THE SALMON RUNS OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER 



IN 1938 1 



By Willis H. Rich, Professor of Biology, Stanford University and Director of Research, Fish Com- 

 mission of Oregon; in cooperation with the Division of Fishery Biology, Fish and Wildlife Service 



Page 



Introduction 103 



The Columbia River salmon fishery 104 



Data for the runs of 1938 107 



Modified tables 113 



Nature of the analysis of runs 116 



Chinook salmon 119 



History of the run of 1938 119 



Rate of travel 124 



The June-July run 125 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Chinook salmon — Continued. 



Intensity of fishing in general 130 



Percentage of grilse 132 



Blueback salmon 134 



Steelhead trout 138 



Silver and chum salmon 143 



Summary 145 



Literature cited 147 



INTRODUCTION 



With the announcement of plans for the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam on 

 the Columbia River in eastern Washington, questions were raised as to the effect that 

 this development would have on the salmon runs and as to the possible means for 

 preserving those salmon populations that had formerly reproduced in the area above 

 the site of the dam. Funds were provided by the United States Bureau of Reclama- 

 tion to the Washington State Department of Fisheries for the purpose of making a 

 preliminary study of possible means for preserving the runs. A report (Washington 

 State Department of Fisheries 1938 2 ) was presented in January 1938, in which the 

 chief recommendation was for an extensive system of artificial propagation. Later 

 the Bureau of Reclamation appointed a board of consultants to review the proposed 

 plan and to make recommendations. In their report (Calkins, Durand, and Rich 

 1939 3 ) these consultants recommended, substantially, the plan proposed by the 

 Washington Department of Fisheries. 



In the preparation of this report the writer made an analysis of the available data 

 on the salmon runs of 1938 for the particular purpose of determining the relative 

 importance of those fractions of the runs that would be affected by the construction of 

 the Grand Coulee Dam. Various other facts bearing upon the state of the Columbia 

 River salmon resources and the problems of their conservation were developed during 

 the course of this analysis and it has seemed desirable to amplify the part of the 



i Contribution No. 7. Department of Research, Fish Commission of Oregon. 



 Report of the preliminary investigations into the possible methods of preserving the Columbia River salmon and steelhead at 

 the Grand Coulee Dam. 121pp. V. S. Bureau of Reclamation, Washington. (Processed.) 



 Report of the board of consultants on the fish problems of the upper Columbia River. 83 pp. U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, 

 Denver, Colo. (Processed.) 



103 



