by Astra Palmer

With their coho eggs tucked safely away in their tanks and beginning to hatch, the 3rd graders in the White River School District learned how to keep their salmon healthy while in their care. 

One of the most important parts of taking care of salmon is ensuring the tank water is healthy and safe. The students learned an easy way to remember how Coho salmon thrive with the “3 C’s” of water quality- Cool, Clean, and Clear!  

It’s fairly easy to tell if water is cool or clear, but to understand if water is truly clean, we use chemistry! To measure the cleanliness of their tank water (and practice doing hands-on science), the 3rd graders completed a water quality test. The students worked together to complete the experiment and discuss their findings. The results were unanimous- their tanks are a healthy environment for their salmon, and these students are all on their way to being amazing salmon stewards!