Overview

The Creation of a Chinook Salmon Run in North Puget Sound

On a former fruit orchard overlooking Orcas Island's East Sound, Glenwood Springs Salmon Hatchery is the site of something remarkable: the creation of a Chinook salmon run where none existed before. Begun in a stream in 1978 with eggs from a state hatchery, the run has been propagated from returning adult fish since 1982—and because no wild Chinook originate in the San Juan Islands, this new salmon run serves commercial and sports fishers while posing no threat to endangered fish.

Demonstrating Natural-Rearing Techniques

Just as important, Glenwood Springs is a pioneer in "natural rearing," hatchery practices that mimic nature. The results are salmon that resemble their wild cousins—in appearance, behavior, and biochemical makeup—more closely than they do most hatchery fish.

A Venue for Hands-On Education and Involvement

Each year, Glenwood Springs hosts hundreds of guests for tours of the hatchery and surrounding grounds. Visitors include students from the Friday Harbor and Orcas Island School Districts, nearby Camp Orkila and Camp Moran; travelers in the Skagit Valley College Elderhostel Program; members of community organizations like the Orcas Island fly-fishing club; politicians, researchers, and private citizens.