Old-timers in Everett, Washington grew wistful when they recalled Pigeon Creek running “red with salmon.” The fish once swam freely through its clear, freshwaters. But over the years, people threw dirt, garbage, and old motor oil into it, making Pigeon Creek into a muddy trash dump.
Students and teachers at Jackson Elementary School, near Pigeon Creek, decided to do something. They were determined to prosecute an ambitious project they named Operation Pigeon Creek. They vowed to clean up the creek. They hauled garbage, posted “No Dumping” signs, wrote letters, handed out leaflets, and worked to make the community aware of their mission. They hoped that one day Pigeon Creek would become the wholesome waterway it once was.
The entire school took part. Younger kids studied the life cycle of salmon. They learned how water gets polluted and how it can be made cleaner. Older students did research on freshwater ecology and learned to use water-testing equipment. They studied scientific data from Pigeon Creek.
Not everyone in the area supported Operation Pigeon Creek. Some believed that it was a waste of school time, energy, and funds. Even if Pigeon Creek did get cleaner, it would never stay that way long enough for salmon to return, according to local pessimists. But the students would not give up. They tended a large fish tank in which they hatched and raised young salmon to release into Pigeon Creek. The project lasted the entire school year. One day, after more than twenty years as a nearly dead stream, Pigeon Creek welcomed back salmon. The first student to encounter a returning salmon nearly burst with excitement! News spread fast. The success story appeared on television, in magazines, and in newspapers. You can read about it in the Sierra Club book, Come Back, Salmon, by Molly Cone.