Wednesday May 10, 2023
Columbia Gorge News —
National fish hatcheries (NFH) in the Columbia River Gorge have released more than 10 million juvenile Chinook salmon into the lower Columbia River and its tributaries, continuing a more than 70-year program that supports Tribal and sport fish harvest.
The hatcheries, part of the Columbia River Gorge National Fish Hatchery Complex, also support a program that affirms Native American treaty-reserved fishing rights in the Columbia River Basin and helps conserve wild salmon stocks, including several salmon species protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
On April 11, Spring Creek NFH released 6.7 million tule fall Chinook salmon directly into the Columbia River. On April 20, they released their remaining 3.8 million tule fall Chinook salmon. This important stock of fish supports river and coastal fisheries off Washington and British Columbia.
Little White Salmon NFH released 1.5 million spring Chinook salmon directly into the Little White Salmon River, Carson NFH released 1.5 million spring Chinook into the Wind River, and Warm Springs NFH released 186,736 spring Chinook salmon into the Warm Springs River, a tributary of the Deschutes River.