OROVILLE — Attendees watched in awe as large salmon worked their way upstream and up the salmon ladder at Feather River Fish Hatchery, sometimes catching air as they splashed forward.
“I couldn’t believe it,” said attendee Suzanne Mancini. “I was rooting them on.”
The annual Oroville Salmon Festival celebrates the migration and return of the salmon to the Feather River. Featuring educational exhibits, live music, art displays, a car show, a color run and local vendors, the festival aims to raise awareness of salmon conservation while offering fun activities for all ages. The event spanned multiple locations, drawing large crowds.
Chinook salmon swim back to the Feather River Fish Hatchery by following the scent of their home waters, navigating upstream through fish ladders that guide them around obstacles like dams. Once at the hatchery, the fish are euthanized, and their eggs are collected and fertilized to ensure the survival of the species.
“I was shocked at first,” Mancini said after viewing the harvesting. “But I have a better understanding of the salmon life cycle.”
This was Mancini’s first time at the festival; however, many attendees noted they’d been coming their entire lives.
“It’s a big part of Oroville,” said attendee Mateo Rosales, whose favorite part of the festival is the hatchery. “I find it astounding.”
Sustainability
At the hatchery, various booths offered conservation information, educational games and — at the Department of Water Resources booth — hatchery tours.
Historic monument guide Victor Pulsifer led groups through the journey of the salmon at the hatchery, where employees euthanize the fish after they climb the salmon ladder. Once euthanized, the salmon’s eggs are collected, fertilized and incubated. When the fish reach maturity, they are released back into the wild and the process repeats.
Pulsifer assured guests that the euthanasia of the fish was for the greater good of conservation. Some of the fish had white spots on them, which Pulsifer said was algae and a sign that the fish were nearing the end of their lives.
“The fish are already kind of entering a state of decay,” said Pulsifer. “They’re gonna die, whether we kill them or not.”
The fish carcasses are given to the local Maidu tribe, and any extras the tribe doesn’t take are donated to food banks.
At the end of the tour, many visitors took the opportunity to feed the fingerlings — juvenile fish that one day will make the same migration to Alaska and back, completing their life cycle just as those harvested before them did. The average life cycle of these salmon is 2-3 years.
Festivities
Just beyond the hatchery, in downtown Oroville, attendees milled about the festival’s large market that offered various craft and merchandise booths. Food trucks sold a variety of dishes including tacos, churros, fry bread and ice cream.
Four-year-old Sylas Anaya enjoyed Dippin’ Dots after completing the festival’s color run with his family.
“It was a little hot and long,” said Travis Anaya, Sylas’ dad, who was covered in bright, colorful powder. “But it was a ton of fun.”
After getting food, Sylas and his family sat down in front of the convention center to watch a performance from Pro Championship Wrestling NorCal.
“He’s going to love the wrestling,” said Sylas’ mom, Maggie Anaya. “I just wish it was a little cooler.”
The over-the-top performance began with “Toxic” Brandon Nash, who walked around the crowd telling people to get out of his way and screaming, “I hate Oroville!”
Related Articles
Three things to do in Butte County this weekend
Group of Chicoans working to repair, reopen El Rey theater
Salmon Festival celebrates 30 years of fun
Community partnership | Snapshot
Hometown heroes | Snapshot
The crowd booed as Nash took the ring, then began to cheer as his opponent, Zack “PrimeTime” Reeb, slammed him to the floor. The wrestling match elicited lots of smiles and laughs.
Amid the excitement, others found joy in the simple gathering of the community. For Oroville Botanic Gardens and Education Center employee Margaret Fowler, a highlight at the event was simply seeing so many people downtown. She noted it was nice to have the festival in light of Feather Fiesta Days’ cancellation earlier this year due to poor weather.
“We’re thankful for the salmon coming up so we can have this festival,” Fowler said.
+ There are no comments
Add yours