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| Over 70 percent of salmon and steelhead harvested in Oregon come from a hatchery. |
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Hatcheries operated by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife provide social, economic, and cultural benefits to Oregonians by sustaining sport, commercial, and tribal fishing opportunities. Hatcheries can also help support imperiled fish populations and re-establish native fish in areas where populations have been lost.
Fish and fishing are a part of Oregon's heritage. The future, however, is becoming increasingly uncertain as both wild and hatchery fish are being negatively impacted by a changing climate and ocean.
Climate change, aging hatchery infrastructure, and increasing costs are also making it more difficult for Oregon's hatchery system to meet fishery and conservation goals. These challenges are going to increase in the future. ODFW is proactively meeting these challenges by conducting a thorough assessment of the hatchery system, and examining how we can adapt and invest for the future.
Find out what ODFW learned in the assessment and how the information will be used: Looking Ahead: A review of the state hatchery system
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| Fish Hatcheries Operated by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Click to enlarge. |
ODFW operates 33 hatcheries
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14 state-owned.
- 18 federally-owned.
- 1 Portland General Electric facility.
These hatcheries produce about 35 million salmon and steelhead and about five million trout annually for release into Oregon rivers and lakes. Some of these releases rely on additional facilities operated by tribes, the Salmon and Trout Enhancement Program (STEP) and other local entities.
Third party contractors
ODFW worked with 3rd party contractors to complete a range of economic, infrastructure, and biological assessments. This information complemented analyses and assessments that ODFW staff compiled.
The contractors assessed:
- operations
- sustainability
- climate vulnerability
- infrastructure
- economic costs/benefits
To expand the assessment to include a broader range of considerations and perspectives on Oregon’s hatchery system, ODFW also reached out to the nine federally recognized tribes in Oregon and contracted with Willamette Partnership to conduct an extensive public engagement process.
Contract reports (pdfs)
In Summer/Fall 2024, ODFW used a range of forums to share key findings from the reports and collectively discuss how we can achieve a sustainable and resilient state hatchery system. Willamette Partnership, a non-profit organization that designs and facilitates collaborative processes, assisted ODFW with this work. Technical webinars, meeting recordings, public survey results, and a report on the public engagement process can be accessed with the following links:
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