Trout from Eggs to Alevin to Small Fry in Smith Valley Classrooms

Smith Valley NV – March 5, 2026

Submitted by Trout Adventures

Students in Smith Valley are raising trout in their classrooms while learning about their local watershed through an expansion of the Trout in the Classroom program.

Trout in the Classroom is a national environmental education program that connects students with their local watersheds while cultivating a new generation of conservation stewards. In Nevada, the program is coordinated by the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) in partnership with local organizations including the Walker Basin Conservancy and Trout Adventures.

In participating classrooms, students gather each day around chilled aquariums to check water temperatures, record observations, and watch tiny trout develop from fertilized eggs into swimming fingerlings. Through the process, they learn how water quality, habitat, and management influence aquatic life. Teachers incorporate the experience into science lessons, journaling activities, math exercises, and discussions about Nevada’s native trout species, including the Lahontan cutthroat trout, Nevada’s state fish. What begins as an aquarium in the corner of a classroom soon becomes a living laboratory. Students say watching the trout develop is one of the most exciting parts of the program.

“As the trout grew from eggs to alevin and then fry, we got to see all the different stages, and that was really cool,” one student said.

The program culminates with the release of the trout students have raised into the West Walker River, which flows through Smith Valley and supports local fisheries and wildlife. On release day, students travel to the Walker Basin Conservancy’s Sutter River Access site, where the outdoor classroom begins. Students rotate through hands-on learning stations exploring aquatic insects of the Walker River, birds of Smith Valley, the Walker River watershed, and local wildlife by examining animal furs and skulls. The day concludes with the careful release of the trout they raised. These field experiences provide a meaningful culmination of months of learning and show students how conservation education connects to real-world stewardship.

This year, 75 additional students are participating in Trout in the Classroom through a rural expansion project, with plans to grow into additional classrooms next year.

Within the Walker River Basin, the Walker Basin Conservancy connects rural schools with watershed-based outdoor learning opportunities and helps coordinate classroom and field experiences.

The expansion of Trout in the Classroom in Smith Valley has been made possible through funding support from the Sagebrush Chapter of Trout Unlimited, whose investment strengthens conservation education and youth engagement across the region. Trout Adventures coordinates the rural expansion, working with local organizations and educators to bring the program to additional classrooms.

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Organizations referenced in this article:

Trout Adventures —https://www.troutadventures.org — A western Nevada nonprofit promoting knowledge-based stewardship of wildlife and aquatic habitats.

Walker Basin Conservancy —https://www.walkerbasin.org — A nonprofit working to restore Walker Lake and improve the health of the Walker River Basin.

Sagebrush Chapter Trout Unlimited —https://sagebrushtu.org — The northern Nevada and eastern Sierra chapter of Trout Unlimited focused on local cold-water fisheries conservation.

Nevada Department of Wildlife — https://www.ndow.org — The state agency responsible for managing Nevada’s wildlife and fisheries resources.