Federal hydropower projects, as well as private power utility systems, have a devastating impact upon anadromous fish resources that once flourished in the Columbia River and its tributaries.  Several areas have been blocked to anadromous fish by dams, destroying the primary food resource (salmon) for many native people.  To replace these lost resources, many native people now rely heavily upon resident fish.  The Colville Resident Fish Hatchery (CRFH) is an artificial production program that addresses the loss of anadromous fish resources in the Upper Columbia Sub-Region within the "blocked area" created by the construction of Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee Dams.  This artificial production program is part of the Northwest Power and Conservation Councils resident fish substitution policy identified in their Fish and Wildlife Program.  This project enhances resident fisheries located within the Colville Reservation portion of the Upper Columbia, Sanpoil and Okanogan Sub-Basins.  The project particularly mitigates for anadromous fish losses through protection/augmentation of resident fish populations to enhance fishery potential (i.e., in-place, out-of-kind mitigation).  CRFH is located on the northern bank of the Columbia River just downstream of Bridgeport, Washington on land owned by the Colville Confederated Tribes.  The minimum production quota for CRFH is 22,679 kg (50,000 lbs.) of trout annually.

All fish produced are released into Reservation waters, including boundary waters, in an effort to provide a successful subsistence/recreational fishery for Colville Tribal members and provide for a successful non-member recreational sport fishery.

The main goal of CRFH is to provide artificial enhancement of Reservation fisheries for both tribal subsistence fisheries and non-member sport fisheries while minimally impacting natural populations.  When possible, "put-grow-take" and "carry-over" fisheries rather than "put-take" fisheries have been used to accomplish our goal because they can be more cost efficient compared to rearing catchable size trout in a hatchery.  However, some Reservation waters are managed as "put-take" fisheries because they lack suitable habitat and production or have too many non-native competitors to meet our fisheries goals using "put-grow-take" and "carry-over" techniques.


The primary goals of the 2023-2024 performance period:

1. Coordinate with the Colville Hatchery M&E program and provide a clear stocking plan based upon the Lake Management Plan for each water body.  Stocking plans will consider management goals, current environment, harvest rates, and previous studies to determine the optimum size, number and stocking strategy for each water-body.  
2. Continue to follow the CRFH's Maintenance Plan by maintaining or replacing equipment and/or upgrading systems as necessary.
3. Utilize hatchery and net pen production to enhance fisheries in the following Reservation water-bodies: Bourgeau, Buffalo, Gold, La Fleur, Little Goose, McGinnis, North Twin, Omak, Owhi, Round, Rufus Woods, Simpson, South Twin, and Summit lakes, and Nespelem River.
4. Continue to utilize Troutlodge feminized triploid Rainbow Trout eggs to meet hatchery production goals and also support and provide marked juvenile rainbow trout to net pen project in Rufus Woods.
5. Review Hatchery protocols and procedures and update as necessary.