Steelhead Eggs go to School

By Larry Willmott - Idaho Department of Fish and Game Even though school is out for the summer, students in Mike Nelson's Elk City Middle School classroom got a first-hand look at the life cycle of steelhead by raising their own school of fish. For the past 12 years, Nelson's students have been participating in a steelhead egg incubation program sponsored by Potlatch Forest Pulp and Paperwork and other community members interested in teaching kids more about their natural environment. The goal is to increase awareness in young people of their environment and the importance of the aquatic environment to fish resources. It is also hands-on and provides a great way for students to learn about steelhead life cycles and the importance of quality habitat. "Education is critical, and the lessons learned will eventually pay off in a better understanding of these fish and becoming responsible stewards of the natural resources," Nelson said. In 1993, the Elk City students began incubating steelhead eggs in Elk Creek, but the water temperatures were too warm. The following year, the incubator was moved to Buffalo Gulch along the American River where it has successfully raised 10- to 15-thousand steelhead annually. Each spring, Owen Squires of Potlatch Forest Pulp and Paperworks transports steelhead eggs on ice from the Dworshak National Fish Hatchery to the Elk City School. He then teams up with Nelson to reinforce concepts learned in the classroom about the steelhead's amazing life cycle, covering issues such as water quality, habitat requirements, predation, and migration to and from the ocean. After the classroom presentation, the students take a field trip to the stream incubator site on Buffalo Gulch to start the egg rearing process. Students participating in the project are Zack Carpentier, Robbie Gilmore, Alyssa August, Allison Lovell, Presco Leighton, Bryce Robinson, Taylor Altman, Cera Baldwin, Bryan Gilmore, Ethan Green and Patsy Leighton. Students begin by measuring the water temperature to ensure that the iced eggs are within two degrees of the stream temperature. Then they assemble boxes called Whitlock boxes that store the eggs in the incubator. After making sure each box has a small stone to hold the eggs under oxygen-rich water at the bottom of the incubator, the students measure the number of eggs for each box using the water displacement theory. The eggs are then carefully poured into the Whitlock boxes and placed in the incubator. Over the course of the summer, each student volunteers to check on the eggs on a scheduled basis. They also get to watch the steelhead grow from eyed eggs to fry. The fry have to complete a maze of small walls to escape the incubator. By the time the fry leave, they are developed and strong enough to complete the maze and survive in the stream. The student's efforts have not been wasted. For the last three years, students have observed returning adult steelhead in the American River at the Buffalo Gulch incubation site. According to Nelson, the students learn much more than just the life cycles of fish. Math, science, reading and writing skills are all incorporated into the learning project, and each student becomes personally involved and takes pride in ownership of it. The learning project is also supported by the community of Elk City. Several Bennett Lumber Mill employees built the original egg incubator out of a refrigerator and supplied the plumbing. Each year, Nelson removes it from the stream and cleans it with the help of Loren Anderson and Elk City's fire truck. Currently, the Elk City School is the only school continuing the incubation project of eight other schools originally involved. Vandalism is the main reason other schools have discontinued the program. Not to say they haven't had a few problems. According to Nelson, one year a moose or elk tripped over the inlet pipe which supplies water to the incubator. Luckily, a former student checking on the incubator repaired the problem and the fish survived. Larry Willmott is a Sr. Conservation Officer stationed in Elk City. He has worked for IDFG since 1996.