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Sturgeon, Bonneville Fish Hatchery.
Image taken June 19, 2005.
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Bonneville Fish Hatchery and Sturgeon Center ...
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The Bonneville Fish Hatchery and Sturgeon Center is located in Oregon is located on the downstream (west) side of the Bonneville Dam complex at Bonneville, Oregon, and uses the waters of Tanner Creek.
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Map, Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Bonneville Dam, Oregon.
Image taken July 1, 2011.
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Lewis and Clark, Bonneville Fish Hatchery, and Tanner Creek ...
Lewis and Clark camped on the upstream side of Tanner Creek on November 9, 1806, today the location of the Bonneville Fish Hatchery.
Tanner Creek and nine hatchery wells provide water for rearing fall chinook salmon, coho salmon, and summer and winter steelhead. Wahclella Falls, not quite a mile above the creek's mouth prevents fish passage beyond that point.
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Bonneville Fish Hatchery ...
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The Bonneville Fish Hatchery is managed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and raises salmon and steelhead for sport, commercial and tribal fisheries in the lower Columbia River and along the northern Oregon Coast. The Hatchery is one of the oldest fish hatcheries in Oregon and the largest in terms of fish production. The facility opened in 1909 and was known as the "Central Hatchery", so-called because it served as a central hatching and rearing site for eggs taken at other hatcheries. The hatchery was expanded in the 1930s, again in the 1950s, and again in the 1970s. In 1998 the hatchery added a specialized rearing building (closed to the public) to house the Grande Ronde Basin captive broodstock program for spring chinook, a threatened species.
Today's Bonneville Fish Hatchery was built in conjunction with the construction of the Bonneville Dam. It's mission was to supplement the natural production of anadromous fish in the Columbia River watershed.
In 1997 the Hatchery was added to the National Register of Historic Places (District #86003598) as part of the Bonneville Dam Historic District. The Historic District was added to the National Register in 1986 and included the area of the Bonneville Dam (District #86000727).
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Hatchery History ...
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The original Fish Hatchery at Bonneville was constructed in 1909.
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"... In spite of losses of eggs and fry in excess of 850,000, the hatchery staff was able to incubate and release an estimated 15.2 million fry into Tanner Creek or at nearby points along the Columbia. In the fall of 1910 the Central Hatchery began receiving new supplies of eggs: 2.1 million from the McKenzie River; 1.8 million from the Wallowa River; 232,000 from the Salmon River in Idaho; 2.5 million from the Umpqua; 600,000 early chinook and 3.4 million late chinook eggs from the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries. These combined sources meant that the hatchery employees had 10.7 million eggs to care for as well as 1.5 million sockeye salmon eggs from Yes Bay Hatchery in Alaska. To cope with these rearing responsibilities, the staff worked hard to construct rearing ponds where they could feed the gry until their release into the Columbia. ... In 1910 ... Warden Clanton went to the cannerymen and packers along the Columbia to solicit their assistance and secured contributions of $1,500. Using these funds, Clanton had the crews at the Central Hatchery construct three ponds, each 100 feet by 20 feet and three feet deep. ... The ponds at Bonneville functioned so successfully that the Fish Warden proposed in 1911 that all hatcheries in Oregon construct rearing ponds. The pond system at the Central Hatchery was expanded steadily so that by the end of the year fifteen large ponds held the fry. The crews constructed a new flume to carry water from Tanner Creek to flush these rearing facilities. ..."
[Bonneville Dam Historic District, National Historic Landmark 1986 Nomination Package]
With construction of the Bonneville Dam in the 1930s the Fish Hatchery itself had major renovations, realignment, and construction. Of the original rearing ponds only the three farthest to the northeast were retained and were rebuilt as new display ponds.
The Bonneville Hatchery's Incubation Building was built in 1936. Behind the building are located display ponds and an associated "settling pond". The display ponds were reconfigured out of part of the original early 1900s rearing ponds. The ponds are surrounded with rocks and plants indigenous to the Columbia Gorge. New kiosks which supply fish food for sale to visitors are in this area. The "Sturgeon Viewing Center" is located in this area and features a 70-year-old Sturgeon named "Herman".
In front of the Incubation Building are 22 concrete rearing ponds which were constructed in the 1930s. Each pond has a capacity of 300,000 fingerlings.
In 1957 the facility was remodeled and expanded as part of the Columbia River Fisheries Development Program (Mitchell Act).
The hatchery underwent another renovation in 1974 as part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's mitigation of fish losses from the construction of the John Day Dam.
In 1997 the Hatchery was added to the National Register of Historic Places (District #86003598) as part of the Bonneville Dam Historic District.
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Views ...
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Bonneville Fish Hatchery buildings and pens, Bonneville Dam, Oregon.
Image taken April 13, 2014.
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Bonneville Fish Hatchery buildings and pens, Bonneville Dam, Oregon.
Image taken April 13, 2014.
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Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Bonneville Dam, Oregon.
Image taken June 29, 2005.
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"Historic Area", Egg Incubation Building, Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Bonneville Dam, Oregon.
Image taken June 29, 2005.
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Salmon Rearing Ponds, Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Bonneville Dam, Oregon.
Image taken October 27, 2004.
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Rainbow Trout, Sturgeon Viewing Center, Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Bonneville Dam, Oregon.
Image taken June 19, 2005.
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Rainbow Trout, Sturgeon Viewing Center, Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Bonneville Dam, Oregon.
Image taken June 19, 2005.
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Bonneville Hatchery, etc.
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- 1909, Tanner Creek and the Central Hatchery ...
- Columbia River Fish Hatcheries ...
- Fish ...
- Fountain ...
- Outdoor Ponds, April 2014 ...
- Outdoor Ponds, June 2005 ...
- Sturgeon Viewing and Interpretive Center ...
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1909, Tanner Creek and the Central Hatchery ...
SALMON HATCHERY FOR BONNEVILLE
Tanner Creek Decided On by Master Fish Warden as Location of New Station.
START OPERATIONS BY FALL
"Tanner Creek, near Bonneville, has been selected as the site for the central hatchery, for which the last Legislature made an appropriation of $20,000. Plans have been approved and bids asked for constructing at that point a building 55x230 feet, suitable for hatchery work. The new central station will be completed in time to receive the eyed eggs from the substations this Fall. ...
Each stream was given due consideration, and Tanner Creek, at Bonneville, selected, due to its superior water quality and quantity."
Source:
Morning Oregonian, July 8, 1909, courtesy Historic Oregon Newspapers Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, 2016.
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BIG HATCHERY TO OPEN
BONNEVILLE TURNS OUT MILLIONS OF YOUNG SALMON.
Governor to Help Dedicate Largest Artificial Spawning Grounds in World Next Monday.
"SALEM, Or., Nov. 8 -- (SPecial.) -- Governor Benson, State Fish Warden McAllister, and other prominent Oregon men, as well as a number of leading men from the state of Washington, will take part next Monday, November 15, in th eceremonies incident to the opening of the Bonneville central fish hatchery.
This is the largest salmon hatchery in the world and is declared by the Master Fish Warden to be modern and complete to the minutest detail. The building is 55x230, is equipped with 248 16-foot hatching troughs, having a capacity of 60,000,000 eggs, there being now about 20,000,000 on hand. The water is brought from Tanner Creek in a 12-inch wooden pipe. The distance is 3500 feet and the pipe has a capacity of 3000 gallons per minute. This pipeline also furnishes power for the hatchery's modern electric lighting plant. Nursery and feeding poinds are being provided surfficient to feed 3,000,000 young fish. ...
United States Fish Commissioner George M. Bowers has agreed to furnish to the State of Oregon each year for four successive years 2,000,000 eggs to aid in the experiment of transferring sockeye salmon from Alaska to the central hatchery at Bonneville.
The Fish Warden is of the opinion that there is no reason why the Columbia cannot be stocked with this species of salmon."
Source:
Morning Oregonian, July 8, 1909, courtesy Historic Oregon Newspapers Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, 2016.
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Columbia River Fish Hatcheries ...
Fish ...
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"Each year, Bonneville Hatchery raises 1.2 million coho, 8.5 million fall chinook, 215,000 summer steelhead and 60,000 winter steelhead. The coho are released into a pipeline that takes them to Tanner Creek and out into the Columbia River directly from the ponds. The fall chinook are split between Tanner Creek, the Umatilla River and Ringold Hatchery, which is located in the Hanford Reach on the Columbia River.
Bonneville Hatchery also rears fish for hatcheries in other river basins. Summer steelhead are spawned at South Santiam Hatchery and the eggs are transferred to Bonneville Hatchery. The eggs are incubated and reared in the outside ponds for one year. They then are transferred to Sandy and Clackamas hatcheries for acclimation and are released into each river. Winter steelhead are spawned at Sandy hatchery and the eggs are transported to Bonneville. The eggs then are incubated and reared for one year before being transported back to Sandy Hatchery for acclimation and release into the Sandy River."
Source:
Oregon Fish and Wildlife Brochure, "Bonneville Fish Hatchery", downloaded April 2014.
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Fountain ...
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Fountain, Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Bonneville Dam, Oregon.
Image taken June 29, 2005.
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Fountain, Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Bonneville Dam, Oregon.
Image taken June 29, 2005.
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Outdoor Ponds, April 2014 ...
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Rainbow Trout, Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Bonneville Dam, Oregon.
Image taken April 13, 2014.
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Rainbow Trout, Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Bonneville Dam, Oregon.
Image taken April 13, 2014.
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Rainbow Trout, Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Bonneville Dam, Oregon.
Image taken April 13, 2014.
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Outdoor Ponds, June 2005 ...
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Rainbow Trout, Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Bonneville Dam, Oregon.
Image taken June 19, 2005.
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Young Sturgeon, Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Bonneville Dam, Oregon.
Image taken June 19, 2005.
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Rainbow Trout, Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Bonneville Dam, Oregon.
Image taken June 19, 2005.
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Sturgeon Viewing and Interpretive Center ...
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In 1998, the Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation along with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, built the Sturgeon Viewing and Interpretive Center at the
Bonneville Fish Hatchery. Visitors can view sturgeon and trout through an underwater window as they swim in a natural environment.
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Sturgeon Viewing Center, Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Bonneville Dam, Oregon.
Image taken July 1, 2011.
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Watching through the window, Sturgeon Viewing Center, Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Bonneville Dam, Oregon.
Image taken July 1, 2011.
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Sturgeon and Trout, Sturgeon Viewing Center, Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Bonneville Dam, Oregon.
Image taken June 19, 2005.
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Sturgeon head, Sturgeon Viewing Center, Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Bonneville Dam, Oregon.
Image taken June 19, 2005.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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