The Manchester Fish Hatchery has a new mural.
The mural was installed last fall, but it was celebrated by those who had a hand in it during a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday.
The Fish Hatchery is tucked away off Old Highway 20 just east of Manchester – and it’s a hidden gem for Delaware County.
That’s Dan Rosauer with the Manchester Fish Hatchery, who says it’s great to see groups coming together to promote the hatchery.
The mural was made possible by the Maquoketa River Watershed Management Authority. Through an Iowa DNR watershed planning grant, they enlisted the help of the University of Iowa’s Initiative for Sustainable Communities program, which takes students out of the classroom and into communities to complete real-world projects.
Sean Tyler was one of two University of Iowa art students who contributed to the artwork.
The mural spans three sides of the water tower at the Fish Hatchery. She says the project was about a nine month process, with the painting itself taking about two weeks. The panels were painted inside the U of I art building to protect the mural from the outside environment and then the panels were shipped up to Fish Hatchery last fall. The newly-formed Friends of the Manchester Fish Hatchery Group helped fund part of the project, making sure the surface of the water tower was ready for the mural’s installation.
Tyler says it’s special to see her artwork making an impact.
The Manchester Fish Hatchery grounds are open each day from sunrise to sunset. Tours are self-guided around the exterior raceways of trout.
photos courtesy of Janelle Tucker/KMCH
