On Tuesday, January 16th, the Suquamish Tribe’s Fisheries truck brought 35,000 Chum salmon fry to the Imprint Pond at Carkeek Park. Fish are fed 3 times a day, 7 days a week. While the fish are here, they eventually become imprinted with the mineral and chemical smell/memory of the park’s Piper’s Creek Watershed. This process insures that they have the best chance of returning to their new home waters in 3-5 years as spawning adults.
This batch of fish is just the 1st of 3 batches that will be delivered and then eventually released into Venema Creek by CWCAP Salmon Imprint Stewards. So beginning now, look for the Feeding Salmon Fry sign across from the 1st lower parking lot as you come down into the park (see photo).
There also have been 30,000 eggs hatching in the Egg Incubator/Self-release Tank. There are lots of emerging alevin visible in the top tray right now, but they are slipping through the mesh all the time and will soon be at the bottom of the deep tank and therefore harder to see. So visit soon if you can.
- CWCAP volunteers feed and imprint 70-100,000 salmon fry every Spring for eventual release into Venema Creek.
- Eggs and fry are provided each year by the Suquamish Tribe’s Grovers Creek Salmon Hatchery. Thank you!
- These are the fish that will return to these home waters in 3-5 years to spawn in the fall. Get ready for that!
- CWCAP and its partners help build Outdoor Classrooms across Carkeek Park.
- Salmon Imprint Stewards can show you how to feed the fish, discuss operations, salmon life cycles, watershed improvement, and community stewardship. Learn, teach, participate, volunteer; let’s hear from you!