Storming the Sound with Salmon is a partnership between the City of Federal Way and Federal Way Public Schools. As part of the program, Federal Way students raise Coho salmon in their classrooms, from egg to fry. While applying such core skills as observation and data collection, students learn about life cycles, interrelationships in ecosystems, environmental stewardship, and the importance of salmon to Pacific Northwest commerce and culture. The year-long program culminates in the Storming the Sound with Salmon Release Event, where students release their fry into Hylebos Creek.

The Release Event generally happens over the course of four days in late April or early May, when students come to the Brooklake Community Center to release their fry into the West Hylebos Creek and learn about different environmental topics from local organizations.

For questions about the program please contact us at SWM@CityofFederalWay.com.

2023-2024 Release Event Information

This year’s Storming the Sound with Salmon event was a huge success! Over 1,700 4th grade students from Federal Way Public Schools attended the Release Event. This was the first time the Release Event was hosted at the Brooklake Community Center area. Students participated in learning activities from local environmental organizations. They heard the story of Little Silver Salmon from the Puyallup Tribal Language Department, learned about salmon, water resources, native plants, environmental stresses for salmon and much more! Across the schools that participated and agreed to raise salmon from eyed eyes, we were able to release 3,500 salmonids! We like to give a big thank you and shout out to the organizations and volunteers that helped us make 2023-24 Release Event a success! 

Organizations: Puyallup Tribe, Orca Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation, Greenway Trust, Long Live the Kings, Lakehaven, Puget Sound WildCare, Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, and Pacific Education Institute.