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Erica Szlosek, External Affairs
Families are invited to join in the fun at the 18th Annual Return of the Salmon Festival on October 18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Coleman National Fish Hatchery, 24411 Coleman Fish Hatchery Road, Anderson, Calif.

This is a family event to celebrate the fall Chinook salmon returning to Battle Creek and the hatchery. Visitors will be able to observe all aspects of the day-to-day hatchery operations; spawning, egg incubation, and juvenile rearing. Information sites are located on the hatchery grounds for visitors to learn more about salmon?s habitat requirements, and lifecycle. More than 50 exhibitor booths are expected including many government and community organizations which also participate in the festival.

This year's activities include:

Viewing of adult Chinook salmon and salmon spawning operation
"Salmon aquarium"
Resource information booths
Fish tagging
Recreational displays
Children's activities
Safety fingerprinting
Blood drive
Food available by Junction Educational Foundation
Demonstrations of Native American activities

Admission and parking are free. There are also free shuttle buses from the Wal-Mart SuperCenter in Anderson.

Visitors will also be able to see the new fish passage ladder which opened Sept. 30. This was a joint Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service project to help improve managers' ability to separate spawning populations of Central Valley spring- and fall-run Chinook salmon. Spring-run Chinook are threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The ladder should contribute to the success of the Battle Creek Salmon and Steelhead Restoration Project, which is working to improve fish passage and habitat in the upstream reaches of Battle Creek.

For more information call (530) 365-8622.

To learn more about the Coleman National Fish Hatchery, visit their website at http://www.fws.gov/coleman/