Catch a glimpse of salmon life at American River hatchery

Many outdoor activities slow down when fall and winter approach, but not at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery in Rancho Cordova.Fall is the season there where things really get jumping - literally.Starting in November, thousands of Chinook salmon will finish their upstream journey from the Pacific Ocean and arrive at the hatchery, ready to jump the fish ladder and begin spawning (laying their eggs). Nimbus Fish HatcheryWhere: Off Highway 50 at Hazel Avenue in Rancho CordovaWhen: Open daily. Visitors center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; hatchery from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.Cost: Admission freeCall: (916) 358-2884It is the final process, and ultimate goal, of their young lives.Salmon have been following this ritual for longer than anyone knows. Prior to the creation of the Nimbus and Folsom dams in the early 1950s, the fish continued up the American River for another 100 miles or so to complete this process in various forks of that waterway. With the dams blocking their way, however, the Nimbus Fish Hatchery was created in 1955 to allow both the salmon and steelhead trout to complete their reproductive missions. The hatchery is owned and funded by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and operated by the California Department of Fish and Game.According to Assistant Manager Robert Burks, nearly 25,000 salmon are expected to jump up the hatchery's ladder from early November through mid-December and have their eggs and sperm harvested manually by workers there. About 15 million eggs will be taken, fertilized and hopefully grow into about 4 million, 6-month-old young smolts. The 2- to 3-inch smolts will then be released into San Pablo Bay near Crockett, to begin their own journey of life - a three-year odyssey on average.Salmon spawn just once in their lives, dying shortly afterward in nature. At the hatchery, the fish are salvaged for donation to area food banks through California Foodlink, a non-profit charitable organization.The steelhead undertake a similar voyage, arriving at the hatchery from roughly late December through March. Steelhead, however, can spawn two or three times in their lives. After spawning, the adult fish are returned to the American River and their offspring kept in the hatchery's ponds, or raceways, until they are a year old.They are then released into the main stem of the Sacramento River, south of Discovery Park in Sacramento. Last year about 430,000 of these 4- to 6-inch yearlings were discharged, said Burks, though he pointed out that both salmon and steelhead numbers can vary considerably from year to year.Visitors to the hatchery can witness the entire spawning process first-hand during the fall and winter months.In addition, there is plenty to see at the hatchery during the rest of the year. There is a Visitor's Center with interactive exhibits, educational displays and a 20-minute video explaining the salmon and steelhead saga. It is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Outside, visitors can view the young salmon or steelhead growing in the hatchery's raceways.There is also a ¼-mile River Discovery Trail along the edge of the American River, where one can watch the salmon that don't go through the hatchery's gate undergo natural spawning south of the Nimbus Dam.All tours are free, and self-guided. (Guided tours are given to various educational groups throughout the year by the Fish & Game's Interpretive Services Division, but have proven so popular there is now a lottery system in place.)To get to the hatchery, take Highway 50 south to the Hazel Avenue exit. Go right on Hazel, turning left at the first light, Gold Country Boulevard, about 0.7 mile. Stay in the outer left-hand lane when turning, as the hatchery entrance is just 200 yards down on the right.For information or to check on fish conditions, call (916) 358-2884.