Travel with the Slivas: Winthrop National Fish Hatchery, WA

Winthrop NFH is located just outside Winthrop, WA along the Methow River. We arrived on May 20 to volunteer for the summer. The hatchery began operation in 1941 to mitigate for the loss of salmon and steelhead habitat blocked by the construction of Grand Coulee Dam. The hatchery produces Spring Chinook Salmon, Fall Coho Salmon, and Steelhead Trout.

Overview

Spawning Building - built about 2 years ago. Inside the building is a small visitor center with a viewing window to watch the egg collection process.

When the fish "come home" they enter a canal off the Methow River and "climb" the fish ladder to enter the holding tanks. The fish travel 600 miles and cross 9 dams to arrive "home". They will remain in these tanks until their eggs are taken and fertilized in Mid August-Mid Sept.

Chinook in canal which leads to the fish ladder.

Fish Ladder - fish jump the small waterfalls on the left of the ladder.

Holding Tanks - as many as 100+ arrive daily

Once the eggs are fertilized they are taken to the Heath Trays (back of photo) where they stay until they become frys in 3-6 months. Then they are placed in the tanks - about 15,000 per tank where they remain several months before being transferred to the outside tanks.

Washing and Cleaning Heath trays

When a salmon is about 16-18 months old they are released into the hatchery canal and they head toward the ocean (600 miles and 9 dams) which takes them about 3 months. Each fish is "marked" to identify them as a fish from the specific hatchery. A "transponder" inserted in the fish tracks the fish on its journey to and from the ocean over the dams. They return the hatchery after 1-3 years.

Rainbow Trout Pond

Some of the Steelhead Trout that are released hang around in the hatchery canal and don't want to leave so they are caught and placed in the pond. We didn't know that Steelhead Trout and Rainbow Trout are the same species - Steelhead in salt water and Rainbow in fresh water. Visitors enjoy feeding the fish. It's amazing how many fish are in the pond. Every June a Kids Fishing Day is held at the hatchery. Kids can keep the first trout they catch. Many adults sure wish they were young enough to fish. In addition, there are other educational activities for families.

Beaver Relocation Project

In conjunction with WA State Fish & Wildlife and U.S. Forestry Service, the hatchery is involved in a Beaver Relocation Program. Beaver that are problems to land owners or those that plug irrigation ditches are trapped and brought to the hatchery. Beavers are grouped into family units and eventually released in the high country to form wet land areas.