Comstock's C Menu
Andy Heape has been a California Department of Fish and Wildlife technician at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery in Gold River — where he sorts, fertilizes and counts salmon — for 15 years. The fall-run Chinook (king) salmon spawn started Nov. 3 — later than usual because of the drought.

Andy Heape has been a California Department of Fish and Wildlife technician at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery in Gold River — where he sorts, fertilizes and counts salmon — for 15 years. The fall-run Chinook (king) salmon spawn started Nov. 3 — later than usual because of the drought.

In the wild, Pacific salmon die after spawning; at the hatchery, they are killed to harvest their eggs.

In the wild, Pacific salmon die after spawning; at the hatchery, they are killed to harvest their eggs.

Between 5,000 and 9,000 eggs are removed from each female and fertilized, and the cleaned fish are packed on ice and sent to a processing plant in Washington state. Their meat will feed homeless and prison populations, and carcasses will become animal food and fertilizer.

Between 5,000 and 9,000 eggs are removed from each female and fertilized, and the cleaned fish are packed on ice and sent to a processing plant in Washington state. Their meat will feed homeless and prison populations, and carcasses will become animal food and fertilizer.

Greg Ferguson, a technician with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, puts sorted eggs into a jar that can hold between 75,000 to 80,000 eggs. Water from the American River is continuously filtered through the jars to imprint the eggs with its smell, compelling the fish to return to the river for spawning.

Greg Ferguson, a technician with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, puts sorted eggs into a jar that can hold between 75,000 to 80,000 eggs. Water from the American River is continuously filtered through the jars to imprint the eggs with its smell, compelling the fish to return to the river for spawning.

At five months, the fish are tagged and raised in artificial channels called raceways, and at 10 months, they are released into the wild. According to Jason Fareira, a scientific aide at the Nimbus hatchery, the fish and wildlife team is “always figuring out ways we can improve their chances of survival.”

At five months, the fish are tagged and raised in artificial channels called raceways, and at 10 months, they are released into the wild. According to Jason Fareira, a scientific aide at the Nimbus hatchery, the fish and wildlife team is “always figuring out ways we can improve their chances of survival.”

Due to higher water temperatures in the American River caused by drought, the king salmon eggs will be trucked to cooler waters of the Mokelumne River hatchery in Clements, where they will have a better chance of survival.

Due to higher water temperatures in the American River caused by drought, the king salmon eggs will be trucked to cooler waters of the Mokelumne River hatchery in Clements, where they will have a better chance of survival.

Counting Roe

The spawn of a salmon

Back SNAP Jan 16, 2015 By Lucia Ruiz

 

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