Page Content – Hatchery Exhibit

This exhibit is representative of a typical Northwest stream, much like Issaquah Creek. Visitors can view depictions of underwater life for salmon and vegetation and animals that occupy the salmon’s world. At all times of the year you can see developing salmon. From late September through March Chinook salmon can be observed as they develop from fertilized eggs to fingerlings. In late March they are released into Issaquah Creek to begin their journey to the ocean. From April through January you can also see developing Coho salmon.

The “Can You Beat the Odds” exhibit shows the tough odds salmon face from the moment they hatch to when they return to their home streams to spawn. Visitors can spin wheels and activate other mechanisms to see if they survive the gauntlet of predators and hazards that salmon face every day of their lives.

This exhibit was installed in 2000 and funded by a grant from Puget Sound Energy.

“Everything Given to Salmon is Returned” exhibit explains in dynamic fashion how every stage of the salmon’s life cycle is entwined with the ecosystem. It also teaches how the public can help maintain a healthy riparian zone (stream bank), which is so important for salmon survival and watershed fitness.

This exhibit was installed in 2004 and funded by King County.