Salmon In The Classroom

(click pictures for larger image)
Salmon are native fish in California. They hatch from eggs in creeks and swim down to the river, then out to the ocean. There they grow for a couple of years and return to the river where they were born.

My lovely wife is an elementary school teacher (5th grade) and her classroom is designated to receive eggs from the "Trout/Salmon in the Classroom" program. She has a special refrigerated fish tank provided by the fishing sport association and the fish eggs are provided by the Calif Dept of Fish and Game.

The classroom received 30 eggs, which all hatched and after several weeks, there were 6 fish almost an inch long that needed to go to the river. Since the fish eggs are from the Feather River which feeds into the Sacramento River, we had to drive the fish to the Sacramento River (about 10 miles) to be released.

The fingerlings are about one inch long. Last year we had 30 survivors out of 30, so 6 out of 30 was disappointing. Here they are in the little pitcher we use to transport.

Here is my lovely wife at Discovery Park, Sacramento, Calif., where we will release the fry. Here is where the American River meets the Sacramento River. Those are Canadian Geese resting on the shore to the right.

Here she pours the fry into the river, near some vegetation where the fish can hide out while they get their bearings.

From here the fry will go down the Sacramento River (left side of the picture) and out to the San Francisco Bay then the Pacific Ocean. It seems an impossible journey for such tiny fish, but every year another group of salmon returns to the rivers where they were spawned. 

In February, the classroom will get Steelhead Trout eggs.

That's it from our corner of the world, Sacramento, Calif.

Have a good day!