What We Do

Livingston Stone National Fish Hatchery (NFH) is the only hatchery in the world that spawns winter-run Chinook salmon. This species was listed as endangered under the Federal Endangered Species Act on January 4, 1994. Each year, the hatchery produces approximately 200,000 juvenile winter-run Chinook salmon for release into the upper Sacramento River.

Initial efforts to propagate winter-run Chinook salmon began at Coleman NFH in 1955, with additional attempts between 1958 and 1967. These early efforts were largely unsuccessful. From 1978 to 1985, propagation was attempted again but was hampered by high water temperatures at Coleman NFH, which led to significant mortality among adult broodstock , eggs, and juveniles.

In 1989, with the winter-run Chinook population in severe decline, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reinitiated a propagation program at Coleman NFH. The goal was to supplement natural spawning in the upper Sacramento River. Juveniles were released at the pre-smolt stage near Redding, California, to encourage return migration to the upper river. However, monitoring revealed that the fish instead returned to Battle Creek.

As a result, Livingston Stone NFH was constructed in 1997 to better support the recovery of this endangered species. The first juveniles were released from the new facility in 1998.

Adult winter-run Chinook salmon return from the ocean to freshwater in November and December, migrating to the upper Sacramento River. Spawning occurs from May through August, peaking in June and July. Broodstock are captured at Keswick Dam and transferred to Livingston Stone NFH. At the hatchery, fish are genetically tested to confirm their run type and to minimize inbreeding by assessing relatedness. Prior to release, all juveniles receive a coded-wire tag and an adipose-fin clip for identification and monitoring purposes.

Livingston Stone NFH also houses a refugial population of Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) for the UC Davis Fish Conservation and Culture Lab (FCCL).  The delta smelt is a small fish (5"-7") endemic to the San Francisco Bay-Delta and is currently listed as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act.  They typically only live for one year and die after spawning.  At the hatchery they are housed separately from the Chinook; their water source is disinfected with UV and the water is temperature controlled.  Their diet consists of rotifers for young fish and artemia for larger fish.