Good News from the SJ Hatchery

Below is a newsletter from Dan Goodness the SJ Hatchery Manager. If any of you reading this want to be added to Dan’s growing list of recipients to his e-newsletter please send him an e-mail. You will see his e-mail address listed at the end of his letter.

Thanks!

Good morning, everyone!

There's been lots of activity here since my last newsletter went out. Friday, May 23rd was indeed a special day. We began releasing the cohos from Pond 13 at around 2:00 PM, and KIFW was there broadcasting the event! Devin Reiter was lots of fun to work with, and we sincerely appreciate the efforts that Erin Long made to set this up. We also appreciate the contributions from local businesses to make this airtime possible. Over $1000 was raised to help in the effort. Lots of my Friends showed up for the event, and helped let these coho go. The next day was Saturday, the first day of the Sitka Salmon Derby. In the afternoon, we released the cohos in Pond 14, and at that point, all the Broodyear 2006 smolts were gone.

On June 1st, I was given an addendum to my contract, and so I'm once again employed this month! $15,000 had been transferred from the Friends of the Hatchery account to the SSSC near the first of May. Sufficient funds remained for operation in June, so the contract continues! In the meantime, the donation account continues to grow. Today, there is almost $3,000 in the Friends of the Hatchery account, available to the SSSC for operation in July.

On May 28th and 29th, the chinook fry that had been rearing in the Nursery Troughs were transferred outside, into Ponds #13 and #14. I want to thank Judy Lehmann and Jack Lorrigan for their help with this! These transfers made it possible for us to pond the coho fry into these same troughs. We now have around 150,000 coho fry, and they are around 0.4 grams. There are belt feeders set up, so they get to eat all day long. They are growing quickly, and looking great!

Before long, the chinook will be split into Ponds 9, 10, 11, and 12, giving them room to become smolts next spring.


A wonderful development here this summer is Americorps! I want to thank Faith Lee and Karen Martinsen, from the Southeast Alaska Career Center, for making this possible. These student volunteers will learn fish culture, and assist with the duties of the hatchery during the summer months. They are learning to be tour guides, answering most of the commonly-asked questions that our visitors have. Charity and Jessie are actually taking my course, entitled FISH 100, Hatchery Applications and Experiences, for 1 credit. I am so glad to be teaching students again, and having student help!!


The numbers of cruise ship visitors is incredible! I want to thank everyone who has stopped by the Sage Building, to see the hatchery, and I am ever so grateful for the donations all of our visitors have left for us! The donation account continues to grow!


In addition, we received our Fish Resource Permit from Fish and Game, and so the Wetlab and Aquarium is now open to visitors! The Touch Tables are a real favorite. It's amazing to watch the barnacles feeding. There are lots of little creatures to see and enjoy, including a small octopus. The two large brown king crabs that Lila and I purchased last March are now in the 800 gallon tank, and they're doing just fine! Visitors are amazed at the size of these creatures.


On May 12th, there was a rupturing of the penstock, under Lincoln Street. I had to turn off the water to the adult raceways for these past several weeks. During the past 48 hours, the break was repaired, and the water is back on! I am adjusting the flows down the fish ladder, getting it just right, because we are expecting the first of the chinook to return soon. During this next week, I will once again string the corkline across the mouth of the fish ladder, designating a Broodstock Protection Zone. No sport fishing will be allowed on the freshwater side of this boundary.


By the middle of July, we should be seeing the return of the pinks and chums. It's going to be time to get the incubators set up, and prepare the spawning shed. There will soon be cost recovery harvesting of the early surplus. It's a busy and exciting time of the year, and Broodyear 2008 is upon us!

Once again, I want to thank all the volunteers who have helped me with the details of the hatchery, and I especially want to thank all the folks who have been instrumental in bringing the Wetlab and Aquarium to life again! Without the help of Steve Warren, Lynn Wilbur, Henry Larsen, Bob Reid, and many others, I don't think it could have happened. The whole community is getting involved, and assisting in many ways. Your donation dollars have kept the program running into June.

The City Assembly voted to award $10,000 to the Sitka Sound Science Center from the Salmon Enhancement portion of the Fish Box Tax. Thank you, Assembly, for acknowledging the contribution that the hatchery represents! It might be a small production facility, but it's a big training facility. I sincerely appreciate how you recognize this important fact.

The $250,000 from the State of Alaska should be available to the SSSC during August or September. With these funds, the SSSC can begin to operate the hatchery on something other than a "shoestring" budget. We will continue to collect donations throughout the summer, and I will always encourage everyone to come by and help in this effort to Save The Hatchery. This has become a great place to visit, and it's good for children. Education never stopped here, and I hope it never does.

Until next time,

Daniel F. Goodness, Manager
Sheldon Jackson Hatchery
834 Lincoln Street
Sitka, Alaska 99835

Office Phone: 907-747-3824
Home Phone: 907-747-3824
Email: daniel.goodness@gmail.com
Website: www.sjhatchery.org

"Education never stopped at the SJ Hatchery"