by Luke Harris
Last fall I had the pleasure of visiting northern California's Trinity River hatchery. It was admittedly my first visit to an anadromous fish facility. Here they raise both Chinook and Coho Salmon and of course Steelhead. Fish are "milked" two days a week and the fertilized aftermath are carefully raised into fingerlings before being released into the river.
Gramps and I spent about an hour walking the ladders and eavesdropping on all the one's that got away through the polarized viewing window. If you're ever in the area I highly recommend checking this place out. The reality of dams make well designed and managed facilities like this essential to ensuring the future of our precious California coastal species.
The viewing window...
The Ladder...