Planning and facility design of SCARF began in 2013. Construction began in 2015 with project management provided by the Department of General Services and funding assistance from the Department of Water Resources. Because it would take several years to complete facility construction, CDFW put together a small-scale “interim” facility to raise Spring-run Chinook Salmon for the San Joaquin River Restoration Program. The Interim Facility gradually expanded and added recirculation/chiller units to take advantage of a limited water supply. At full capacity, the Interim Facility was capable of producing up to 220,000 juvenile salmon to release to the San Joaquin River annually.
Construction of SCARF was completed and the facility opened in June 2025. The SCARF can be seen from the Friant Interactive Nature Site (FINS) trail, a San Joaquin River Parkway Trail connecting to Fresno County Lost Lake Recreation Area and has access to the San Joaquin River.
SCARF is equipped with many modern enhancements including treatment of both the supply water and effluent, automated monitoring of water quality and water use, automated fish feeders, and a fish release channel that allows fish to swim from the hatchery all the way to the ocean without the need of trucking.