Tri-County Citizen

Chesaning raises salmon in the classroom




Chesaning High School agriculture/biology sciences teacher Liz Tomac tells the school board and other guests about the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Salmon in the Classroom program. Her students have been learning about raising the salmon in preparation for releasing them into the Shiawassee River. Photos by Jeanne Marcello

Chesaning High School agriculture/biology sciences teacher Liz Tomac tells the school board and other guests about the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Salmon in the Classroom program. Her students have been learning about raising the salmon in preparation for releasing them into the Shiawassee River. Photos by Jeanne Marcello

CHESANING – During the Monday, March 11 meeting of the Chesaning Union Schools Board of Education, agriculture/biology sciences teacher Liz Tomac brought the school board to her classroom where her students have been raising Chinook salmon from eggs to be released into the Shiawassee River.

It’s part of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Salmon in the Classroom program, where students learn about wildlife conservation. Tomac’s students have been taking turns measuring water temperature, pH, ammonia levels and making sure the tank is cleaned frequently. This spring, several students will help release the salmon into the Shiawassee River during the Stream Team water testing event.

The DNR trained Tomac before providing 150 eggs and different types of food for each stage of the lifecycle. There have been a few losses along the way; they’re down by 15. One jumped out of the tank and wasn’t found until it was too late. A few weren’t viable specimens. Overall, they’re doing fairly well, Tomac said.

Pictured here are a few of the nearly 150 Chinook salmon being raised in a classroom at Chesaning High School.

Pictured here are a few of the nearly 150 Chinook salmon being raised in a classroom at Chesaning High School.

Tomac explained that out in the wild, a mating pair of salmon will lay 3,000 to 5,000 eggs at a time. Typically, only one or two return to spawn.

She said, “We hope that some will return, or we might just be feeding walleyes. Students are very involved in the process.”

The most expensive piece of equipment used for raising salmon in the classroom was the chiller, which keeps the water temperature in the tank at 50 to 52 degrees. Tomac wrote a grant request to the Shiawassee Conservation Club and they awarded a $1,000 grant for the classroom project, which covers the cost of the chiller.

The Chesaning Conservation Club awarded Tomac a $500 grant for the program.

The salmon are already getting close to the right size to release, about 3 to 5 inches. The release day is expected to be sometime in late April or early May. As the time to release them nears, the temperature of the water in the tank will gradually be adjusted to match the river water temperature.

At the end of the presentation, Chesaning Union Schools Superintendent Mike McGough said, “Liz is doing a great job.” He went on to provide the board with an update on the ag barn project.