See thousands of kokanee salmon

STRAWBERRY RESERVOIR — Thousands of spawning kokanee salmon can be seen at the Strawberry Wildlife Festival. The annual festival will be held Sept. 22 (Friday) and Sept. 23 (Saturday) at the Strawberry Reservoir Visitor Center located about 25 miles southeast of Heber City along U.S-40.

The festival is free of charge.

The annual festival gives people a chance to see the fluorescent red salmon up-close and to hear biologists explain the unique life cycle of the fish as the salmon work their way into the fish trap and egg-taking facility located behind the visitor center. A boardwalk with several overlooks is also available near the visitor center. The overlooks provide an excellent view of the salmon in the stream.

Biologists take eggs from about half of the salmon that enter the fish trap, while the rest are allowed to spawn naturally upstream and at other locations.

Strawberry Wildlife Festival

The festival is sponsored by the Friends of Strawberry Valley, which includes the U.S. Forest Service, the Division of Wildlife Resources, the Strawberry Anglers Association and many other organizations.

"Besides giving people a chance to view the kokanee salmon, there are many other reasons for holding the festival," says Scott Root, regional conservation outreach manager for the DWR. "We also want to highlight the many amazing wildlife species found in the Strawberry Valley and the beautiful and colorful forest that surrounds Utah's most popular fishery. We also want to let people know about the importance of preserving the pristine nature of this important watershed area."

Root encourages visitors to bring a camera so they can capture the valley's incredible fall colors. "I often see families posing for photos during the festival because of the colorful setting," he says. "I also hear many people who are frustrated because they forgot to bring their cameras to capture the breath-taking beauty of the landscape and its abundant wildlife.

"I often see sandhill cranes, elk, moose, deer, osprey, turkey vultures, coyotes, fox, songbirds, waterfowl and many other species. I like to have both a wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens on hand when I am in the Strawberry Valley, but a simple camera works great too."

Activities offered at the festival will include a fishing simulator; a pellet gun shooting range; Smokey Bear; USFS fire fighters and fire truck; bird demonstrations by Tracy Aviary on Sept. 23 from noon to 3 p.m.; a lecture by expert angler Dan Potts on "How to Catch Rainbows in Strawberry Reservoir" on Sept. 23 at 4 p.m.; and several booths, including a American Land & Leisure's booth about camping opportunities around the reservoir, a booth about wildlife tracks identification and several other activities.

For more information, call Root at (801) 491-5656.