* Fully grown, it's about 2.5 inches long.

* It's native and unique to Utah. Only about three other fish species share that distinction.

* Only about 10 populations, or 20,000 to 30,000 fish, remain. Five of those populations are native, and five were seeded with fish from a breeding program started in 2001.

Source: Utah Department of Water Resources

Continued from B1

A natural spring that repeatedly flooded playing fields has now spawned a haven for a threatened Utah fish at Salt Lake City's Escalante Elementary School.

On Tuesday, students and teachers at the school at 1810 W. 900 North released farmed fish into wetlands built by diverting the spring. The event was part of an ongoing effort to create a natural ecosystem and outdoor classroom from the formerly troublesome spring.

Thanks to a school improvement grant and the Utah Department of Water Resources, the spring now flows into two ponds connected by a small stream, surrounded by native plants and stocked with the threatened least chub.

"This is probably the only fourth-grade class in the country that's helping to conserve a threatened species," said Chris Harbison, a graduate student in the University of Utah's biology department who works with Escalante fourth-graders.

Over the past several months, the kids have studied whether the wetlands will make a good home for the chub. Although a crumpled worksheet rests at the bottom of one pond and a pencil floats on its surface, the water should be fine.

"We tested the temperature and the pH and nitrate and phosphate levels," fourth-grader Ian Foster said. "It was pretty good water - it didn't have too much food."

Utah's least chub can tolerate a wide range of temperatures and oxygen levels and should have no trouble surviving the winter, said Chris Crocket, a native aquatic biologist with the Water Resources Department. He and Native Aquatics Project leader Michael Mills brought three coolers containing about 200 fish to Escalante Tuesday.

Mills predicted there will be about 5,000 by spring, but monitoring the population will be left to the students who will observe the fish, water, algae and water bugs as part of their science curriculum.

"Anytime you can see a real food chain in action, there's a lot of learning opportunities," said fourth-grade teacher Machelle Dahl.

Third-grade teacher Kittie Lawson, whose class is studying microenvironments, said she's building her curriculum around spring activities at the wetlands. Hands-on activities in a natural environment make a big impression on kids, educators agree.

"I think it's terribly exciting - these kids are getting involved in a real science experience," said Larry Madden, science supervisor for Salt Lake City School District. "It's not just playing at science. It's for real."

After the release, the kids focused on a worksheet that asked them to report how many chubs they could see in the pond, whether they were alone or in groups and if they were swimming at the surface, middle or bottom.

"I think they're feeling good," said fourth-grader Kelli Ojeda.

---

* NICOLE STRICKER can be contacted at nstricker@sltrib.com or 801-257-8999. Send comments about this story to livingeditor@sltrib.com.