Looking for something fun and educational to do outdoors with the family while the weather is still fair? Check out the Nimbus Fish Hatchery, located at 2001 Nimbus Road in Gold River, CA.
The Nimbus Salmon and Steelhead Hatchery was constructed to replace the salmon and steelhead runs that were blocked by the Nimbus and Folsom dams. There is a lot to see and learn at the hatchery. In the sorting and spawning area the freshly taken eggs are fertilized then moved to the hatchery building where you can find fish rearing troughs and egg incubators. Eggs take about 50 to 60 days to hatch, and four weeks after are fed pellets while they live in the rearing troughs. Be sure to check out their 12 raceway ponds, where the salmon and steelhead are raised until released into the Sacramento River. The Salmon are released at about 6 months old and the steelhead at about one year.
Every fall, Nimbus hosts the Salmon Festival, a celebration of the salmon runs. Although the date for the salmon run is never certain, around the beginning of November the salmon make their way up the “fish ladder” to lay about 30,000,000 eggs in the pond at the top. A favorite activity for the younger folks is feeding the fish. For just a nickel, your child can get a whole handful of fish food. The fishies go crazy with each handful that is tossed into the tanks!
There are several walking and bike trails - including the American River Bike Trail - that are accessible at the hatchery.
The Hatchery is open every day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and admission is free. For more information, check out the hatcheries web site at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/fish/Hatcheries/Nimbus/index.asp or call (916) 358-2820.