Note: The Kokanee Quest will end Jan. 31, 2019. All passports must be submitted before Feb. 10 to receive the pathtag prize.
The geocache is not at the posted coordinates, although it's a good place to park. Read the page to figure out the correct coordinates to find the cache.
The City of Sammamish opened Ebright Creek Park in 2006. Located at the headwaters of Ebright Creek, this is the first park in Sammamish dedicated to preserving the natural environment of the kokanee salmon.
While you won't see salmon at these headwaters, the park and surrounding residential areas contribute to the overall water quality of Ebright Creek and the health of kokanee and other downstream wildlife. To mitigate its impact, storm water from the parking areas is filtered through sand to remove sediments, oils, nutrients, and other pollutants before discharging into the downstream wetlands and Ebright Creek.
Also check out the underwater Kokanee Cam, which shows kokanee returning to spawn in Ebright Creek.
To determine the correct cache coordinates, answer the questions below. Match the correct North coordinates with the correct West ones to get the complete final coordinates.
- The kokanee's ancestors migrated out to sea like other salmon. What caused them to become trapped in Lake Sammamish? Reference link
A. A major earthquake rerouted the outlet river to Puget Sound = N 47° 35.902
B. Landslides blocked parts of the route = N 47° 35.856
C. A glacier blocked the outlet river = N 47° 35.847
D. Human development created fish barriers = N 47° 35.801
- How did ancestral kokanee adapt to the competition caused by the influx of larger saltwater salmon to Lake Sammamish? Reference link
A. They chose different streams for spawning = W 122° 03.510
B. They stayed near creek mouths to spawn = W 122° 03.420
C. They selected a different time of year to spawn = W 122° 03.665
D. They couldn't adapt and dwindled in numbers = W 122° 03.713
This cache was placed with the permission and support of the City of Sammamish.
The Kokanee Quest series provides information on kokanee salmon, our local environment, and stewardship of the Lake Sammamish watershed.
- There are nine geocaches in the series, and all the names start with "KQ:" Bookmark list of caches.
- Download the passport and map.
- To get the final coordinates for each cache, you must correctly answer the questions on the cache page. (All nine geocaches are multi or puzzle caches.)
- To qualify for a prize, you must stamp the passport with the ink stamp inside each cache. The passport includes instructions for claiming your prize (250 available).
- A Discover Pass is required to park at the two Lake Sammamish State Park locations.
- Share your adventures with #KokaneeQuest.
Unlike other salmon, the Lake Sammamish kokanee salmon lives its entire life in fresh water. Kokanee spawn in tributary creeks, and their offspring migrate to the lake as they mature, then return to their home creeks as adults to spawn the next generation.
Historically, the kokanee filled a critical ecological role within the Lake Sammamish watershed and was an important food and cultural resource for local tribes. But this "little red fish" has experienced a dramatic decline, leading to near-extinction in recent years.
To address the kokanee's plight, citizens, landowners, nonprofit agencies, and local, state, tribal, and federal governments have united to restore native kokanee salmon populations and the ecological integrity of the greater Lake Sammamish basin. In 2013, this group received an Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership (UWRP) designation from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, one of the first in the country.
The Kokanee Quest is sponsored by the Kokanee Work Group section of the Lake Sammamish UWRP, a consortium led by the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks (KC DNRP) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
