DIPAC HOME
In 1980, the decision was made for DIPAC's expansion to a second hatchery, two miles south of Juneau, after the Kowee Creek Hatchery, witnessed a 20,000+ pink return in 1979. Prior to the Hatchery program, Kowee Creek had not produced a single wild stock salmon in the previous seven years.
The second facility, the Sheep Creek Hatchery, operates on a gravity flow water intake system. Plans called for the production of 20 million summer chum eggs for the Lower Lynn Canal and Taku gillnetters. However, pink salmon were kept for cash flow purposes until the chums returned in adequate numbers. In 1986, the Coho Annex facility was constructed at Sheep Creek in order to build a broodstock source for what was eventually to become the Gastineau Hatchery. Today the Sheep Creek hatchery is permitted for 40 million pink/chum and 150,000 coho.
The Gastineau Hatchery was completed in 1990 at a capital cost of $7.4 million. The hatchery is permitted for 50 million pink, 111 million chum, 1.5 million coho and 700,000 chinook. The facility can in fact hold up to 300 million eggs. The Gastineau Hatchery is one of the five largest salmon hatcheries in the State of Alaska. Its production returns are just beginning to be realized by the fishing fleets of Haines and Juneau.
The Gastineau facility is also the home of DIPAC's Visitor
Center. The attraction has accommodated hundreds of thousands of visitors since 1990.
Through admission, concession and rental revenue DIPAC's Tourism Division is able to
support its own budget as well as provide valuable educational programs to school
districts statewide.
DIPAC's Sportfish dock is also located at the Gastineau site. The urban fishing
opportunity has proved to be a success for Juneau residents and visitors alike. The
Sportfish dock provides sport fisherman direct access to salmon returning to the hatchery