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SALMONHATCHERY
BY TOM CORRIGAN
Hatchery foreman John Kugen inspects breeding equipment inside the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery.
Hatchery salmon make ultimate sacrifice for species’ survival
BY TOM CORRIGAN
While it might appear to be little more than a bucket, a remote sight incubator allows the hatchery to use water from various sources to hatch young salmon.
By Tom Corrigan Issaquah Press reporter There are steps in the process that may not be pretty, but they’re all aimed at aiding in the survival of Pacific salmon. With hope of eventually releasing millions of young salmon back into local waters, workers and volunteers at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery harvest nearly 2,000 mature chinook and coho salmon annually. They also take in kokanee from Lake Sammamish. The chinook and coho check into the hatchery via Issaquah Creek. This year, the first fish arrived Aug. 23. Some people are surprised to learn mature salmon are killed for artificial breeding purposes, admitted Darin Combs, hatchery manager. Visitors can watch the fish being collected and processed. Combs said that somewhat