Volunteers for the Waitaki Riparian Enhancement Society have spent about 2000 hours establishing a salmon-raising facility in a race on the north side of the river at Bells Pond, Ikawai. The first of its fingerlings (between 175g and 180g) are ready for release.
The society also has plans for a hatchery on the south side of the river at Welcome Stream, where salmon would be captured, stripped, eggs fertilised and then hatched.
On Tuesday, about 150 of the 2000 salmon will taken across the river to Welcome Stream, while the remainder will be released from the Bells Pond race into the river.
Society secretary Lin Koevoet said this week it was hoped the release into Welcome Stream would re-establish it as a wild spawning stream, from which salmon could be captured for the enhancement project.
Over the past two seasons, eggs stripped from salmon trapped in the Hakataramea River have been taken to the McKinnon hatchery on the Rangitata River for hatching, then the smolt returned to the Bells Pond race.
This year, the society hoped 70,000 smolt would be returned to the Bells Pond race for release about the same time next year - 20,000 small and the rest, depending on the capability of the race, at 80g to 100g.
Salmon released on Tuesday could start returning to the river in 2013, the bulk in 2014 and possibly a few the following year.
They were put into the rearing race in October last year and last month had their adipose fins clipped so anglers could identify they were released by the society.
Mr Koevoet said that as part of ongoing research into the project, anglers would be encouraged to record details of any salmon they caught with the clipped fin.
The society, which has about 200 members, was formed in April 2010 after a public meeting to discuss how to improve salmon numbers.
The population had dropped in recent years.
That in turn has led to a reduced salmon fishing season that now finishes at the end of March instead of the end of April.
That led to the formation of the society, the identification of a raceway at Bells Pond suitable for rearing salmon and establishing a hatchery on Welcome Stream.
