Visit to Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery

Just one mile down the road, located on the Icicle River, is the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery.  We decided to visit it, having toured other fish hatcheries in the west.  In 1940, this fish hatchery was the world's largest fish hatchery.  Its mission is to produce salmon to make up for the impact of the Grand Coulee Dam, which completely blocked fish passage to the upper Columbia River.   Today it raises 1.2 million spring Chinook salmon each year which are released into the Icicle River ever April.  Then, beginning in late May, the adult salmon arrive, moving up the fish ladders into the holding ponds, returning to the waters that they remember.  Each year the number varies in returning adults, but the hatchery hopes that at least 500 males and 500 females return.  Any additional fish are given to the Native Americans.

Incubation tanks - standing empty right now, sterile!

Adult chinook salmon, in outdoor raceways

These guys are big - at least 16 to 24 inches long

Fish ladders the salmon climb to get into holding ponds

In another month, should be hopping at the hatchery

We were in the 'off season', not much going on other than seeing the adult salmon in the holding ponds (they are really huge!!), and the younger fish, called fingerlings, who live in the outdoor  covered raceways.  When they hatchery does it's official release, its a big to-do in the town and there are festivals and events, drawing people from all over.

Start of our nature walk

These scarlet gilias were almost phosphorescent

Nice trail with interpretive signs

Black Hawthorne bush with cadzillion berries

Love these asters

Lots of berries hanging from the bushes

These Canadian geese don't know they are over the border!

Since there was not a lot to see, we took the nature walk around the hatchery.  The trail winds along the Icicle River and has interpretive signs to explain the birds, flowers, and other fauna you see.  Was done by a Boy Scout troop, well done.  Looking up river towards the Cascades, we could see the base of the canyon where we are staying. Lovely area.  In the winter time cross-country skiing is a big attraction.

Just lovely - winter would be just as pretty

Tuesday we will move to Burlington, Washington.  Will take Route 2 across the Cascades, going west towards Pugent Sound.  Burlington is located about 40 miles north of Seattle and about 12 miles south of the Canadian border. Our goal is to see and experience as much of the rugged  North Cascades and the waters of Pugent Sound and Pacific Ocean while she's here.