Image Gallery

Automated Fish Tagging at Nimbus Fish Hatchery. Video showing the tagging & clipping process using an automated fish tagging trailer. Video Credit: Government Technology TV.

At the Bonneville Fish Hatchery in 2007 where hatchery employees gather and fertilize eggs. Video credit: RMPC / PSMFC.

The below images can be used for non-commercial purposes (not-for-profit) with attribution. Unless specified in the image caption, photo credit belongs to RMPC / PSMFC. These images can be adapted for your specific use.

Fish Tagging

a white trailer that is used to tag fish manually
A manual tagging and marking trailer.
interior of trailer showing stainless steel fish holding areas
Inside a manual tagging and marking trailer.
Manual tagging head mold in use.
fish being taken from a holding net inside the tagging trailer
Manual marking crew at work clipping adipose fins. The fish are sedated prior to clipping to minimize stress.
two white trailers behind 6 or more exterior hatchery ponds
Both automated and manual tagging and marking trailers at Marion Forks Hatchery. The automated trailer is the larger of the two shown.
inside of the trailer showing multiple automated fish marking stations
Inside an automated tagging and marking trailer. Note that each line can efficiently perform marking and tagging in a continuous process.
Juvenile fish in an automated trailer tray waiting to be marked and tagged.
Close up of two lines and a sorter. Notice the tubes below the cabinet are used to go from the sorter to the various tag lines in the automated trailer.

Stream Sampling

Two people in orange jackets checking in river fish trap
Downstream migrant trap used for sampling juvenile salmon.
Two people in shallow river area dragging beach seine to capture fish
Beach seine used in river for sampling fish.
Fish trap in stream between two stream banks
Another type of downstream migrant trap used in a creek.
small tray with measure tape inside to measure small fish
A juvenile chum salmon being measured.
two people on river bank viewing two dead spawned fish
Chum spawning ground along the bank of the Columbia River.
Dead spawned chum salmon on river gravel
A chum salmon identified during a spawning ground survey.

Commercial Sampling

Person holding fish up in hatchery facility
A Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) employee holding a Chinook salmon ready for sampling.
Several fish in blue tub and blue tag wand
A hand wand and freshly harvested Chinook salmon ready for wanding.
Large Salmon in tray with tape measure
Determining the length to be recorded with the sample data. If a coded wire tag is present, the length will also be recorded for recovery data.
Person next to large fish being weighed on hanging scale
Determining the weight to be recorded with the sample data. If a coded wire tag is present, the weight will also be recorded for recovery data.
Person using hand wand on large fish in blue tub
Wanding the snout section of the fish to determine if a coded wire tag was inserted by a hatchery before the salmon was released as a juvenile.
Person removing fish scale from large fish
Scales are sometimes taken to determine age. DNA extracted from scales can also be used for genetic stock identification.

Sport Sampling

fish sampler interviewing fisherman on river bank
Sampler interviewing a sport angler using a handheld data logger.
Three people on river bank next to boat
Sampler interviewing a couple of sport anglers.
Person with tape measure measuring large fish lying on river bank
Sampler measuring lengths of salmon caught on the Columbia River.
Boat ramp with several vehicle backing boats into river and pulling boats out out of river
Boat ramp on the Columbia River where samplers interview sport anglers.
Person standing next to boat interviewing second person standing to same boat
Sampler interviewing a boat angler.
Person using hand wand with large fish
Sampler checking a salmon for a coded wire tag.
Bird nesting platform on pole next to river with several boats in river
Goose nesting platform (with goose) and the sport fleet on the Columbia River.
Boats in river next to bridge
Sport fleet on the Columbia River near the I-5 bridge
Boats in river near airport
Sport fleet on the Columbia River near the Portland Airport.
Fishing Guide Boat in river near other fishing boats
Sport fleet on the Columbia River under the I-5 bridge.

Coded Wire Tag Recovery

Person cutting fish head on cutting board with large knife
A head lab employee begins quartering a recovered head containing a coded wire tag.
Person holding part of fish head near table top metal detector
Each quarter of the head is scanned to determine which portion contains a coded wire tag.
Person in lab pulling tag out of fish head with tweasers
Once the section with a coded wire tag is identified, the tag is extracted and placed in a plastic bag with the recovery information.
Person viewing coded wire tag on video monitor attached to microscope
Each extracted tag is read under a microscope. The decoded number of the tag is added to the recovery information that came with the individual head.

RMPC Data Management

portrait of person
RMPC Program Manager (2022 - current)
Portrait of person
Jim Longwill, RMPC Senior Analyst / Programmer (1988 - current)
Portrait of person
Dan Webb, Analyst / Programmer (2000 - current)
Portrait of three people
Regional Mark Processing Center Team (2006-2021). In order left to right, Dan Webb, George Nandor and Jim Longwill.
Data server rack with servers
A series of servers and a storage array provide the platform for the Coded Wire Tag database and the RMPC web site.

Hatchery

picture of hatchery entry
Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery (OR).
picture of hatchery complex
Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery Complex (OR).
picture of hatchery complex
Aerial view of the Coleman National Fish Hatchery (CA).
picture of hatchery complex
Aerial view of the Mokelumne River Hatchery (CA).
picture of hatchery complex
Aerial view of the Feather River Hatchery (CA).
picture of hatchery complex
Aerial view of Willamette River Hatchery (OR).
picture of hatchery complex
Kalama Falls State Salmon Hatchery (WA).
picture of hatchery entry
Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery (WA).
Salmon in river lined up waiting to enter hatchery
Cole M. Rivers Hatchery returns ready for spawning (OR).
Salmon in river at hatchery
Rock Creek Hatchery returns (OR).
Photo of hatchery complex
Chief Joseph Hatchery (WA)
Truck for transporting fish
The final step of rearing could be a trip in a fish transport truck to a release site. Most fish are released at the hatchery in an adjacent stream.
Extracting eggs from an adult female using live spawning method
Extracting eggs from an adult female using live spawning method.
Fertilizing eggs with an adult male sperm
Fertilizing eggs with an adult male.
Incubation trays with fertilized eggs
Fertilized eggs are placed into trays to incubate
Row of egg incubation racks
Many trays can be cared for together with a carefully managed water supply.
boxes of eyed eggs
Another method of incubating eggs in baskets and troughs.
close up of eyed eggs
Eggs with viable embryos.
trough of swimming fry
Once the fry stage is reached. The juveniles are transferred to troughs where they can swim and feed.
fall river hatchery complex
As the juveniles grow they are eventually transferred to raceways and ponds to continue growing until release.
shade over hatchery fish raceway
Shading and protection from predators through the use of nets.