Monterey Bay Salmon & Trout Project

We did it! Yes, our STEP Team of volunteers successfully completed all required STEP Egg Deliveries to Classrooms. Many thanks are in order to these dedicated members who volunteered their personal time to this challenging, important part of our STEP activities. For a moment, now, it's time for them to step back and appreciate the enormity, success and fun of their efforts. The STEP students, for sure, showed their appreciation for the efforts of the delivery-team with their smiles and exclamations (like "cool!") as the they witnessed a delivery-member enter a classroom with a delivery of steelhead trout eggs. We can expect, as in past years, that "Thank-you" letters from the students will follow. For sure, the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project, STEP students and STEP fish all say a sincere "thanks" to the Delivery-Team. (Special thanks are in order for the many members of GE Elfuns and San Jose Flycasters who helped in this effort).

New Pipes.
A total of 100 State Fish and Game incubation permits, for 100 classrooms, were processed this year. So, you can appreciate the challenge the team had in processing the permits, bagging up to 30 eggs per classroom (in cool stream water along with oxygen) and distributing them to classes during three days (April 10, 15, 22nd). As always, there were uncertainties, beforehand, about Mother-Nature's schedule regarding the exact availability of the eggs. Then, the different Spring-break vacation periods for different schools played a part in the challenging schedule. In total, the team, with so many great support members, delivered packs of eyed steelhead trout eggs and permits to each classroom in a large geographical area, stretching from South San Francisco to Carmel and from Santa Cruz to Santa Clara and Salinas.

During the delivery periods, we remember certain call them "stellar" moments. One team member, met others at 5 AM, one morning, then went to the Hatchery to help bag eggs. Later, that day, he drove as far as Salinas to deliver eggs. And, on another day, he met team-members near 9 AM for a "hand off of eggs and, then, drove off to San Juan Bautista and Hollister with more deliveries. Another member, spent most of one day delivering eggs to 18 different classes (13 schools). One member handled the pipette at the Hatchery, early in the morning, on two separate mornings, and counted out "'thousands" of eggs into freezer bags. Another member found a class with a chiller not working properly at a classroom setup. The temperature there was at a reported 60 degrees F....too warm. So, with many phone calls, he managed to find another, good chiller available that night…picked it up at 8PM and installed it early the next morning. Two important members, from the North Coast, coordinated communications, and "hand-offs" to a large number of STEP teachers. Let us not forget that there were a number of team-members on the phone during this time period coordinating and making the individual deliveries. Again, we say, "many thanks to all!"

It seems that we don't get much rest between events, especially at this time of the year.. Now, we are getting ready for the different releases of fry from the STEP class incubations. We are, currently, working with State Parks management to get a permit to allow releasing San Lorenzo STEP fry into San Lorenzo River waters associated with Henry Cowell State Park….should a STEP teacher with permitted San Lorenzo eggs wish to release into San Lorenzo waters associated with a State Park. As recognized, releases into Fall Creek will not be permitted this year. As last year, all STEP fry from San Lorezo eggs need to be released into the San Lorenzo Watershed. We do have a number of STEP classes from the North Coast area, who have "permitted" STEP eggs from Scotts Creek. In this case, the fry from Scotts Creek eggs need to be released into Scott's Creek. As in years past, a number of the STEP classes will be conducting stream field trips, in addition to releases, during the coming weeks, doing such activities as water quality testing, aquatic insect study and habitat examination.

If you haven't, as yet, gotten involved with some of our STEP activities…and you wish to do so…please contact STEP Coordinator Hugh Miller, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it