Hatchery could boost Idaho's sockeye
Bellingham Herald
July 28, 2010
Idaho Fish and Game and the Bonneville Power Administration recently bought a mothballed hatchery that could help recover a unique Idaho species that was nearly extinct.
"This is an exciting time for sockeye recovery because we're not only seeing more returning fish than we have in a long time, but we also are seeing a commitment of resources to continue that trend," said Idaho Fish and Game Director Cal Groen.
"There were years when some questioned whether these fish could ever make a comeback. They're showing us now that they can," Groen said.
The agencies spent $4.75 million to purchase a 73-acre parcel formerly known as the Crystal Springs Trout Farm near Springfield. Fish and Game plans to convert the facility into a sockeye hatchery that can produce up to 1 million young fish for release in the Snake River.
"Snake River sockeye are unique and important, and their numbers are rebounding from critically low in the late 1990s to numbers today that haven't been seen since the 1950s," said Bill Booth, an Idaho member of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.
The sockeye's decline began in the early 1900s, when dams in the upper Salmon River blocked access to lakes where they spawn. Habitat damage and overfishing also took a toll.
"This purchase is an important tool that moves us from merely preserving this species toward rebuilding it," said Bill Maslen, director of BPA's Fish and Wildlife Program.