FISH Hosts Open House to Kick Off Issaquah Hatchery 75th Anniversary Celebrations

Written by Jane Kuechle on Friday, April 20, 2012 at 10:19AM
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Hatchery tours, a scavenger hunt, salmon printing and the season’s first salmon fry release into Issaquah Creek are among the activities planned for the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery’s 75th Anniversary Celebration, kicking off April 22, from 12:00 noon to 4:00PM.

The April 22 Open House, hosted by Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery (FISH), is the first of a series of events throughout the summer and fall to commemorate the opening of the hatchery 75 years ago.

Billed as a community celebration, the event will feature opening remarks by Mayor Ava Frisinger, Deputy King County Executive Fred Jarrett, and Special Assistant to the Director of the Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife Sara LaBorde. The day’s activities will also include a habitat hike to the upper intake dam on Issaquah Creek, a hatchery history display, creating fence art, feeding the trout, demonstrations by the Snoqualmie Nation, a salmon dissection, microscopes, and an aquarium with fry.

The Issaquah Salmon Hatchery was built in 1936-37 as a Works Progress Administration project and opened for fish culture in February of 1937. The property is owned by the City of Issaquah and leased to the State of Washington for 99 years. Operated by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, the hatchery produces salmon important in the fisheries program for the Puget Sound basin. The City of Issaquah and the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce celebrates the return of the salmon to Issaquah Creek and the hatchery every October with Salmon Days.

FISH is a volunteer and membership based nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of the historic Issaquah Salmon Hatchery. Through educational programs in school classrooms and at the hatchery, FISH educates the community about the salmon lifecycle and inspires stewardship of the Puget Sound watershed.

About the author
Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery Executive Director