December 16th, Edmonds’ Willow Creek Hatchery began the journey for 80,000 coho salmon. The fertilized eggs were carefully transported from the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery.

Once back to the Willow Creek Hatchery, volunteers and members of the Students Saving Salmon club from Edmonds Woodway High School arrived to observe and help begin the incubation process for the coho eggs.

After carefully rinsing the eggs in iodine to help prevent bacterial infections, the eggs’ weight was measured to accurately divide them up into incubation trays, which recreates a salmon egg’s nest, or redd, with layered “gravel-like” mesh and stream water.

For more information, check out MyEdmondsNews’ article about the event by Larry Vogel.

(submitted by Sound Salmon Solutions, which manages the Willow Creek Hatchery)