Large-Scale Salmon Enhancement Select a topic from the list below Mokelumne River Hatchery Merced River Hatchery Thermalito Afterbay Sacramento Winter Run Iron Gate Hatchery Fish Transport Trailers Net Pens Avila Beach Monterey Bay Rowdy Creek Hatchery, Smith River Extended salmon rearing at Mokelumne River Hatchery was the original Salmon Stamp project. Initially, the project reared a million yearling-sized salmon and trucked them for release in the San Francisco Bay area, past the influence of the huge south-Delta pumps. By statute, DFG rears an additional one million salmon, with costs paid from other DFG funds. Annual operation and maintenance costs in the early years averaged about $100,000, one-half of which was paid from Salmon Stamp funds. The program continues to rear two million yearling salmon for an annual total cost of about $210,000, borne equally by Salmon Stamp and other DFG funds. These salmon are in addition to salmon reared at the hatchery as mitigation for losses caused by completion and operation of Camanche Dam,owned by the East Bay Municipal Utility District. The Salmon Stamp Program has also made substantial funding commitments for equipment and capital improvements at Mokelumne River Hatchery. An initial two-year project converted old gravel-lined spawning channels at the hatchery to concrete-lined raceways, paid for construction of bird exclusion cages (without which predatory birds can kill large numbers of small salmon at hatcheries), and purchased feed trucks and other sorely needed hatchery equipment. Project costs were $264,500 for the initial upgrade. Since then the Stamp Program has continued to make significant improvements at Mokelumne River Hatchery, including construction of a new expanded hatchery building in 1994.