State Fish Hatchery in Burlington flooded during a storm, killing fish

Also on Friday, June 21, a tornado touched down in nearby Harwinton, packing winds of up to 80 miles per hour. Storms on Sunday afternoon caused more than 12,000 power outages across the state. The National Weather Service reported storm damage in Fairfield, Litchfield, New Haven, Hartford and Tolland counties.

At the hatchery, Friday’s fast-moving rain introduced sediment into the hatchery’s water systems.

“We unfortunately lost some fish due to storm-related damage, but fortunately we did not suffer any major losses. Some of the lost fish would be part of a bonus stockpile we had planned before the 4th of July holiday,” says Will Healey , a spokesperson for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

“(But) our fish losses have not been significant, and while we have suffered some damage to infrastructure, we will be able to restore it so as not to have a significant impact on our fish farming operations,” Healey said.

According to David Piera, supervisor at the hatchery, Belden Road was washed away. “The road drains were completely flooded,” he said. The hatchery is located at 34 Belden Road.

“We probably lost about 20 fish,” Piera said.

On Monday, Burlington city workers joined DEEP’s Engineering and Support Services team in repairing the Belden Road embankment and removing sand and other sediment, he said.

“In the 15 years I’ve been here, I’ve never seen rain like this,” Piera said. “It came so hard and fast, it just filled everything.”

The oldest fish hatchery in Connecticut, the Burlington Fish Hatchery, was built in 1923. According to the state’s website, “artesian springs and nearby streams provide all the water needed for operation, keeping electrical needs to a minimum and state of Connecticut. most cost-effective facility… The hatchery produces brook trout, brown trout, kokanee and rainbow trout for fisheries management programs.