EatonvilleNews


	*"Seek Truth Without Fear"*		"If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter." George Washington
	Opening Day at Kid's Pond Photos by Bob Walter... April 26, 2008: Oblivious to the hubbub of activity around him, a young fisherman displays ultimate cool as he waits for the next fish to take his bait. An attractive sign commemorating salmon habitat restoration was unveiled on opening day near the river. The sign features art work by local students, a short history and visual description about how the restoration benefits salmon. To watch a video of the sign and logjams built for salmon habitat please go to River, Sign and Logjams *Time to Reflect...* The serene water of the Kids' Pond at Smallwood Park, broken only by ripples from closely-monitored bobbers, reflects a cluster of parents and their fishing children on opening day. As they have done for decades the Eatonville Lions Club served hotcake breakfast for young anglers and parents. *Getting Coiffed in the Woods...* This young girl gets her red tresses braided affectionately by her mother as she peers across the pond for signs of trout. *Lines Glow in Morning Light...* Like strands of gossamer, fishing lines float across the pond. How do they manage to stay untangled? New Interpretive Sign by River... A new interpretive sign, describing the work and benefits of salmon habitat restoration along a historic stretch of the Mashel River, was unveiled Saturday morning during the opening day of fishing season at Smallwood Park. *Sign Detail...* For the past few years the South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group, Nisqually Indian Tribe and Town of Eatonville have worked together to restore a stretch of the Mashell River that passes through the town. The partners built several logjams along a stretch of Smallwood Park, replacing a rock berm that had been unfriendly to rearing juvenile salmon. Recent surveys by the tribe and the South Puget Sound group indicate that hundreds of juvenile salmon now reside in and benefit from habitat created by the logjams. The sign features artwork by local students, a short local history and a visual description on how the new Mashel River logjams benefit salmon. *Planting the Pond for Fishing Season...* (photo by Bob Walter) By Bob Walter: Bus loads of young students from Eatonville Elementary, along with a few town staff and citizens, were treated to a field lesson on wildlife management at Smallwood Park Thursday morning. Around 10:30, after the students and teachers circled around for a good view, staff from the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, with help from retired Eatonville-area wildlife agent Ken Kildahl, released 700 young trout into the Kids' Pond. After some opening remarks, a few fish were pulled out of the tank by net, and a few kids got to gently toss them into the water. Then, after an enthusiastic countdown from ten by the crowd, the drain cap on the truck-mounted fish tank was removed, sending a wide stream of water and fish pouring into the pond. To a fish, they were all doing what migratory fish do - swimming upstream. *Out of the Truck, into the Pond* (photo by Bob Walter) The hatchery truck's tank was raised hydraulically, to allow its precious contents to flow out. As the last of the water in the tank emptied, the majority of the trout came rushing out. The fish came from the Puyallup Fish Hatchery, for the annual stocking of the Kids' Pond in preparation for the Opening Day Fishing Derby for kids this Saturday. Some of those kids will undoubtedly be back, understanding that the fish they might catch got a little human help getting there. Back to Top Back to Front Page





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