Welcome to the Salmon Trail!

1. Welcome to the Salmon Trail!

2. Taking a journey of hundreds of miles from freshwater stream to the ocean and back, facing such dangers as dams and fishermen you will attempt to keep as many of your fish alive as possible. You (your group) will begin with your very own redd full of salmon eggs. Your job, should you choose to take it, is to do everything in your power to help as many of your salmon population survive to spawn as possible.

3. Eggs There are 8,000 eggs in your redd. The female salmon has two areas she could lay her eggs in the stream. Option 1: A grassy area Option 2: A gravelly area Which option do you choose?

4. Congratulations! Your surviving eggs hatched and have grown to alevins!

5. Alevin Your alevins now have two options for feeding. Option 1: Stay in the general area where they hatched feeding on the plankton and small insects available in the immediate area. Option 2: Venture out into the stream to find different food sources. Which option do you choose?

6. Congratulations! Your surviving alevins have grown to fry!

7. Fry Your fry now have two options for travelling downstream. Option 1: Stay near the banks of the streams underneath the overhanging foliage as they travel. Option 2: Travel down the middle of the stream with the strongest current. Which option do you choose?

8. Congratulations your surviving fry have grown to smolts!

9. Smolt The stream your salmon population is traveling down passes through an agricultural area. You have some control over the water rights for the farmers. You have two options. Option 1: Allow farmers to install screened irrigation ditches. Option 2: Allow farmers to install unscreened irrigation ditches. Which option do you choose?

10. Congratulations! Your surviving smolts have grown to adulthood!

11. Adults You have some control over the amount of private (individual people) fishing in the ocean and in the stream. You have two options. Option 1: Limit fishing in the ocean Option 2: Limit fishing in the stream Which option do you choose?

12. Congratulations! Your surviving adults have made it to the ocean!

13. Spawners You are part of a planning committee for the placement of a dam in the area for much needed hydroelectric power. You have two options. Option 1: Build the dam on the largest river in the area for the most power. This river is also the home stream for the largest population of salmon in the area, and has multiple homes and agricultural areas along its banks. Option 2: Build two smaller dams on two smaller streams that are the home streams for a much smaller population of salmon. They also have no homes or agricultural areas along their banks. Which option do you choose?

14. Congratulations! Your spawning salmon have made it back to their spawning beds to lay their eggs!