![]() These good conditions, combined with the hatchery’s regular stocking efforts, have given the lake a well-deserved reputation for fish quantity and quality. Cold-water discharges from Table Rock Dam during hydro-electric generation create water temperatures that are suitable for trout habitat over much of the lake’s 22-mile length. Fish and Wildlife staff at the Neosho National Fish Hatchery in Neosho, Lake Taneycomo has become a widely renowned trout-fishing destination. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps operates Table Rock Dam), and U.S. Thanks in large part to the joint management efforts of Missouri Department of Conservation staff at Shepherd of the Hills, Empire District Electric Company (Empire owns the reservoir), the U.S. More than 700,000 of those fish-the bulk of which are rainbows-go into Taneycomo each year. ![]() The state’s largest trout hatchery, located on the west end of Lake Taneycomo just below Table Rock Dam, raises approximately 1,250,000 rainbow and brown trout annually. It’s true that Shepherd’s foremost mission is to fuel Missourians’ ongoing love affair with trout fishing. To anyone who has visited the facility, though, it makes perfect sense. Those unfamiliar with Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery may think it’s odd to put a veteran’s memorial at a place designed to raise trout. “This could not have been done by any one group.” “The bottom line of this project is that it was a community effort,” said John Miller, the naturalist programs supervisor at Shepherd of the Hills. People and groups involved in this cooperative venture included members of the Shepherd of the Hills Garden Club, the Branson Chapter of Trout Unlimited, the American Legion Post 220, Perberton-Jennings Post 220, members of Branson Cub Scout Pack 93, students from College of the Ozarks and the work of local landscaper Chris Lambing. The dedication ceremony was the culmination of an effort that began more than a year before. Shepherd of the Hills’ marker, a sign surrounded by a decorative landscaping arrangement of native stone and native wildflowers, is located near the entrance to the hatchery’s Conservation Center. “Our country is the ‘Home of the free, because of the brave.” These markers are small tokens of gratitude from us to them (the veterans) to let them know we will not forget.” “The Blue Star Memorial symbolizes the freedom we enjoy in the USA,” said Bev Brown, a member of the Shepherd of the Hills Garden Club and the chairman of the club’s Blue Star Memorial Project. At present, there are 57 Blue Star Memorial Markers in Missouri and more than 2,000 nationwide. In 1951, the program’s mission was enlarged to include all men and women who have served, are currently serving or will serve in the U.S. The program’s initial purpose was to honor the men and women who served in the U.S. The Blue Star Memorial Marker Program is a nation-wide effort of the National Garden Clubs Inc. A crowd that included armed forces veterans, Shepherd of the Hills Garden Club members, Missouri Department of Conservation personnel, Branson city officials, and Missouri Conservation Commissioner Don Johnson, himself a veteran, were on hand to witness the dedication. In November 2009, a dedication ceremony was held at Missouri Department of Conservation’s Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery near Branson to unveil the facility’s newest feature-a Blue Star Memorial Marker. A facility where people can learn about the importance of protecting our outdoor resources has become a site where visitors can appreciate the men and women who protect our country.
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