Chinook salmon: a natural journey… through a steel plant?

A steel plant is a big place with space for natural surprises. Some months ago we showed you an idyllic picture of a lake surrounded by tropical forest from a site in Brazil. You may have heard about crocodiles in our Mexican facilities. Now, a bit up north, we discover the adventure of salmons passing through our East Chicago plant…

A couple of days ago we learned that workers at the city wastewater treatment plant in East Chicago, Indiana, face a unique challenge: chasing off fishermen. That’s because Chinook salmon spawn inside the plant.

In its amazing journey to the wastewater plant, the salmon must travel from Lake Michigan through a shipping channel that bisects another plant: our ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbour.

Things get tough from here, as the salmon then need to go through a shallow 700-foot (213 metres) stream that starts at the wastewater outflow pipe, then shoot 200 feet up a drain pipe that churns out more than 15 million gallons (56 million litres) of water a day!

Now you must be thinking: “There must be another way to get to the plant”. Well, apparently there is no other way for the salmon… than up that pipe! Isn’t this an amazing story of survival… through plants and pipes?

Caption: Pictured is the Indiana Harbour Ship Canal in East Chicago, Indiana.

Collaboration: Jolice Pojeta, ArcelorMittal USA, Communications