34 June 2010 production, extensive stocking and restoration or conservation in the same geographic area, perhaps with the same fish species (Waples 1999). The history of salmonid hatcheries in North America dates back to at least 1857 (MacCrimmon 1965). Salmonid hatcheries operated for extensive production, and for conservation and restoration, have grown and developed considerably since then. In North America, salmonid hatcheries are widespread, especially along the Pacific coast. The subject of our research and management for this article is the design and operation of fish hatcheries for extensive production and for restoration or conservation. Most of our activities are directed toward salmonids in the Pacific Northwest, but as we shall discuss, the details are not critical. We do not consider intensive production hatcheries or fish farms. This distinction is important, since many people assume that hatcheries are equivalent to fish farming. History of the Oregon Hatchery Research Center The concept of a research center dedicated to studies of hatchery and wild salmonids originated with Lindsay Ball, the Director of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife from 2001 to 2005. As the idea developed it gained broad support, from the Natural Resource Committee and the Ways and Means Committee of the Oregon Legislature, the Legislative Leadership, the Governor’s Office, Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon State University, and the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife of OSU. There has been broad public interest and support for the OHRC, especially from anglers, since its inception. The proposal for the OHRC was reviewed and supported by the Independent Multidisciplinary Science Team (IMST). Members of the IMST are appointed by the Governor of Oregon to review science proposals or projects that are of general significance or have a high public profile. The IMST convened a Planning Workshop for the OHRC in October 2003. The Workshop brought together 40 scientists, managers and engineers from throughout the Pacific Northwest. They reviewed and discussed scientifically credible knowledge, data and publications to identify: 1. Unique research regarding hatchery and wild salmon issues. 2. The breadth and scope of potential experiments that would help resolve those questions. 3. Design plans for a facility that would maximize flexibility and accommodate a wide range of current and anticipated investigations. The research goals of the OHRC are to use hatchery fish responsibly to support viable populations of wild fish and sustain sport, commercial and tribal fisheries; to understand biological processes and management implications on scales from individual fish to the landscape and to identify hatchery practices that minimize the impact of hatchery facilities on the natural environment. The potential research questions to be addressed by the OHRC include: 1. Reproductive success of mating fish of hatchery and wild origins. 2. Influence of incubation, rearing and release strategies on behavior and survival. 3. Spawning success of hatchery fish in the wild. 4. Hatchery fish re-adaptation to the wild environment. 5. Relative importance of genetic and environmental influences on fish performance. 6. Balancing harvest of hatchery fish while minimizing impacts on wild fish population. 7. Inadvertent effects of domestication. Funding Model The OHRC facility is owned by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), and is operated jointly under a Memorandum of Understanding between the ODFW and the Fisheries and Wildlife Department of Oregon State University. The OHRC receives one million dollars each biennium from the ODFW. In addition to salaries, that budget includes funding for student support, one-half of the Senior Scientist’s salary and basic research and facility operations. Additional funding for operations, education, outreach and research comes from a variety of external sources. In particular, the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) has provided substantial funding, both for initial construction and subsequently for research equipment such as video cameras and recorders, microscopes, field collecting equipment and analytical laboratory equipment. Some Details of the OHRC The Mission of the OHRC is to: 1. Understand mechanisms that may create differences between hatchery and wild fish. 2. Develop approaches to manage the differences to meet fishery and conservation goals. 3. Help Oregonians understand the relationships among wild fish, hatchery fish and the surrounding environment. The OHRC is located on Fall Creek, a tributary of the Alsea River, in the Coast Range of Oregon (Figure 3). The facility was designed and constructed to accommodate the full range of experiments that might be required to address questions related to hatchery and wild fish. We take water for the OHRC, to a maximum permitted quantity of 0.68 cubic meters per second (cms), from Fall Creek (0.62 cms) and Carnes Creek (0.06 Fig. 3. Map to show location of the Oregon Hatchery Research Center in coastal Oregon.
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