Oregon officials likely to keep running Rogue River Basin hatchery

MEDFORD, Ore. – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is backing away from a plan to put a hatchery in southwest Oregon’s Rogue River Basin up for competitive bidding.

The Mail Tribune reported the Corps appears ready to have Oregon Department of Fish Wildlife retain operation of the Cole Rivers Hatchery. ODFW would continue raise and release 2.8 million salmon, steelhead and trout as mitigation for lost wild salmon and steelhead habitat from the building of Lost Creek and Applegate dams.

The Corps had planned to seek bids on separate one-year contracts for operating the hatchery as it moved away from joint operating agreements with state agencies like ODFW.

The newspaper reports the Corps shifted course because of its contracting rules and the complexities of running the hatchery.