PARIS, Mich. — In its heyday, back when the American road trip had more pit stops and dads would routinely pull the family station wagon off the highway for a roadside picnic, the Paris State Fish Hatchery was a popular attraction.
Located in between Big Rapids and Reed City, a short distance from the route that brings most Michiganders up north (US-131), the fish hatchery once held thousands upon thousands of salmon and trout fingerlings, ready to be picked up and stocked by train.
“A great place for families to stop on their travels,” said Jeff Abel, superintendent of Mecosta County Parks. “Get the kids out of the car for a while and experience the nice ponds and the park settings.”
In 1973, the Mecosta County Parks Commission acquired the hatchery — established in 1881 — and turned it into a public park. These days, though, the fish ponds hold more history than trout. Having fallen into a state of disrepair, portions of the property are collapsed or closed, and only two of the park’s five ponds currently hold water.
“Very saddening, the current condition of them,” Abel said. “Pulls at your heartstrings when you know what it was and then to see what it is now.”
An anomaly among parks departments in Michigan, Mecosta County Parks is not supported by a millage, meaning the money required to reopen and repair the ponds must be sourced from somewhere else.
In the absence of a tax appropriation, the people of Mecosta County formed a Save the Ponds committee, collaborating with the Fremont Area Community Foundation, the Mecosta County Park Commission and Mecosta County Development Corporation.
“I think the drive from the committee members — and even myself — is the memories that have been created,” Abel said.
Through a six-step plan, the Save the Ponds committee plans to repair walls, dams and the raceway connecting the five ponds, allowing water to again flow freely between them. While $250,000 is likely needed to reopen the ponds to the public, Abel says more than $2 million may be needed for a total renovation.
The ponds, he says, “Can really speak to the culture of how [Paris] was even created, what brought people to this area. It's the pride in the community and the centerpiece of what the town is.”
In November, the Mecosta County Board of Commissioners began the fundraising effort by donating $75,000 to the campaign. The money came from the county’s excise tax on marijuana. Other businesses have donated labor.
“There's definitely appreciation for the waterways,” Abel said. “That's what Michigan is: a waterways state.”
To donate to the Save the Ponds committee, click here.
