Project Titles:

• Repair Weir (FFS #R1PV)
• Repair C Desk Walkway (FFS #R1PR)
• Pump Out Penny Creek Pond (FFS #R1PT)
• Rehabilitate Hatchery Building (FFS #R1PU)

State: Washington

Project Description: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has overseen the completion of four facility improvement projects at the Quilcene National Fish Hatchery as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The four projects were funded by $1.13 million in stimulus dollars.

The majority of the funds ($908,953) were used by Burton Construction, Inc., to perform various seismic and electricity upgrades at the main hatchery building. The old hatchery building did not meet minimum seismic safety standards and required significant refitting, particularly on the roof.

“This ARRA project brings the our main Hatchery building up to code, correcting deficiencies to allow us to provide a safe environment for visitors and employees,” Hatchery Manager Ron Wong said. “It is very unlikely the building would have survived any significant seismic event in its previous condition.”

Northern Management Services, Inc., used an additional $203,657 in stimulus funding to repair the concrete headbox and walkway on C Deck, and pump sediment from the Hatchery’s Penny Creek settling pond and pollution abatement pond. Smith & Root, Inc., also used $18,000 to replace the Hatchery’s electrical weir system.

“The metal and concrete around the headbox had deteriorated to the point where it was not safe for employees or fish,” Wong said. “This facility also has several settling ponds, each of which needs periodic sediment removal. These settling ponds accumulate settable solids and fish waste, providing cleaner water into the river and cleaner water used in raising fish.

“This sediment is settled out of the river water before supplying water to our fish in raceways,” Wong said. “This provides cleaner water to the fish and also makes cleaning ponds easier. Sediment removal at Penny Creek water intake as this is the only water source for fish egg incubation. If the water has lots of silt or if the water flow disrupted, that poses a threat to next year’s entire fish production.”

The hatchery currently produces coho salmon (O. kisutch), summer chum salmon (O. keta), and steelhead (O. mykiss). The salmon are released into the Big Quilcene River or are provided as fish and eyed eggs for tribal net pen programs.

Quilcene partners include the Northwest Indian Fish Commission, Point No Point tribes (Port Gamble S’ Klallam tribe, Jamestown S’ Klallam tribe), Skokomish tribe, Lower Elwha Klallam tribe, Suquamish tribe, other federal agencies (NOAA fisheries), the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, Jefferson County, Port Townsend Mill and several private resource enhancement groups (Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement, Long Live the Kings) and other U.S. Fish & Wildlife offices, including the Washington Fish and Wildlife Office, Olympia Fish Health Center, & Abernathy Fish Technology Center, also provide technical support.

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Originally posted 11/23/2009
Updated 07/08/2010
Updated 01/24/2011
Updated 01/27/2011
Page Completed 03/21/2011