Dworshak National Fish Hatchery

The Dworshak Dam blocks access to the historical spawning areas on the North Fork-Clearwater River for the steelhead, and it is too high for a fish ladder.

The hatchery attempts to mitigate or make up for some of the lost spawning area by collecting mature adult fish, fertilizing their eggs, and raising them for 1–1½ years, until they are large enough to begin their 500-mile journey to the Pacific Ocean.

The young fish must survive a variety of hazards in the long journey, including swimming past eight dams on the Snake and Columbia Rivers.

The Dworshak hatchery is unique because of its ability to control the water temperature in the steelhead rearing ponds.

By keeping the temperature at 54 degrees Fahrenheit, the juvenile steelheads are able to be released after one year at a length of 8 inches.