Festival marks return of salmon

SALMON RETURN: An adult salmon ready to spawn returns to the fish ladder leading into Coleman National Fish Hatchery after spending several years in the Pacific Ocean.

About 30,000 fall chinook salmon are expected to return to Battle Creek this year, doubling last year's turnout, according to Coleman National Fish Hatchery Project Leader Scott Hamelberg.

With the gate to the hatchery's fish ladder opening on Oct. 1, Hamelberg said the hatchery had already admitted more than 500 salmon by noon the next day.

With 122,000 salmon reported throughout the central valley, Hamelberg said salmon numbers are rebounding. However, numbers are still too low to allow for ocean fishery operations shut down in 2008.

Hamelberg could not quantify a normal salmon population except to say that the population would no longer be low when fishing is allowed and enough adults can still escape for adequate spawning.

Every year the hatchery raises 12 million fall chinook salmon. On Oct. 17, the public is invited to see the hatchery operations in full swing during the 19th annual Return of the Salmon Festival.

Open from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., the public can take a free shuttle bus departing every 20 minutes from the Wal-Mart parking lot at 5000 Rhonda Road in Anderson.

At the hatchery, people can view spawning operations, visit various natural resource information booths, see recreational displays, try out sporting equipment, enjoy a variety of children's activities, view wildlife art and sample wares from food vendors.

Last year 10,000 people attended the event.

At the shuttle stop, Anderson Rotary will host a salmon bake from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Cost for the bake ranges from $7 for adults, $5 for children under age 8. The bake includes special family prices as well, feeding 4 to 5 people for $24, and 6 people for $30.