Project Titles:

• Repair Slide Gate Intake (FFS #R1PW)
• Replace Feed Building Roof (FFS #R1PX)
• Repair Cook Creek Settling Basin (FFS #R1PY)

State: Washington

Project Description: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has overseen the completion of three facility improvement projects at the Quinault National Fish Hatchery as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The three projects were funded using $412,015 in stimulus dollars.

Northern Management Services completed two of the projects, repairing a slide gate at the Hatchery Creek intake, and repairing the Cook Creek settling basin at a combined cost of $257,351. These projects brought Quinault into compliance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) standards of the Clean Water Act.

“The primary beneficiaries of these projects are those who benefit from improved fish production, namely the people of the Quinault Indian Nation, as well as commercial and sport fishermen,” Quinault Manager Bill Edwards said. “These projects allow us to improve our efficiency and production, ensuring the fish we produce receive the best care and highest quality feed possible.

“The previous manager identified the slide gate problem back in 2005, and the new gate allows us better control and distribution of water, essentially making it a much safer environment for the structure,” Edwards said. “The settling basin project allows us to do more frequent maintenance on accumulated sediment.”

Saybr Contractors and Sitts & Hill Engineers used $154,664 in ARRA funding for seismic improvements to the feed and shop building roof, the replacement of the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, as well as the replacement of various energy inefficient systems in the feed building.

“For numerous years the building has not met the requirements for the proper storage of fish food, and the roofing structure has posed a seismic concern since at least 2000,” Edwards said. “By doing these projects we have ensured the fish we’re producing are receiving the highest quality feed possible, as well as providing a safer work environment for Hatchery personnel.”

Species: The hatchery currently produces fall Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), coho salmon (O. kisutch) , chum salmon (O. keta), Hoh River steelhead and winter-run steelhead (O. mykiss) for release into the Quinault River by way of Cook Creek. Annually, the hatchery releases 660,000 coho salmon, 1.5 million chum salmon, 400,000 fall Chinook, and 190,000 steelhead trout. Off-station releases include coho and steelhead fry into the Quinault and Raft rivers. The Quinault NFH also transfers 100,000 steelhead trout to the Hoh River. At peak production, the hatchery has over 3 million fish on station.

Tribal obligations: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works toward the restoration of depleted anadromous fish stocks, in cooperation with the Quinault Indian Nation, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, and the Hoh Nation.

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News Releases: Three Pacific Northwest contractors awarded $412,000 in stimulus funding to upgrade facilities at Quinault National Fish Hatchery

Originally posted 05/12/2010
Updated 06/21/2010
Updated 08/03/2010
Updated 01/25/2011
Page Completed 03/21/2011