April 25, 2006
by Bob Pratte/The Press Enterprise

Coachella Valley and San Gorgonio Pass residents who have a fondness for the outdoors should be ecstatic that the Whitewater Trout Co. was sold.

The reason for rejoicing is not because the landmark hatchery five miles up Whitewater Canyon has closed its pay-to-fish pond.

The good news is that it was purchased by the Friends of the Desert Mountains conservation group for $3.4 million, with the big help of a $1.7 million contribution from the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy, a state agency.

The fish hatchery is a key piece of the puzzle forming a wildlife corridor across the desert mouth of the San Gorgonio Pass, linking the rugged, south side of Mt. San Gorgonio with the equally spectacular north face of Mt. San Jacinto.

The purchase of the fish hatchery is big news because it was a beautiful place to loaf while paying to hook easy-to-catch fish.

The agency's other acquisitions in recent years were important, too.

A ranch near the hatchery was purchased, as was a big hunk of property at Interstate 10 where animals can pass beneath the freeway. Land around Snow Creek Village, the wilderness outpost where I loved living for 10 years, also was bought in the wildlife-corridor effort.

What I like about the purchases is that preserving habitat also saves the beautiful, wild places where they live.

There is no telling what might have happened to the fish hatchery. It could have become a paintball-fighting camp. Maybe it could have been a luxury resort. I'm glad it will remain nature-oriented.

I used to enjoy riding a bike from Snow Creek Village to the trout farm. I often towed our two children in a trailer that we called a kinderwagen.

The ride was a beautiful climb between canyon walls. When we reached the fish hatchery, we would buy breakfast in an old lodge where the Shearer family operated their fishing enterprise for decades before selling eight years ago to Robert Nahodil. Nahodil sold to the conservation group.

Sometimes I'd carry a little ice chest filled with snacks for the kids during stops by the Whitewater River. We'd use the chest to chill fish we caught before taking the fast, downhill ride home. It was great adventure.

I'm sorry the fishing was halted, but something good will happen at the hatchery, which is right by the Pacific Crest Trail.

Bill Havert, president of the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy, said the agency rarely takes title to property but instead prefers having a group such as Friends of the Desert Mountains manage land that is saved. He does not believe people will be kept away from the trout farm property. "I feel the friends intend to keep public access," he said.

Ted Lennon, president of the friends group, said many uses are being considered for the property, which would be ideal for an environmental-science youth camp, a wilderness retreat, a stopover point for Pacific Crest Trail hikers or even as a reborn hatchery.

Lennon said providing access to the Pacific Crest Trail is an important consideration. "We've got an open mind," he said. "We're going to look at every situation."

The important use already was accomplished. The purchase preserved a beautiful place.

You can reach Press Enterprise writer, Bob Pratte at (951) 763-3452 bpratte@PE.com