Coleman National Fish Hatchery facts for kids

The Coleman National Fish Hatchery (Coleman NFH) is a special place built in 1942. It was created to help fish populations after big dams were built. These dams blocked the natural rivers where fish like salmon and steelhead used to lay their eggs.

The hatchery is located in Shasta County, California, near the town of Anderson. It sits on the north side of Battle Creek, about 6 miles (9.7 km) east of the Sacramento River. The Coleman Hatchery covers about 75 acres (30 ha) of land. It is the largest salmon hatchery in the United States, outside of Alaska and Hawaii.

Why Was Coleman Hatchery Built?

Before dams like Shasta and Keswick Dam were built, salmon and steelhead could swim far up rivers. They would go up the Sacramento, Pit, and McCloud Rivers to lay their eggs. But the dams blocked these important paths.

The Coleman Hatchery was built to help these fish. It acts as a safe place for them to reproduce. This plan, called the Shasta Salvage Plan, aimed to make up for the lost natural areas. Fish production at Coleman NFH started in 1943.

How the Hatchery Helps Fish

Fish like Chinook Salmon and steelhead swim from the ocean back to the Sacramento River. They then find their way into Battle Creek and the hatchery. Here's how the hatchery helps them:

• Collecting Eggs: Workers collect eggs from the adult fish.
• Fertilizing Eggs: The eggs are then fertilized.
• Incubating Eggs: The fertilized eggs are kept in special tanks until they hatch.
• Raising Young Fish: The tiny fish, called fry, are raised in large ponds at the hatchery. They stay there until they are big enough to survive on their own.
• Releasing Fish: Once they are big enough, the young fish are released into Battle Creek. From there, they swim to the Sacramento River and eventually to the ocean.

What Kinds of Fish Are Raised?

The Coleman Hatchery raises millions of fish every year. Their main goal is to help different types of Chinook salmon and steelhead.

• They aim to produce 12,000,000 fall Chinook salmon each year.
• They also raise 1,200,000 late-fall Chinook salmon.
• About 250,000 winter Chinook salmon are raised at the Livingston Stone National Fish Hatchery. This is a smaller station of Coleman NFH, located near Shasta Dam.
• They also produce 600,000 steelhead annually.

These fish are very important for California's fishing industry. They support both commercial fishing (where people catch fish to sell) and sport fishing (where people fish for fun).

How Water Gets to the Hatchery

The hatchery needs a lot of water to raise the fish. Water is taken from Battle Creek in a few ways:

• Main Water Source: The main water intake is near the Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Coleman Powerhouse. Water flows through a large pipe into a canal that leads to the hatchery.
• Backup Water Source: There's a second intake across Battle Creek. This one is used as a backup if the main intake has problems.
• Third Water Source: A third intake is located further upstream from the hatchery. Water from this intake also travels through a large pipe to the hatchery.

All the water can be treated before it goes to the fish. This helps keep the fish healthy.