Washout ponds are excavated beside the river with a continuous flow of water diverted through them. In the spring, young chinook salmon, about 130 to the pound, are placed in the pond for rearing. When the fish have grown to about five per pound, heavy fall rains cause the river to rise and washout the banks of the pond releasing the fish into the river. At that time, they are large enough to better withstand the trials of migration to the ocean and have a much better survival rate than if released at a smaller size.
