McCall project upgrades prolong construction

Idaho Fish and Game’s McCall Fish Hatchery will remain closed to the public throughout the summer due to ongoing improvements to the facility.

Crews have completed the construction of two holding ponds, which are functional and scheduled to receive fish this summer. However, while McCall hatchery staff had initially planned to reopen on July 1 and install a temporary spawning area where staff would collect Chinook eggs, a decision was made to move forward with constructing permanent spawning area instead.

"In order to meet deadlines, construction crews will need to continue uninterrupted work through July and into early August," said hatchery complex manager Bob Becker. "Once we are through the Chinook egg take, they will transition into installation of a roof structure covering the new holding ponds, which will further protect fish in holding from predators and environmental impacts."

The hatchery will reopen to the public upon completion of the additional facility improvements. McCall hatchery staff will announce a date to restore public access as construction winds down and timelines become more clear, but it is anticipated that reopening will occur sometime in the fall.

The holding ponds will be used to house adult Chinook broodstock awaiting spawning and will allow the hatchery to more efficiently address challenges posed by low flows and high water temperatures on the South Fork Salmon River.

Summer Chinook is the primary species produced at McCall hatchery, with fish coming from the South Fork. Historically, adults have been trapped, held and spawned at a satellite facility on the South Fork near Warm Lake during summer months. The fertilized eggs were then transported to the main facility for incubation and rearing.

The frequency of low flows and high water temperatures on the South Fork during summertime has increased, however, making the holding ponds (which sources water directly from the river) at the satellite location unsuitable for holding adult fish. As a temporary measure in recent years, McCall staff have transported adult Chinook trapped on the South Fork to holding ponds at the Rapid River hatchery to await spawning, before returning the fertilized eggs to McCall.

The ongoing construction project will provide a more permanent solution to these challenges.

The McCall hatchery is located within the city limits of McCall, approximately a quarter-mile south of Highway 55 at 300 Mather Road. Constructed in 1979, it is the first Lower Snake River Compensation Plan hatchery built in Idaho, part of a federal mitigation program created to compensate for fish loss due to the construction of the four Lower Snake River dams. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game operates the hatchery with funding provided through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Lower Snake River Compensation Program.

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Brian Pearson is a regional communications manager for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.