Cowlitz Trout Hatchery Remodel

Construction Activity Alert

• Beginning the week of 10/7 through 10/14, we are conducting the pumping tests of the South Wells, there will be an increased number of construction vehicles and noise in the area on the south side of the Cowlitz River. We expect this work to last for one (1) week.
• The drilling and pumping contractors are expected to be at the North Bank (Hatchery site) the week of 10/14 through the end of the week of 11/18. There will be drilling and water pumping activities as part of the test and observation well construction that will last through the end of November. 
• Generators on the North bank of the hatchery will run 24 hours at a time and may cause noise disturbance near the camping and fishing area.  

November 2024 Program Update

Internal TPU Program Team Meetings

November 13, 2024

• McMillen review schedule 
• McMillen one month look ahead – upcoming deliverables 
• McMillen review risk register and overview of changes 
• CCTV update 
• North bank drilling activities update 
• Survey activities 
• Bioprogramming review status 
• Climate change check in 
• Hatchery Complex Remodel Phase in Plan (HCRPP) long range schedule

November 27, 2024 – Internal regular team meeting

• TBD

Deliverable Activity

• TPU review draft Bioprogram model/Technical Memo (TM) 
• TPU review well temperature projections 
• TPU review HCRPP TM 
• TPU review groundwater model 
• TPU pump well tests 
• TPU review groundwater samples 
• TPU review stream flow projections 
• TPU review of observed trends 
• TPU review hydraulic analysis 

Site Activity

November 2024

• North Bank drill test well and observation well construction
• Survey field work

Interested Party Meetings

Information coming soon

Public presentations

Information coming soon

High-level schedule 2023-2032

2023-2024

• Form consultant and TPU design team
• Survey and data collection
• Major studies and decision points on water supply
• Long-term husbandry plan (bioprogram)
• Alternative analysis of hatchery components

2025-2026

• Initiate permitting
• Survey
• Continued alternative analysis and major studies
• Long-term husbandry plan (bioprogram)
• Major Go/No Go for hatchery alternatives
• 10% design interim construction phasing
• Construction costs and interim phasing costs
• Budget final design and begin final design
• Budget construction phases one and two

2027-2028

• Finalize permitting
• Final design
• Final cost and interim construction phasing
• Interim husbandry plan (bioprogram)
• Break ground construction (phase one)
• Early phased construction (phase two)
• Budget construction phases three and four
• Interim operations plan
• Commission and closeout

2029-2030

• Construction (phase three)
• Interim operations plan
• Commission and closeout

2031-2032

• Construction (phase four)
• Interim operations plan
• Commission and closeout

Click here to view the detailed schedule (updated monthly)

Click here to view the detailed phase one scope 2024-2027

Updates and project milestones

Want to see a presentation or attend a meeting? Click here to view information on the Cowlitz Fisheries Technical Committee.

FAQs

What improvements are proposed for the Cowlitz Trout Hatchery Remodel Program?  

The Cowlitz Trout Hatchery Remodel Program is divided into multiple phases. Phase 1’s goal is to identify solutions before beginning design and permitting in Phase 2. Overall, the project will focus on incorporating modern technology and designs to enhance fish health, overall survival, operational efficiency, infrastructure reliability, and environmental stewardship. 

Will the trout hatchery remain operational during the remodel? 

Yes, it will remain operational. 

What measures are being taken to minimize environmental impact during the remodel? 

 We will comply with Federal, State, and Local regulations throughout the process to minimize environmental impacts while meeting our compliance and mitigation requirements. 

Will there be any changes to the species or production capacity of the fish hatchery after the rebuild? 

We will raise the same mix of species and have a comparable or greater capacity to produce our current fish programs. For more information on our fish hatchery programs please see our current Fisheries and Hatcheries Management Plan (FHMP) 2020.  

 Will access to the boat launch be affected? If so, when and for how long? 

At this time, we are not expecting long-term closures to access the boat launch, although portions (but not all) of the parking lot may be temporarily closed off. At times, there may be short-term (throughout the day) delays to facilitate construction traffic and protect the public and our workers. If long-term closures become necessary, we will post the information at least 24 hours in advance onsite and on our River Flows and Lake Levels page. 

 What are you doing about bird predation? 

Additional bird predation measures at the hatchery will be addressed in the design phase and as part of the alternatives analysis. In 2016, in response to significant fish loss due to bird predation, we installed wires, block nets and wire fencing to protect the fish. Additionally, we increased hazing hours and implemented updated hazing techniques.  We have also improved our fish counting and avian impact monitoring through newer technologies. 

Are you making changes to the ADA access or the ADA Fishing Site? 

We are not planning to change the ADA access or Fishing Site.