Photos: Plane Lands On The Richardson By Gulkana Hatchery, Hauls Salmon Fry To Lakes

 

Plane loading up at the Gulkana Hatchery. (Photo, Geoff Clark) 

How The Gulkana Hatchery Drops Fry Into Local Lakes By Landing On The Richardson Highway Near The Facility 

Gate and bridge to Gulkana Hatchery north of Paxson on the Richardson.
(Photo, Copper River Country Journal) 

 

By Geoff Clark, General Manager

Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation

Special to the Country Journal 

View Of An M-18B Dromader (Wikipedia) 

Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation (PWSAC) operates the Gulkana Hatchery (GKH), a sockeye hatchery located on the Gulkana River near Paxson. Each year, GKH is permitted to release ten million sockeye fry into Crosswinds Lake, which is achieved by flying the fish from the hatchery to the lake and releasing them from the plane at height.

Plane takes on its cargo of salmon fry in May, 2025. (Photo, Geoff Clark)     

These sockeye fry hatch early in the spring and come from eggs collected during the previous summer/fall. Hatchery staff maintain good egg survivals during the winter season, keeping them in incubators until they hatch. After that, staff rear them for a few weeks before releasing them back to nature.

 

PWSAC contracts a Dromader M18 plane (PLZ-M18) with a built in fiberglass hopper that is filled with water, oxygen diffusers, and fry, to make the transport. Once the plane reaches the lake, the pilot activates the release mechanism, allowing the fish to safely dive into the water below.

The release height and speed is closely monitored by the pilot.  The fry must be released between 200’-250’ at a speed of 75 knots to ensure the fry orient properly when they reach the water surface.  Each flight carries approximately one million fry, which means up to ten trips may be needed annually. Because the plane uses the highway as an airstrip, PWSAC works with the state DOT to conduct multiple take offs and landings on the Richardson Highway. Hatchery staff are trained and certified as flaggers to ensure safety and proper traffic control during transfer operations.

When the adults return, fish from these transports are available to commercial, personal-use, subsistence and sport fishers who enjoy the world class Copper River and Gulkana sockeye salmon!