During its March 18-19, 2026, meeting, the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission voted to approve a recommendation from Game and Fish to fund the Dan Speas Warm and Cool Water Facility expansion project in the Casper Region.
Sletten Construction of Wyoming was awarded the project after submitting the lowest bid at $20,893,951, which is in line with engineer estimates.
Construction is expected to begin in September 2026, with completion slated for October 2027. The first walleye production is expected to begin in April 2028.
Game and Fish Fisheries Division Chief Alan Osterland said the main objective of the project is to establish a dedicated facility in Wyoming for producing warm- and cool-water fish species and reduce reliance on out-of-state sources like Arkansas, Nebraska and North Dakota. Additionally, construction also would serve an important secondary purpose in helping mitigate the introduction of aquatic invasive species (AIS) from other states.
Annually, nearly 1.5 million fish and up to 11 species of warm/cool water fish are brought from out-of-state facilities in Arkansas (Black Crappie, Channel Catfish), Nebraska (Sauger, Tiger Muskie), North Dakota (Northern Pike, Walleye) and Oklahoma (Bluegill).
Osterland said that while each shipment of imported game fish is carefully inspected and culled for any invasive species, a local hatchery would further mitigate this risk. He noted that as AIS are being discovered in a growing number of states importing fish to Wyoming, the risk of importing game fish into the state increases.
"Every year that we are able to prevent AIS from making it to our waterways, I think we are further ahead as far as the science is evolving and capabilities are evolving," Osterland said. "The longer we are able to prevent this happening, the more likely that if we do get it, the resources are there."
In addition, the facility would provide waterways with game fish that would continue to establish Wyoming as a premier location for anglers.
The facility will include dark and light production rooms, isolation rooms and advanced water conditioning systems.
