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Peter Gray Hatchery Update  
DSF's East Machias Facility that houses the Peter Gray Hatchery - 13 Willow St. East Machias, Maine 04630
The Peter Gray Hatchery and East Machias River on a chilly December morning. Note the difference in this picture from the one at the bottom of this update taken in the summer.
Good morning, good afternoon, and/or good evening to you all. Where did December go? Redd counting consumed the end of October and all of November. 60 redds (the gravel nests salmon lay their eggs in) counted by the way, which is the highest seen since the 1990's and 6 times the average we've seen the past two decades! Adult salmon from the Peter Gray Hatchery and the East Machias River also seem to be surviving at higher rates in the ocean than some of our nearby rivers using other stocking strategies. For more on redd counting and what we found this year, please check out November 2019's hatchery update here.

In December, we have already began preparations for the next round of Atlantic salmon eggs that we will be picking up from our Peter Gray Parr Project partners at the US Fish and Wildlife Service to the Peter Gray Hatchery. Examples of these preparations would include inspection and of repair as needed of egg trays, plumbing, and oxygen lines. Fry screen and substrate incubation box repair also make the to do list. As at the end of each rearing and assessment season; data, results, and conclusions are compiled and audited with Peter Gray Parr Project partners like Maine Department of Marine Resources - Jonesboro office and NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center - Atlantic Salmon Ecosystems Research Team. As those items begin to be finalized, we will be sure to share them with you!

Keeping this update short and sweet, we here at the Peter Gray Hatchery would like to wish everyone a Merry Fishmas and a Swimming New Year! Thank you for all of support for this project...we couldn't do it without you.

Thank you for taking the time to read through our updates. If you are new to receiving these updates and would like to catch up on some you have missed, please visit our website here . If there are any of your friends you think would enjoy this content please share with them or let us know their email address to add to the list!

If you like the work we are doing, please considering donating towards the continuation of the Peter Gray Parr Project .

We hope this update finds you well and you enjoyed reading about the Peter Gray Parr Project. Thank you for all you have done, and continue to do, in the pursuit of Atlantic salmon restoration!

Kind Regards,

Peter Gray Hatchery Staff 
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TAX DEDUCTION!
CHARITABLE DONATION!   
WE ARE STILL IN NEED OF TRUCKS!!!!
Are you a business owner or individual looking for a tax deduction in 2019? Looking to trade in your truck for a new one this year? Would you like a tax deduction at a value higher then you would get for your trade-in? Please consider donating that pickup to the Downeast Salmon Federation. The Downeast Salmon Federation is a 501-c3, so your truck donation will give you a tax deduction equivalent to the Kelly Blue Book private sale value of your truck. The only thing we ask is that the truck is mechanically sound, has an inspection sticker or would take one, and that the truck is 4 wheel drive.

Currently, we don’t have trucks to accomplish all of the important, boots-on-ground projects that are taken on each year. These tasks include stocking salmon, habitat restoration, assessment of projects, land stewardship along rivers, etc. If this is something you are interested in and want to help us better Downeast Maine’s ecosystems please contact zach@mainesalmonrivers.org or call 207-255-0676 . 
You can also support the Downeast Salmon Federation by purchasing some swag! Hats, sweatshirts, and t-shirts can be found HERE . Other ways to help are to become a member !
If you'd like to read more on the Peter Gray Parr Project 's beginnings and future please read our  Parr Project Booklet. 

There is a short Parr Project video on our website  HERE.
 Thank you to the Trout and Salmon Foundation for your continued support of the Peter Gray Parr Project !
Please support our work by becoming a member  of the Downeast Salmon Federation. Together, we can restore sea-run fisheries in Maine.