BELLINGHAM, Wash. – If you have been down to Whatcom Creek recently, you have probably seen salmon running.

Salmon at Maritime Heritage Park. Photo courtesy of hollyzphotography.com.

These Chinook salmon are not native to the creek though.

They were released as juveniles by the Whatcom Creek Hatchery starting back in 2018 to feed the endangered orca whale population and contribute to local fisheries.

They are genetically different from our local Chinook salmon and managed differently by the State and tribes.

They also serve an educational purpose for Bellingham Technical College students who manage the hatchery in Maritime Heritage Park.

The salmon are not expected to reach upstream spawning grounds and will likely end up on creek banks where they will decompose and help replenish marine-derived nutrients that should help restore health to the water system.

BTC’s hatchery is co-managed by the Lummi Nation, the Nooksack Tribe, and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

For more information on fishing regulations, visit the department’s website.