SATURDAY STOCKINGS – WHAT’S WITH THAT?
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SATURDAY STOCKINGS – WHAT’S WITH THAT?
The every-other week Urban Fishing Program (UFP) fish stockings can occur any day of the week except Sundays. When stocking weeks are posted, they note that the actual day of stocking varies from a Monday to a Saturday. This past stocking week (January 19-24), trout were delivered to 9 of 21 lakes on Saturday, Jan. 24. The main goal of the UFP is to provide recreational fishing for everyone, including not just regular urban anglers, but anglers that may only be able to fish on weekends. Stockings on Saturday were witnessed by modest to large crowds. Many families, children and park users were able to witness first hand a fish stocking. Shouts of excitement, lots of questions, and even applause met the UFP staff and the staff of the private fish suppliers. Folks got to see what a stocking truck looks like, how lake water is carefully tested, how fish are placed into the water, and how the trout dart off in all directions when released into their new urban homes.
The Department works very hard to ensure that fish are successfully delivered every two weeks without fail. We make a huge commitment to oversee each and every stocking to ensure that every lake is successfully stocked as scheduled with just the right amount of fish that were ordered. The only occasions that affect a stocking are inclement weather conditions that prevent the out-of-state fish suppliers from bringing the fish into Arizona, and poor water quality conditions at a particular lake. For the past two years, the Urban Fishing Program has achieved an amazing 100% “on time” delivery record.