Nimbus Fish Hatchery??? Spawning?

[ycflyfisher]

I'm pretty certain Nimbus is a mitigation facility and the willful abandonment of hatchery production is not an option. I'd expect them to spawn anadromous salmonids regardless -rain or no rain. If they willing decide to not spawn salmon they're definitely by default, electing to spawn Notices of Intent at record rates. That's simply not going to happen IMO.

[SeanO]

Pretty much my thoughts as well.

I'm pretty certain Nimbus is a mitigation facility and the willful abandonment of hatchery production is not an option. I'd expect them to spawn anadromous salmonids regardless -rain or no rain. If they willing decide to not spawn salmon they're definitely by default, electing to spawn Notices of Intent at record rates. That's simply not going to happen IMO.

[steel2theReel]

Pretty much my thoughts as well.

Well. I for one would like to know how they will spawn fish in a dry hatchery!

Grant

[STEELIES/26c3]

If they do not plan to use the ladders until 3015 why would they place the weir in this year?
Especially with all of that new "spawning" bed area they constructed above!

That doesn't make any sense at all.

It makes sense if you consider; The basin, as it is the end of the line, accumulates the greatest amount of salmon and anglers.

If the weir were not installed, a large percentage of fish which otherwise would spawn in the other 5 spawning restoration areas along the river between Arden/Goethe and Sailor Bar, would instead go in to the basin and be caught (many before becoming ripe enough to spawn) and that would reduce the amount of in-river spawning and ultimately the number of offspring produced.

[Darian]

Yep,.... I'm aware of the mitigation status of the hatchery but there has to be an explanation for putting the weir in place when there's no flow thru the ladder/hatchery. Since staff out there have always been open to questions in the past, probably should just call them and ask....

[STEELIES/26c3]

The hatchery normally produces considerably more salmon smolts than the entire American River. Since there are 6 spawning habitat restoration areas on the river and only one above the weir, it makes perfect sense to install the weir as it isolates only one area (Nimbus Basin) and encourages fish to utilize the remaining 5 areas below the weir.

Since the hatchery will likely not produce any offspring, it is sensible and practical to prevent salmon from kegging up in the basin as that is their natural migration tendency.

The concept of carrying capacity dictates that even if the 6 restoration areas were never created, the odds of successful spawning would be much greater in 12 miles of the upper American River BELOW the weir than in the 200 yards above it...

Ecology 101