Leavenworth Fisheries Complex (LFC) was constructed under the authority of Section II of the Rivers and Harbors Act of August 30, 1935 (49 Stat. 1028) as partial mitigation for the construction of Grand Coulee Dam. Entiat National Fish Hatchery (ENFH) was constructed on 37 acres of land by the Bureau of Reclamation as one of the fish mitigation facilities for Grand Coulee Dam, Columbia Basin Project.

Fish culture work began in 1941. At that time the hatchery consisted of a water intake structure on the Entiat River, pipelines, a screen chamber, hatchery building, mixing chamber, domestic water system, four residences, eight large and four small fish rearing ponds designed by engineers by the names of Foster and Lucas. The initial operating plan for the ENFH called for adult salmon and steelhead to be trapped at Rock Island Dam and hauled to the hatchery for holding and spawning.

The hatchery was substantially reconstructed in 1979, which included the replacement of the Foster-Lucas rearing ponds with thirty 8’ x 80’ raceways, adult holding ponds, fish ladder, screen chamber and mixing chamber, and a generator building. Following this upgrading of the facility, the primary species raised has been the spring Chinook salmon.