Smith Valley Students Release Trout into the West Walker River

Smith Valley NV – March 22, 2026

Submitted by Trout Adventures

Students in Smith Valley recently completed their Trout in the Classroom experience by releasing trout they raised during the school year into the West Walker River.

After months of caring for the fish in chilled classroom aquariums, students traveled to the Walker Basin Conservancy’s Sutter River Access site to return the young trout to the river that flows through their community. The field trip marked the culmination of a hands-on science program that allowed students to watch trout develop from eggs into swimming fry while learning about their local watershed.

At the river, the classroom moves outdoors. In addition to the trout release station, students rotate through hands-on learning stations where they observe and identify live aquatic macroinvertebrates, examine the furs and skulls of local wildlife, learn about the birds of Smith Valley, and explore how the Walker River watershed and its floodplain function. Throughout the field trip, students also work in personal journals, recording observations and reflections about the river ecosystem.

As part of the journaling activity, students write letters to the trout they raised, offering advice on how to thrive in the West Walker River. One student wrote: “Dear Tiana and charlotte, have a good time being wild and free. eat enough food. swim fast, and use camouflage correctly. Love A.”

The highlight of the day comes when students carefully release the trout they raised into the river. This year’s release falls on St. Patrick’s Day, adding a festive note to the field trip. Students arrive wearing green, faces decorated with shamrocks, and pockets filled with chocolate gold coins—reminders that for the day everyone is a little Irish.

Programs like Trout in the Classroom help students understand how water quality, habitat, and stewardship influence fish and wildlife. By raising trout and returning them to the watershed they call home, students gain a personal connection to the Walker River—and the responsibility of caring for it.

Trout in the Classroom in Smith Valley is a collaboration between the Nevada Department of Wildlife, the Walker Basin Conservancy, Trout Adventures, and other local partners. As the program grows, more rural students gain hands-on experience with Nevada’s rivers and the trout that live in them.

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Organizations involved included:

Nevada Department of Wildlife — The state agency responsible for managing Nevada’s wildlife and fisheries resources.

Trout Adventures — A western Nevada nonprofit promoting knowledge-based stewardship of wildlife and aquatic habitats.

Walker Basin Conservancy — A nonprofit working to restore Walker Lake and improve the health of the Walker River Basin.

Northwest Nevada Bird Alliance — The northwest Nevada chapter of the Audubon Society.

Sagebrush Chapter Trout Unlimited — The northern Nevada and eastern Sierra chapter of Trout Unlimited.

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All photos courtesy of Trout Adventures