I just read that the state run McAllister Creek (south Puget Sound) chinook hatchery has closed. A couple years ago the Ringold salmon hatchery (mid Columbia River) also closed, and other hatcheries that I do not know about may have also closed or are about to be closed. To me it appears that the state wants to get out of the fish producing business and wants to instead be the managers of everything. That could be their "real" vision of things. If that is the case, was are going to have to be very thankful to the Indians and the federal government because without them we would be screwed.

PS: OPPPS!!!! I forgot to mention the WDFW proposed license fee increase to go along with all this other good news.

I remember reading last year that the Nisqually Indians hatchery on the Nisqually is being closed as well. Not sure when.
They're planning on making it a "wild" run of fish.
Something the WDFW and the Nisqaully's cooked up.
This might be part of the same deal.

The hatchery at McCallister Creek was one of the hatcheries that was axed due to the state budget cuts. It is a old hatchery and is reported to have desease problems, that was part of the decision to close it. From what I understand it has been opened and closed numerous times in its history. As for the Nisqually hatcheries there is no plan to close them anytime in the near future. If they do I think that they would close the one on the reservation side of the river, it is the smaller of the 2 that they operate. The Clear Creek hatchery on the Ft. Lewis side is doing a good job. I have a friend that helps them milk the returning fish and the early king returns have been outstanding!!! They have processed about 2500 fish to the tune of 2 million eggs and there are about 3000 fish in the holding pens right now with the main part of the run not due untill the next couple of weeks. They usually process somewhere between 4 and 5 million eggs a year. I did read an article in the local paper that some of the city workers from the water processing plant at McCallister Springs did a spawning bed restoration project so the returning fish will have somwhere to naturally spawn. Thought that was pretty cool.
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff

Thanks for the response to my post. I would like to think that the state is really looking out for us.