Formerly the Kalama River Salmon Hatchery, now called Kalama Falls, and part of the Lower Columbia River Complex. Here, salmon are on view in several stages of development—from the eggs to lengths of about, nine inches, when they are released. During spring occurs the strange phenomenon, the return of the salmon, after years of wandering among the currents of the Pacific, to its birthplace. Ascending the Columbia in great silver hordes, the salmon swarm inland to tributaries remote from the ocean, recklessly leaping forward in upstream plunges, tearing their sides against sharp rocks, wriggling through stony shallows, fighting through rapids, many dying on the way, until they reach the headwaters of their native stream.

The eggs of the salmon are laid in light gravel, frequently high in the mountains and sometimes 1,000 miles from salt water. In from 30 to 120 days the eggs hatch. The young fish remain in fresh water for a period varying from a few months to as long as two years, depending upon the species and to some extent upon variations within the species. Having attained the length of a few inches, the fingerling begins the trek to the sea, where it reaches full growth.