Aquaculture Project Overview Aquaculture is a man-made ecosystem that supports local species of fish. In the case AMWS' aquaculture, the use of the Arcata's wastewater with the addition of seawater at equal concentrations creates an environment for rearing the fish grown at the facility. The project was proposed in 1963 by Dr. George Allen, and started later in 1971 to increase the local salmon runs. The some of the current fish projects include chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, and cutthroat trout. Arcata's fish hatchery is located between the western edge of the oxidation ponds and the mouth of Butcher's Slough.
Wastewater acts as a fertilizer in aquaculture to feed the plankton that the fish thrive on.
The addition of the seawater mitigates the toxic levels and allows for the right balance of nutrients the young salmon need.