighting, techno-logical and text updates. Exhibit additions in-cluded the interactive exhibit with springs, the mill structures and the current park map.

In its younger days, the park had far fewer amenities, and camping was done on a greater scale on all sides of the nature center, causing it to be the focus of the

park. While many additional features have been added in the years since the Center’s construction, campers and tourists shouldn’t be deterred; the Nature Center still offers a great deal of information, fun exhibits, guided nature walks and programs.

For additional information, con-tact the center at (417) 532-3925.

• Nature Center


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egend has it a can of fry trout dumped into the waters of Bennett Spring thrived, mak-ing the stream a trout stream.

However, because conditions aren't favorable for trout to spawn naturally in the cool waters of the spring-fed stream, the Missouri De-partment of Conserva-tion and the staff of the Ben-nett Spring State Park Trout Hatchery help out.

Spawn-ing sea-son at the hatchery typically begins in the fall, normally in late August, and continues through the end of October.

Females are checked to see if their eggs are ripe for fertilization. The eggs are only ripe inside the females for about a week, so it is

important that they are harvested promptly. Eggs that are overripe are stripped from the female and not used, and the fish are then released back into the hatchery’s pools for the next year’s spawn. Males, however, are used multiple times throughout the spawning season.

A single drop of milt — fi sh se-men — can fertilize about 10,000 eggs.

On spawn day, hatchery staff mem-bers bring male fi sh into the hatchery building, where the milt is collect-ed. Fish are

sexed in the fall, and male and female brood stock are kept separate, simply for convenience, during the spawning process. The brood stock is typically between 2 and 6 years of age.

The hatchery keeps about 3,000

PAGE 20 WELCOME TO BENNETT SPRINGBennett Spring State Park Hatchery...

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See ‘Spawning’/ page 25


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www.bennettspringstatepark.com • email: [email protected] • www.jimrogersflyschool.com

Bennett Spring State Park

Just because the regular trout season ends on Oct. 31 doesn’t mean you will have to put up your fly rod for the winter.

Bennett Spring State Park also offers a special catch-and-release season.

The catch-and-release season at the park is from the second Friday in November to the second Monday in February. Fishing is only al-lowed from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Monday during the season.

A state fishing license and a trout tag are needed to fish during the catch-and-release season. Only flies are permitted during the win-ter catch-and-release season.

A fly is defined as an artificial lure construed on a single point hook, using any material except soft plastic bait, natural bait or scented bait that is tied, glued or otherwise permanently attached.

And, as the season’s name states, it is catch and release only.

For those who want to take advantage of the cooler weather

and spend the weekend at Bennett Spring, there will be a limited num-ber of cabins available during the winter months.

For more information or to make

reservations, call (417) 532-4307 or (800) 334-6946.

The Bennett Spring State Park Store will also offer limited hours during the fall and winter months.


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Just like most adult anglers, not much stops young fi sher-men from fl ooding into Bennett Spring State Park on one special Saturday in May.

Each year, the park quadrants off a special area for the annual Kids Fishing Day at the park, which is open to youth ages 17 and younger. Hundreds of young anglers turned out for the annual event each year, and 2014 was no exception.

The park holds Kids Fishing Day in an effort to inspire interest in the outdoors in the youngsters. Besides the fi sh-ing, which was the main draw, kids also were treated to a free lunch, as well as demonstrations of fl y-tying, a “touch tank” that allowed the youngsters to get up close and per-sonal with the pelts, skulls and other parts of various forms of wildlife, and demonstrations of fi sh cleaning and frying. Volunteers and staff of the World Bird Sanctuary also were on hand with some cuddly and some scary birds, including two species of owl, a peregrine falcon and an augur buzzard, which is an African bird of prey.

Park staff anticipated 1,000 to 1,200 kids attending and had stocked special areas for them to fi sh in. More than 4,000 trout, including 25 lunkers, were released into the lower part of Zone 2 and the beginning of Zone 3 prior to the 2014 event.

Jennifer Grundy and her husband brought their nieces to take part in the fun last year. The Grundy family has been coming to Kids Fishing for about seven years, Jennnifer said.

“My husband and my father-in-law love fl y fi shing,” she said. “We’ve worked really hard to get the kids involved so they can have a good time too. ... The other day they were sitting in the front yard with their fi shing poles in lawn-chairs, casting.”

A day for the kids at Bennett SpringEvent draws thousands of junior anglers

See ‘Kids Fishing Day’/ page 24


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From Page 23McKenna and Brooklynn Gilpin had been waiting since Christ-

mas to wear their matching pink Bennett Spring fi shing vests. Not only were they hauling in the trout during Kids Fishing Day, but they looked good doing it.

“I caught two,” Brooklynn said. “I got a lot of bites but I lost some of them.”

The Gilpin girls at ages 11 and 7 were the guests of their grand-parents, Karen and Phil Kanngiesser, who have an RV parked year-round at an area campground.

“I’ve been coming down here for years,” Phil said. “About two weeks ago we were down here and we caught a lot of fi sh. Then when we looked at Weaver’s (Tackle Store) website, (McKenna) was on it.”

“When they get that fi rst one, it’s like it gets in your blood to keep going,” Karen said.

Both girls have been fi shing since they were old enough to walk, and they just love it, Karen said.

Danny and Sherry Hightower brought their three kids, Shelby, Brodie and Jackson, to try their luck Saturday. This was the second Kids Fishing Day for them.

“We only come during the Kids Fishing Day,” Sherry said. “They like the activities that they have.”

The water was so clear during the 2014 event, the kids could see the fi sh swimming around, which got them eager to catch some, she added.

• Kids Fishing Day


From Page 20The hatchery keeps about 3,000

females and between 500 and 600 males. The brood stock is eventually turned into the stream as lunkers.

Hatchery technicians gets quickly to work on spawning days, dipping the male fi sh from a holding pool and plac-ing them into a smaller tank, where they are sedated. The Tricaine mesylate that is added to the smaller tank quickly calms the fi sh, allowing hatchery staff to handle the lunkers without stress as the milt is collected. The drug, also known as MS-222, quickly wears off after the fi sh are returned to fresh water, which is pumped continuously though the hatchery from the spring’s fl owing stream.

Seasoned spawning veterans Jesse Huntley (15 years) and Gerald Hen-dricks (32 years) make the milt collection look easy as they maneuver their hands around the fi sh to harvest the milt, which is transferred from the fi sh into test tubes.

It doesn’t take long for the crew to collect milt from 60 males. The tubes are then placed into a refrigerator, but not for long.

Hatchery staff then move in a group of females to begin checking and gather-ing eggs. The females, like the males, are transferred to a smaller tank and sedated. On a spawn day, eggs are collected from about 250 females. The "ripe" females are taken to a drying station, then to a collec-tion area.

Assistant Hatchery Manager Mike Perry and resource technician Brandon Goss explained that the females are dried because if the collected eggs are exposed to water, they are only fertile for about 30 seconds. The bellies of the male fi sh are also dried prior to collection.

Spawning in the wild, Perry said, requires the males to be at the female’s nest immediately upon the female’s release of eggs or they simply turn into fi sh food.

With the assistance of a small injec-tion of air into the females, eggs are collected and caught in a net, then trans-ferred into a smaller holding bowl. Once the bowl is full, a saltwater solution, which aids in fertilization, is added as two test tubes of milt are poured in. The eggs and milt are then mixed by hand.

“Fertilization is almost instanta-neous,” Goss explains as he stirs the eggs, milt and water. “They are fertil-ized within about 30 seconds.”

After an hour in a distilled water bath, the eggs are then moved into a large tube to await hatching. The tube simulates the movement of a current in a stream.

The eggs remain moving in the tubes for about 21 days. Exactly when the tiny fi sh emerge from their shells depends on the temperature of the water. Each tube has about 67,000 eggs, and after about 10 days the eyes

of the fi sh begin to be seen. Not every egg will produce a trout. Actually, only about 15 to 20 percent of the eggs collected turn into sac fry, which Perry said is much higher than the survival rate of those trout spawned in a stream.

“We’re looking at about 450,000 to 500,000 fi sh from this spawn,” Perry said.

After hatching, the sac fry are moved into troughs, where they will remain under the watchful eye of staff through the “fl oat up” stage and until they are about 3 inches long.

Perry and Goss explained that the staff carefully watches for signs of disease and deformity. They also start feeding the fi sh when they are in the fl oat up stage.

“We start them on a really fi ne ground feed,” Perry said. “Once they get bigger, their feed gets bigger.”

After about six months inside the hatchery, the trout are moved to the outdoor raceways, where most people see them swimming by, awaiting food from passersby. The fi sh are about 3 inches long when they are moved to the outdoor raceways.

It takes about 18 months to two years for fi sh hatched inside the walls of the hatchery to reach the stream. The average release size is about 12 inches.

Tours of the hatchery can be arranged for groups by calling 417-532-4418.

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4WELCOME TO BENNETT SPRING PAGE 27

1


longstanding tradition takes place the second weekend in October at Bennett Spring State Park to honor a long-time hatch-ery manager who lost a battle

against cancer. The annual Clarence Holland Memo-

rial Trout Fishing Derby draws over 1,000 hopeful anglers to the park to win a wide-variety of prizes while raising money for the American Cancer Society. The derby began more than 30 years ago and has raised more than $50,000.

There is no entry fee, but anglers are asked to make a small donation.

Clarence Holland was the Bennett Spring Hatchery Manager for many years and died in April 1977. The Holland Dam, just down the stream from the spring head, also bears Holland’s name.

Bennett Spring State Park Concession-aire Jim Rogers said in an effort to honor Holland and his work at Bennett, the idea of a fishing derby was born.

Clarence HollandClarence HollandAnnual fi shing derby pays tribute to late hatchery manager's battle

A

Honoring

See ‘Derby’/ page 29

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From Page 16golf course located between Lebanon and Bennett Spring.

The kids will love spending time at the beautiful parks and the Boswell Aquatic Center or visiting Whirlwind Ranch, an alpaca ranch where you can purchase hand-knit items made of soft alpaca yarn.

Stay at a comfortable national chain hotel, a family-owned motel, a neon-lit Route 66 landmark, or a charm-ing bed and breakfast. Whatever lodging you choose, you can count on Lebanon’s famous, friendly hospitality. You won’t go hungry when you visit. Whether you’re into Ozark barbecue, pizza, ethnic offerings, down-home com-fort food or upscale cuisine, we have you covered.

Come experience Lebanon’s fun, friendliness, character and diversity. You’ll enjoy the visit and you’ll be glad you came.

For more information, please contact city of Lebanon Tourism Department toll free at (866) LEBANON, or visit the website at www.lebanonmo.org.

From Page 28Hatchery staff members release about 100 specially

tagged trout into the waters of Bennett Spring. To be en-tered in the drawing, one must land a fi sh with one of the special tags.

Tag numbers are drawn at the end of the event and when an angler’s number is drawn, they will have the op-portunity to win the prizes.

Tags are attached to the fi sh on a gill and can be easily removed. Once the tag is removed, the angler can either keep the fi sh, as long as it is a legal catch, or turn it loose.

“By not making it the biggest fi sh or the fi rst fi sh, it re-ally makes it fair for everyone,” Rogers said. “It’s fair for adults, kids, everybody.”

For more information contact the Bennett Spring Park Store at 417-532-4301.

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From Page 14Floats can be all day, overnight or just a few hours,

and outfitters can accommodate groups of any size. Summer isn't the only season when outfitters launch

boats. Many offer year-round river adventures. Need a place to stay? Look no further than the local

campgrounds. They offer rough camping, cabins and RV hookups. The area also has a few top-notch motels for people to choose from.

After a trip down the river, many of the camp-grounds offer a little "night life" to its guests with live music and other activities.

For those who like it a little quieter in the evening, there are campgrounds that cater to you as well.

From page 10the riverbank and named after James Brice. In later years, it was located in a general store operated by William Sherman Bennett and his wife, Louie. The name of the post office was changed to Bennett Spring in 1939 and finally was dis-continued in 1965. Arlie Bramwell was the last postmaster at Bennett Spring.

It was reported that in the early 1900s that William Sherman Ben-nett had a number of cans of young trout emptied into the spring. The trout thrived in the cold waters, at-tracting many fishermen.

Brice was the location where famed author Harold Bell Wright completed work on his classic novel, “The Shepherd of the Hills.’’ Wright also wrote “The Calling of

Dan Matthews,’’ while he lived in Lebanon. In that book, Wright’s “Gordon’s Mill’’ actually was Bennett’s Mill.

Today, one off the oldest origi-nal buildings at Bennett Spring is the Bennett Spring Church of God, organized in 1917 through the influ-ence of William Sherman and Louie Boles Bennett, who donated land for the church site. In the 1950s, stone veneer was applied over the wood-en structure. It is the only original building that was in old Brice.

“Aunt Louie’’ Bennett was pastor of the church for many years. Today, Bennett Spring Church of God is a very active church and is visited by many fishermen staying at the park each trout season.

In 1933, the Civilian Conserva-tion Corps (CCC) and the Works Project Administration (WPA) were two new programs implemented by the U.S. government to put people to work during the Great Depres-sion. Much work was done at Ben-nett Spring starting in November of that year. The crews’ first tasks were to build barracks for themselves.

They built a new dam, a bridge, a dining lodge, six cabins, a store and post office building, shelters, houses, roads and trails. They also renovated the old Atchley Mill.

The men also constructed a sec-ond set of gravel-bottomed hatch-ery rearing pools and in 1935 built a new section onto the hatchery building. After the men left in 1938, they dismantled all but one of their barracks.

Through the years most of the development at the park has taken place outside of the park’s boundar-ies as private individuals built cab-ins, hotels, campgrounds and many other businesses. In 1969, Arlie Bramwell sold his wood and stone cabins to the state. Ralph Usery’s cabins were razed. Splan’s Resort was once a very busy place there. Vogel’s Resort was acquired by the state in 1980.

In 1969, the Nature Interpretive Center opened at the park with George Kastler as the first natural-ist, and in 1982 the park dedicated a new office and store building close to the dining lodge on the site of the original Brice. Later the park’s Niangua entrance was renamed the Bramwell Entrance in honor of Arlie Bramwell.

An additional 1,650 acres of land to the south of the current state boundary was purchased in No-vember 1988 to provide watershed protection for Bennett Spring itself as well as the park area. Each year has brought more improvements.

Now, at 3,216 acres, the state park that arose around Peter Ben-nett’s spring continues to delight all comers.


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From page 7fi shing, we hope they’ll take in some of the other opportunities the festival and state park has to offer.

The four organizations partnering to present Trout Fest are united behind a message of conservation, but each brings a slightly different perspective to Trout Fest.

CFM is the largest citizens conserva-tion organization in the state, represent-ing thousands of members and over 80 affi liated organizations. With many dedicated trout fi sherman as members of CFM, and a number of trout orga-nizations and clubs as affi liates, CFM sees Trout Fest as a way to promote the recreational aspects of visiting state parks and trout fi shing, along with the importance of sound conservation.

Trout Fest offers another reason for Missourians to visit one of our incredible parks, in this case Bennett Spring, and to explore the wonders of nature. Missouri state parks are some of the fi nest in the country, and Trout

Fest will help shed light on one of our greatest.

DNR has an opportunity through Trout Fest to shed light on the importance of water, both from a health perspective and a recreational perspective. With 2015 being the year of water in Mis-souri, Trout Fest is a perfect tie-in. Ben-nett Spring is a perfect example of our state’s incredible natural resources.

For MDC, Trout Fest is a chance to further highlight the amazing cold wa-ter fi shing opportunities we have here

in Missouri. Many fi shermen may not be aware that Missouri offers excep-tional trout fi shing. Trout Fest will help raise awareness.

Trout Fest is bringing all of these important groups and agencies together with a single event aimed at raising awareness and promoting outdoor rec-reation. All the attendees are in for an exciting festival environment focused on celebrating trout, fi shing and parks.

We hope to see you at Bennett Spring for Trout Fest this June!

• Trout Fest coming to BSSP

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