Chehalis Hatchery - Background

Production Objectives (juveniles):

Chum - 1,000,000 fed fry

Chinook - 3,300,000 fed fry

Coho - 1,100,000 smolts

Steelhead - 89,000 smolts

Cutthroat - 24,000 smolts

Present Operations

Chum eggs are taken from spawners returning to the hatchery. Fry are reared to 1 gram in size and then released from the hatchery into the Chehalis River in April.

Fall chinook eggs are taken from the Harrison River stock and any spawners returning to the hatchery. Fry are reared to 2 grams and then released from the hatchery into the Chehalis River in mid to late April. Summer chinook eggs are taken from spawners returning to the hatchery. Summer chinook were originally transplanted to the Chehalis River from upper Fraser River stocks. Smolts are released in late April to mid May at 7 grams.

Coho eggs are taken from fish returning to the hatchery. Coho juveniles are reared for one year and then released at 20 grams into the Chehalis River in mid May.

Winter-run steelhead eggs are taken from wild fish captured in the Chehalis River. Summer-run steelhead eggs are taken from hatchery fish captured in the Chehalis River.

Steelhead eggs are incubated at Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery (a provincial facility). Fry are then transferred to Chehalis River Hatchery after initial rearing.

Steelhead fry are reared for one year and then released into the Chehalis River in early May as 60-80 gram smolts.

Summer-run steelhead in the Chehalis River were originally transplanted from Coquihalla River stock. In addition to Chehalis steelhead, Coquihalla summer-run steelhead are also reared at the hatchery for one year and then released back into the Coquihalla River near Hope.

Cutthroat eggs are taken from adult fish returning to Chehalis Hatchery. Incubation and early rearing takes place at Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery. Fry are transferred to Chehalis River Hatchery in early June and reared for one year. They are released at 75-100 grams in mid May mainly in the Harrison River.

Project Facilities:

• Chehalis River gravity feed, riverbank fixed-screen intake- supplies 25,000 to 50,000 lpm (15-30 cfs) of river water depending on water demand.
• Three pump stations (20, 60, and 100 hp)- supply up to 17,000 lpm (10 cfs) of well water.
• Aeration tower- for aeration of well water and distribution of well and river water.
• Hatchery building- contains the offices, washrooms, lunchroom, laboratories, workshop, dry storage areas, mechanical/electrical room, incubation room with Heath trays and Atkins boxes, and freezer (20,000 kg capacity) for fish food.
• Keeper channels (12)- for chum salmon egg hatching and alevin incubation.
• Aluminum rearing troughs (32)- for initial fry rearing. The troughs are used mainly for coho, chinook, steelhead and cutthroat fry.
• Concrete raceways (14)- for final rearing (all species) and adult holding (coho, chum, and chinook).
• Concrete holding channels (3) - for steelhead and cutthroat adults.
• Asphalt lined channels (3 )- for coho and chinook final rearing and sometimes adult coho holding.
• Fish brailer and lifter, anesthetic tank, sorting table and transfer pipes- for adult salmon handling.
• Egg-take shelter- used for adult spawning.
• Sludge lagoon - waste from cleaning the channels is pumped into the lagoon.
• Fuel shed - for fuel and oil storage.
• Residence - for crew standby.
• Display panels (10) - for public information and self-guided tours (bilingual).

Releases

Annual fish releases are available through either the Mapster project, or through a query to the release database