Governor Newsom announces upgrades to 21 state fish hatcheries to boost salmon populations

Over the past decade, state-operated hatcheries have experienced a host of climate-driven impacts, including reduced cold-water availability, increased disease outbreaks, emergency fish evacuations due to extreme weather events and wildfire threats, which caused temporary facility closures. These issues have strained hatchery operations and threaten CDFW’s ability to meet its fish production goals, including those for federally and state listed species.

The “Climate Induced Hatcheries Upgrade Project” launched today was first funded with $15 million in emergency drought funding in 2021. Since that funding was allocated, CDFW has been working with leading hatchery and hydrology consultants to identify specific concerns with regard to water quality and quantity, fish rearing and water supply infrastructure and operational inefficiencies at the hatcheries. Consultants developed individual reports for each hatchery with recommendations and changes needed to address climate issues and provide reliable operations for the next 40 or more years.

“As climate disruption continues to reshape California’s landscape, CDFW is committed to innovative action to support our state’s fisheries and the communities that depend on them,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “The Climate Induced Hatcheries Upgrade Project is a roadmap to ensure that our state-operated hatcheries can meet the challenges of the future while promoting ecological health and economic vitality.”
 
Jay Rowan, CDFW Fisheries Branch Chief, said: “CDFW recognizes the important role our hatcheries play in species conservation and providing commercial and recreational fishing opportunities for Californians. Our hatcheries are on the front lines experiencing some of these rather dramatic changes in the environment that are impacting our operations. These upgrades and modernization efforts are key elements of the California Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future.”

Project Highlights

The Climate Induced Hatcheries Upgrade Project included a thorough assessment of each hatchery’s water supply, fish-rearing infrastructure and operational efficiency.
Key findings and proposed upgrades include:

• Resilient Infrastructure: Replacement of aging plumbing and valving systems to prevent costly emergency repairs and ensure reliable operations into the future. Many state-operated hatcheries are more than 80 years old.
• Enhanced Water Management and Treatment: Implementation of partial recirculating aquaculture systems, water treatment, and temperature management systems to reduce water demand and improve efficiency, while reducing pathogens that can cause disease.
• Energy and Sustainability Innovations: Integration of advanced control systems and passive energy generation to minimize water use, operational costs and environmental impacts.
• Climate-Driven Design: Infrastructure upgrades tailored to withstand more extreme climate events projected over the next 20 to 40 years, ensuring production remains sustainable.

Supporting California’s salmon supply 

Governor Newsom has worked with tribes, communities, and industry partners to help build and protect the state’s vital salmon populations.  Last year, Governor Newsom announced California’s first strategy to protect the iconic fish species for generations to come, through the California Salmon Strategy for a Hotter Drier Future.  In March 2024, Governor Newsom distributed $50 million in grants to support a diverse array of habitat restoration projects in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, McCloud River, and wetland and meadow projects statewide. And in August, as a result of the administration’s Klamath Restoration Project, a  collaboration between local, state, and tribal partners, fish began swimming freely again in the Klamath river for the first time in more than 100 years.