Trout in the Classroom

Why Raise Trout?

You are about to embark on a journey that will change the way you look at your surroundings, and particularly, how you understand your place in the watershed in which you live.

You will become the caretaker of some young trout, raising them from eggs to the alevin stage for release into the natural environment. But WHY?  Fish are pretty cool, but what is this all about really?

You and I and everyone around us depend on clean water to live. We need it to drink, to grow food, to bathe and wash, and for recreation. Our water comes from the watershed we live in (and sometimes from distant watersheds), but without healthy watersheds, we are in pretty big trouble.  What does this have to do with trout? And, what is a watershed anyway?

All the land surfaces on Earth are divided into watersheds. When rain falls from the sky and hits the ground, it DRAINS down into the soil and also RUNS downhill toward lower ground.  A watershed is an area of land in which all the rain that falls within it will drain or run down toward one low point - usually ending up at the sea.  Watersheds are separated from each other by ridges. Imagine the ridge of a mountain range. Rain falling on one side is in one watershed, flowing downhill on that side. Rain falling on the other side of the mountain will flow in the opposite direction, downhill into the neighboring watershed.  All the wildlife - from bacteria to bears - that live in a watershed depend on the water in that watershed. The people living in that watershed do as well. If the quality of the water in that watershed is not good enough to support the wildlife, it isn't any good for you or me either. If the trout can't live in it, that is a bad sign for you and me. 

If the actual water quality is poor, that means it is not good for drinking. However, there are other important things that healthy creeks and streams in a watershed do for us. They control the flow of water so that soil does not erode into the water making it dirty and dumping sediments into lakes and oceans affecting wildlife there. Our coastal habitats are important nurseries for ocean fish populations that will ultimately feed us, as well as keep the ocean ecosystems in balance. The control of flow also prevents flooding. Healthy riverbanks provide areas for extra rainfall to be slowed and to soak into the soil rather than flow wildly. Instead of flooding populated areas where the water becomes polluted before running off into other bodies of water, it is allowed to drain down through the soil and recharge our supplies of groundwater that can be pumped up from wells for drinking, supplying homes and growing crops. The banks of rivers and creeks that can do these things well are also good habitats for fish. Again, if it is not good enough for fish, then it is a bad sign for you and me.

The bottom line is that habitat in our watershed that is beneficial to fish is beneficial to you and me as well. As you raise your trout, you will begin to understand their needs. You will watch them grow and develop. You will feed them and keep their environment clean and cool. The task of raising trout will have its ups and downs. It requires work and attention, and will also involve disappointment. Not all of the young trout will survive, but with your careful care and attention, most of them will. You will come to understand firsthand that maintaining a suitable environment is not always easy, but it is critical for survival.

DOCUMENT  DOCUMENT  DOCUMENT! 

From the beginning to the end of this project, you will need to take photos and videos that you will use in the creation of your documentary series. You will need to share all photos and videos to the folder that Ms. Vogel provides for you. Be sure to keep your photos and videos organized so that you can find things easily and incorporate them into your documentary.