Ahtna Environmental Inc. (AEI) has been busy planting trees and plants for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at the Burley Creek Fish Hatchery in Idaho as part of the compensatory wetland enhancement required after the company built an earthen drainage channel in 2014.

The hatchery, which is mainly dedicated to restoring Redfish Lake sockeye salmon, has shifted from gene banking to stock rebuilding, resulting in an increase in fish production. To handle the additional fish, AEI built a shallow earthen channel that increased the capacity of the existing effluent removal system. NOAA was required to plant native trees and plants in two wetland areas around the channel to compensate environmentally for the disturbed wetlands during construction. This landscaping completes the work associated with the construction of the earthen drainage channel.

Redfish Lake is a critical part of the Snake River Sockeye Salmon Captive Broodstock Program to rebuild the lost salmon runs in the Snake River.