CHELAN, Wash. – Significant flooding to fish hatcheries across Washington this month challenged hatchery staff in maintaining operations and protecting fish life.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) staff worked tirelessly before, during and after the flooding to ensure safety and facility functionality.
Before flooding, hatchery staff tested backup power systems. As waters rose, they monitored weather and river flow, cleaned debris from intake screens and adjusted sluiceways to bypass floodwaters. Staff also removed sediment from incubation trays to ensure fish eggs remained safe…