Location and Contact Information
About Us
Livingston Stone National Fish Hatchery is a substation of the Coleman NFH. The hatchery first began operation in 1997 and released the first winter Chinook salmon in April 1998.
What We Do
Livingston Stone NFH is the only hatchery in the world that raises winter-run Chinook salmon. The winter-run Chinook salmon were listed as endangered on January 4,1994 under the Federal Enangered Species Act. Each year the hatchery produces approximately 200,000 juvenile winter-run Chinook salmon for release into the upper-Sacramento River.
Adult salmon enter freshwater from the ocean in November and December and migrate to the upper reaches of the Sacramento River and spawning typically occurs from May-August, peaking in June and July. Adult fish, known as broodstock broodstock
The reproductively mature adults in a population that breed (or spawn) and produce more individuals (offspring or progeny).
Learn more about broodstock , are captured at the Keswick Dam and transferred to Livingston Stone NFH for spawning. At the hatchery fish are genetically tested to confirm that the fish are winter-run and not a different run of Chinook. They are also tested for relatedness to decrease the chance of inbreeding and maximize the genetics diversity. Prior to release all juvenile fish receive a coded-wire tag and an adipose-fin clip.
Livingston Stone NFH also houses a refugial population of Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) for the UC Davis Fish Conservation and Culture Lab (FCCL). The delta smelt is a small fish (5"-7") endemic to the San Francisco Bay-Delta and is currently listed as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act. They typically only live for one year and die after spawning. At the hatchery they are housed separately from the Chinook; their water source is disinfected with UV and the water is temperature controlled. Their diet consists of rotifers for young fish and artemia for larger fish.
