Kenai Peninsula Borough Hosting Salmon Celebration On May 10

Photo by Randy King

The following press release is courtesy of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game: 

(Soldotna) – The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Division of Sport Fish Soldotna office will hold its 18th Annual Kenai Peninsula Salmon Celebration on Thursday, May 10, 2018, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Johnson Lake State Park Campground in Kasilof.

Approximately 950 elementary school students from the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District will help release hatchery-raised rainbow trout catchables into Johnson Lake. Students will also be releasing coho salmon fry into Arc Lake that same day. The coho salmon fry were reared from eggs the students collected in an October ADF&G “egg take” and placed in classroom aquariums as part of the “Salmon in the Classroom” program.

Hands-on salmon-related activity booths including juvenile and adult salmon identification, salmon life-cycle displays, a macroinvertebrate touch tank, information on catch-and-release fishing, spin and fly casting practice stations, the salmon “wheel of misfortune,” water quality testing, water and wildlife safety, waterfowl identification, stream flow demonstrations, and many more activities will also be setup for students to visit. Students will need approximately two hours to complete all the activities.

The salmon-related activity booths are part of the ADF&G Aquatic Education program, which helps increase awareness of salmon and fosters a sense of stewardship toward our valuable natural resources. This event is made possible by the volunteer assistance of Sterling Elementary students, ADF&G staff, Alaska State Parks and the Kenai River Professional Guide Association, along with many other agencies and community volunteers.

For more information or to schedule elementary-age student attendance, please contact Soldotna Assistant Area Management Biologist Jenny Gates (907) 262-9368 or by e-mail at jenny.gates@alaska.gov.