This is where the egg starts. Each spring, adult Atlantic salmon trapped at the Holyoke Dam on the Connecticut River and the DSI Dam on the Westfield River are taken to the Cronin Salmon Station. Upon arrival, the salmon are weighed, measured, tagged, and vaccinated. They are then gently eased into their indoor pools, where they rest until spawning in the fall. In October and November, when the fish are ready, hatchery staff spawn the salmon.
Volunteers help to fertilize, rinse, and disinfect the eggs.
The eggs are then trucked to the White River National Fish Hatchery in Bethel, Vermont. The naturally cold water at this hatchery makes this an ideal place to incubate eggs. When the eggs hatch, the fry are released into streams throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Staff also provide veterans and the disabled with special fishing programs throughout the year. It is located off of Route 116 in Sunderland, about 3 miles south of the town center.