Students dive into fish science

More than 100 third-grade students from the Flathead Valley learned about nature, fish, wildlife and the environment at the Fish Fun Fair Event held recently at the Creston National Fish Hatchery.

Wildlife and fisheries professionals from around the valley taught children about fish, from identification and anatomy to how they are raised at the hatchery and stocked in lakes. Students also learned about aquatic invasive species, waterfowl, raptors, bears and pollinators in addition to participating in mapping and stream table activities.

One was Hailey Graf, an assistant conservationist with the Flathead Conservation District. She used her Rolling Rivers Trailer to teach the children about the importance of clean water, how pollution can affect a waterway and how erosion can change a river’s course over time.

“I’m really happy they brought the fair event back,” Graf said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to reach many different education agencies that we might not normally would have.”

The trailer — designed to simulate two rivers — is filled with sand and rigged so that water can run through it on opposite sides. The simulations operate on different settings and scenarios where students can see a wild river or one that runs through an area with farms and residences.

“We can make it available to any educator in the Flathead and others, including Ronan and Polson,” Graf said. “We can show kids river conservation efforts and it’s a wonderful teaching tool.”

Evie Bradley, who retired after working at the fish hatchery for many years, taught about pollinators and their importance in providing much of the food we eat.

“There are 40 agricultural crops in Montana that depend on pollination and in one of them, honey, we rank No. 2 in the country in production,” Bradley said. “So we have to be very careful about using pesticides that may kill them. Without pollinators, we don’t have most of the food we eat and without that, we don’t survive.”

Brian Ham, a fisheries biologist with the fish hatchery, taught the kids about how fish are raised and where they end up.

“In December, we receive a new shipment of fish eggs. After they are incubated, grow into fry and reach about three inches, we move them outside into the raceways where they continue to grow until they get bigger and we stock them into lakes all over Montana,” Ham said.

Ham said the hatchery is currently raising Eagle Lake rainbow trout. There are about 20,000 to 25,000 trout in each raceway and a total of 200,000 to 300,000.

“We can transport about 25,000 to 35,000 fish in the stocking truck,” Ham said.

The tanks have aerated water where the fish reside temporarily.

They also raise kokanee salmon for stocking into Flathead Lake as fishery managers work to re-establish those fish where they once reigned as the top sport fish.

Earlier this year, bull trout raised at the hatchery were stocked into Logging and Grace lakes in Glacier National Park as managers there worked to keep the native fish from disappearing.

Mark Maskill, who runs the fish hatchery, taught kids about aquatic invasives, such as quagga or zebra mussels, and the negative impact they can have on an ecosystem.

“We’re happy to put it on and have the chance to teach young people about environmental issues that are important,” Maskill said.

The hatchery opened in 1940 to raise trout for lakes and streams in Glacier.

It is open every day of the week during daylight hours and visitor tours are available.

Reporter Scott Shindledecker can be reached at 406-758-4441 or sshindledecker@dailyinterlake.com.