This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the annual Blossom Gulch fish release. The City of Coos Bay partners with Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, CH2M (the City’s Wastewater Operations & Management Contractor) and Blossom Gulch Elementary School to release over 200,000 Juvenile Chinook Salon. CH2M staff members will feed the fish daily until they are ready to be released from the stream and find their way to the Bay and ultimately to the Pacific Ocean.  The children attending Blossom Gulch Elementary School will gather around the creek and witness the fish being released on Wednesday May 23, 2018 starting at 9AM. The excitement and joy on their faces make the event very fun. ODFW works with the young students to learn more about Salmon and even lets them handle a few of the fish. Learning about the Salmon life cycle is a local tradition throughout Coos Bay & North Bend Schools. Over the years thousands of classroom students have participated in the hatchery program process with ODFW to learn more about the Salmon life cycle and help with fin clipping.  To date several million Salmon have been released through this program and countless have returned to the Bay and local Estuaries to spawn. Each year the return runs of Salmon help boost local recreation fishing opportunities and Salmon populations. If you would like to help be a part of this program please contact the local STEP program office for more information at 541-888-3307.