Dunn Creek Hatchery - Simpcw First Nation

The Dunn Creek Hatchery is situated on a 4.73 hectare Provincial Crown leased property at the north end of Dunn Lake. Located 32.5 km on Dunn Lake Road north of Barriere, B.C. The hatchery started out raising Coho in 1983 in the base of the chlorination shack of the band. This proved to be a problem of moving smolts out. It was then decided to set up on Dunn Lake. The Dunn Lake hatchery was set up on the south end of Dunn Lake in 1984. A crew was hired and lake pens were built. The site was eventually moved to north end of Dunn Lake. The site would prove to be unsatisfactory due to warm water temperatures for our smolts. It lead to too many mortalities. A tenure was signed with Land and Water BC and a new site was built in 1992 on the banks of Dunn Creek. The move allowed the hatchery to be ground water fed, which was cooler water. Cooler water meant less mortalities.

Expansions have included Chinook and coho enhancement, however, in 1989 it became strictly a coho facility. Producing and managing coho stocks are the main focus of this project.

Current project objectives are:

• providing Dunn, Louis and Lemieux Creek coho salmon for coded wire tagging program
• operating enumeration fences on Dunn, Louis and Lemieux Creeks
• integrating with other fisheries projects in the area (non contract)
• creating awareness of the hatchery program to the general public and local schools

Chinook enumeration program for Raft River, Finn and Louis creeks has operated out of hatchery for the past several years.

The Simpcw First Nation Sustainable Resource Department manager and fisheries coordinator in partnership with DFO's community economic development program, community advisor, oversees the hatchery program. 

Contact

Partner group: Simpcw First Nation
Project manager: Tina Donald
Site manager: Steve Jules
Telephone: 250-672-9995
Fax: 250-677-4251