Oregon anglers: Public comments are open on Eagle Creek National Fish Hatchery's new DEQ discharge permit.
Many of you know Eagle Creek NFH plays an important role in supporting Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead fisheries.
The Oregon DEQ has released a draft discharge permit that includes new thermal load requirements for the hatchery. The concern is that Eagle Creek is a flow-through hatchery it simply diverts water from Eagle Creek, raises fish, and returns the water to the creek. It has no practical way to cool the water it receives, yet the proposed permit includes temperature-related requirements that many hatchery professionals believe are difficult or impossible for a facility like this to meet. The draft also adds new monitoring and reporting requirements.
Whether you support or oppose the proposed permit, this is your opportunity to have your voice heard.
Comments can be sent to:
Trinh Hansen
Water Quality Permit Coordinator
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
📧 trinh.hansen@deq.oregon.gov
If you care about hatcheries, recreational fishing, conservation, or the future of salmon and steelhead in Oregon, I encourage you to read the draft permit and submit a respectful comment. Agencies genuinely consider substantive public comments when finalizing permits.