34288 Southeast Rainbow
Road
Estacada, OR 97023
503-630-6270
Hatchery Manager - Larry Telles
Hatchery
History
The Eagle Creek hatchery
was authorized under the Mitchell Act of May 1938, as amended
in 1946. The purpose of the hatchery was to help compensate for anadromous
(migrating to the ocean from fresh water) salmonid losses in the Columbia
River basin due to mainstem Columbia River dams. The hatchery continues
to operate under the original authorization, rearing and releasing
anadromous salmon to support commercial, sport, ocean and river fisheries
and to restore salmonids in watersheds in which they have become extinct.
Land for the hatchery was purchased from private ownership
in 1953 with initial construction completed in September 1956 providing
39 raceways, adult facilities, multi-purpose hatchery building and storage
facilities. Fish culture operations were initiated in November 1956 with
fall Chinook and spring Chinook being brought to the hatchery. Additional
construction in 1965 added 36 additional rearing raceways with a pollution
abatement system being added in l975.
Today the
hatchery raises 1.5 million coho salmon and 100,000 winter steelhead
annually. The hatchery releases 350,000 coho and the winter steelhead
on site with 500,000 coho transferred to the Yakama Nation and 550,000
coho transferred to the Nez Perce Tribe. During its history, the hatchery
has also reared fall Chinook and spring Chinook salmon for release
at the hatchery and local streams.
The hatchery water
supply is exclusively Eagle Creek water with the ponds operating on a
gravity flow system. A spring provides a small amount of warm water used
for egg incubation during the winter months.
Directions
The Eagle Creek hatchery is located approximately 40 miles southeast
of Portland, OR. The hatchery can be easily reached from I-205 via State
Highway 224 driving east towards Estacada. One mile past the intersection
with State Highway 211, turn left onto Wildcat Mountain Drive for 1 mile,
turning right onto Eagle Fern Road. Follow Eagle Fern Road past Eagle
Fern County Park and continue up Eagle Creek on George Road
About four miles past Eagle Fern Park, turn right onto Rainbow Road
and follow it for 2 miles ending at the Eagle Creek NFH.
Visitors are
welcome all year. Hatchery staff are available between the hours of 7:30
am and 4:00pm Monday through Saturday. Adult coho salmon return during
October and November. Adult winter steelhead return during January through
March. On selective days, during the return months, visitors can watch
the fish being spawned.
