NSRAA
61 images Created 12 Feb 2015
The Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Inc. (NSRAA), a regional private nonprofit hatchery association maintains three chum salmon spawning channels near Haines, Alaska; at Herman Creek (Klehini River tributary) and the Chilkat River. They also maintain incubation boxes at Herman Creek, 31-mile Haines Highway and 17-mile Haines Highway.
NSRAA built the channels to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt to artificially spawn wild chum salmon. The eggs are fertilized with milt and placed in stream-side incubation boxes. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into incubation boxes on the Klehini River (Herman Creek and at 31-mile Haines Highway). The 2013 incubation box survival rate at the Herman Creek incubation site was roughly 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. Over on the Chilkat River, 1.2 million eggs were seeded. In 2013, the Chilkat River incubation site had a 98% survival rate.
NSRAA has maintained a presence in the Chilkat Valley since 1984 with wildstock enhancement projects ranging from sockeye lake stocking, chum and sockeye streamed incubation, and spawning channel construction. NSRAA’s current focus is on the four chum salmon spawning channels and three chum salmon stream incubation sites.
Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in the Chilkat Valley and other sites in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. In 2014, it is estimated that NSRAA’s contributions to the commercial salmon harvest was $8.27 million, or about 6.6% of the total $126 million Southeast Alaska commercial salmon harvest.
Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn.
Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
NSRAA built the channels to collect wild broodstock by harvesting spawning female and male salmon for their eggs and milt to artificially spawn wild chum salmon. The eggs are fertilized with milt and placed in stream-side incubation boxes. In 2014, 2.4 million eggs were seeded into incubation boxes on the Klehini River (Herman Creek and at 31-mile Haines Highway). The 2013 incubation box survival rate at the Herman Creek incubation site was roughly 90%. Without the artificial spawning, natural survival is said to be only 10%. Over on the Chilkat River, 1.2 million eggs were seeded. In 2013, the Chilkat River incubation site had a 98% survival rate.
NSRAA has maintained a presence in the Chilkat Valley since 1984 with wildstock enhancement projects ranging from sockeye lake stocking, chum and sockeye streamed incubation, and spawning channel construction. NSRAA’s current focus is on the four chum salmon spawning channels and three chum salmon stream incubation sites.
Based in Sitka, Alaska, NSRAA conducts salmon enhancement projects in the Chilkat Valley and other sites in northern southeast Alaska. It is funded through a salmon enhancement tax (of three percent) and cost-recovery income. NSRAA also produces sockeye, chinook, and coho salmon. In 2014, it is estimated that NSRAA’s contributions to the commercial salmon harvest was $8.27 million, or about 6.6% of the total $126 million Southeast Alaska commercial salmon harvest.
Male chum salmon return to Herman Creek to spawn with female chum salmon during the fall chum salmon run. The chum salmon return to freshwater Herman Creek, tributary of the Klehini River after living three to five years in the saltwater ocean. Spawning only once, chum salmon die approximately two weeks after they spawn.
Chilkat River and Klehini River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
