Hatcheries, Harvest and Wild Fish: An Integrated Program at Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery, Oregon

Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery is operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is located on the Warm Springs River within the Warm Springs Indian Reservation of Oregon. The Warm Springs River is a major tributary of the Deschutes River in north central Oregon, which enters the Columbia River 205 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The purpose of the hatchery program is to cooperatively manage the hatchery with the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon to provide harvest opportunities and protect wild fish populations. The management objectives established for the hatchery are: 1) produce fish for harvest, 2) maintain wild fish traits in the hatchery and stream environment, 3) minimize impact on wild fish to very low, acceptable levels, and 4) develop and implement a hatchery operations plan to achieve our harvest and conservation goals for Warm Springs River fish populations. The management of Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery demonstrates a sustainable program which integrates hatcheries, harvest and wild fish production