Last spring Abbie Cox’s uncle Aaron Maughan found out about an art competition sponsored by the Fish and Wildlife Service. He encouraged her to enter the competition. The Lower Snake River Compensation Plan annually releases 20 million salmon and steelhead smolts into the Lower Snake River for salmon for the future. Many of these young fish are transported in large semi-truck transportation tanks. The time had come to update the logos of these trucks and they asked youth from Kindergarten through 12th grade to send in artwork. Youth were to portray a steelhead or Pacific salmon using ink, paint, pastel, pencil or crayon. The deadline to turn in art was March 1st. They were to be judged  in four categories based on grade level:  K-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12. 

Abbie, a freshman at Malad High School, sent in her water color steelhead picture not expecting to hear anything back. 

But, she was very curious when a large envelope came in the mail addressed to her on June 24th. Inside was a letter congratulating her on her 3rd place win in the 7-9th grade category! They also returned her original artwork with a ribbon. Her artwork will be featured on one of the fish tanker semi trucks that releases salmon around Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. These trucks haul up to 100,000 smolts per trip.  Her artwork was on display at the Annual Lower Snake River Compensation Meeting in Boise, Idaho May 7-8th. The artwork will also be used for outreach materials in the future for the program. 

Congratulations Abbie!