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Thousands Of Salmon To Swim And Spawn In Strawberry Reservoir

strawberry reservoir
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Strawberry Reservoir will be the end point for the annual salmon migration.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources will be co-hosting the annual Kokanee Salmon Viewing Day on September 20th. The event, which has been put on for more than 20 years at Strawberry Reservoir, will be a chance for the public to witness the culmination of the yearly salmon migration.

According to Scott Root, Outreach Manager for the DWR, the annual run draws large amounts of salmon through the Strawberry River.

“Typically we’ll see, hopefully, several thousand that come through. I don’t have an exact number with me but there’s plenty of salmon for people to be able to get a close-up look at,” Root said.

The event is designed to do more than just give the public a good showing of fish. The salmon’s arrival also provides hatcheries with eggs. The viewing day gives the public the opportunity for close interactions with the Kokanee salmon.

“As they come up to the visitor’s center at Strawberry Reservoir there’s a boardwalk behind there. They’ll be able to see the Kokanee salmon in the river right next to the boardwalk and the boardwalk leads to our fish trap and egg-taking facility,” Root said. “We basically trick the Kokanee salmon into swimming right into the facility where we take the eggs. We’ll allow the public to get a really good close-up look and we’ll even let the people touch the Kokanee salmon if they like.”

Wildlife researchers say salmon born in hatcheries have greater survival rates.