Bill and Sylvia from Grovers Creek Salmon Hatchery delivered 35,000 new Chum salmon fry on March 9, 2018. Thank you Suquamish Tribe!
This 2nd batch of fish, as did our 1st batch, came directly off the incubation trays at the hatchery. These new fish are the end-of-the-2017-Chum-salmon-run fish; meaning, the adult spawners from which these fry came arrived in Grovers Creek at the end of November 2017. So these fish were something like 3 ½ months old when they arrived. Our 1st batch of fry came from Chum spawners that arrived at Grovers Creek in early October 2017.
Like our 1st batch, these fry had never eaten by mouth and had never swam in a current before they arrived. Now that they are buttoned up, feeding has begun 3 times per day, 7 days per week. Recall that it’s important to be sure their alimentary tract/canal (digestive system) is completely formed so that food does not get trapped in the gut. The relative way to determine this is to monitor the seam along their ventral side (under side) to see that it is fused where the egg/yolk sac was absorbed.
When visiting Carkeek Park, stop by to help feed our new baby salmon fry. Look for the Feeding Salmon Fry sign posted 3 times per day, 7 days per week when our Salmon Imprint Stewards are there.
Carkeek Watershed Community Action Project released 35,000 Chum salmon fry into Venema Creek on Friday, March 2, 2018!
This was our 1st release of the year, which will be followed by 2 more releases – one on March 24 and another Salmon in the Schools release in early-to-mid May.
Fish were released at about 5:45 PM this Friday. Though it wasn’t dark yet (sunset was at 5:56 PM and it was dusky), flashlights helped as visitors and volunteers watched the fish make their way downstream after their release. We’re talking about 35,000 salmon fry, so every small pool in the creek just downstream from the Imprint Pond had hundreds of juvenile fish venturing downstream. Rubber or hiking shoes are recommended along the wet banks near the release sight. Kids brought parents, friends, and teachers! Everyone took care not walk in the creek or trample vegetation and creek bank soil.
The fish that this community released will be among the hundreds that return to spawn in 3-5 years at Carkeek Park.
Thank you Suquamish Tribe and the staff at Grovers Creek Salmon Hatchery for our fish stock, your expertise, and support!