Starting in late summer, you may have noticed salmon starting to return to their spawning creeks throughout Pierce County. These amazing fish use a variety of adaptations to find their way home.

Celebrate the return of Salmon at the 14th Annual Salmon Saturday in Swan Creek Park!

When baby salmon hatch, they imprint the smell of their spawn-ing grounds, and they remember the scent for the rest of their lives. Iron in their heads allow adult salmon to orient themselves in the ocean using earth’s magnetic fields, so they can navigate even in complete darkness. Their keen sense of smell allows return-ing salmon to find their way upriver and to return to the exact stream they were born, sometimes mere feet from the spot where they hatched. By being careful to not pollute nearby waterways, we can make it easier for salmon to find their way home, and help preserve these runs for posterity.