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Lake Mendocino hatchery reports stronger spawning; 50 yearlings to be radio‑tagged
Summary
Commissioners heard that hatchery spawning has increased over last year and that Sonoma Water and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will surgically implant radio transmitters in 50 of the facility's yearling fish to track movements to the ocean.
A hatchery representative told the Mendocino County Fish and Wildlife Commission that spawning activity at the Lake Mendocino hatchery has increased compared with last year and that a pilot program to surgically implant radio transmitters in 50 yearling fish began during the week.
The speaker said the hatchery has held two spawning events so far and described the second as “a full contingency of spawning, which is 10 fish.” He said the hatchery currently holds “215,269 yearlings, 6 to 8 inches,” and that those fish are scheduled for release in about three weeks in a concentrated outmigration over two or three days.
The nut graf: commissioners were briefed on both routine operations and a new tracking partnership intended to gather data on freshwater and early marine survival. The tracking is intended to help staff and partner agencies understand where hatchery fish go and what stressors they encounter after release.
Commission members heard details about the tagging operation, which the speaker said started the same day as the meeting. He described the transmitter implant procedure: a small incision, insertion of a transmitter followed by a stitch, and a short handling time. “It was a 3 minute operation. He said the first fish was 3 minutes. He says we expect to be around a minute,” the speaker said.
The project will begin with 50 yearlings fitted with transmitters about the size of a pinky nail. The speaker said receiver stations are already in place “all the way down the river” from Hopland and Cloverdale to the ocean. He noted a technical limitation discussed by the contractors: the transmitter battery life is roughly four weeks, which may limit how long each individual fish can be tracked in the ocean.
Commission members also heard that the club and hatchery are working with Sonoma Water, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and a local sports club on the pilot. The speaker said partners hope to scale the tagging program to more fish in future years if the pilot yields useful data and if funding is available.
Commissioners discussed public outreach tied to the hatchery operation: school visits are scheduled during early season sorting days, the hatchery hosts frequent classroom groups and weekend family visits, and staff are considering publicity once the pilot yields initial results.
Ending: commissioners confirmed an off‑site meeting and hatchery tour scheduled for Feb. 11 with a 9:30 a.m. start at the hatchery; the pilot tagging program and the planned mass release of yearlings were listed as items for that visit.
