92 Evermann and Nichols — Fishes of Crab Creek, Washington. 



which were especially common and noisy, and kingfishers which 

 were much in evidence. 



Crab Creek has its rise near the western line of Spokane 

 County, Washington. Its general course is westerly until it 

 reaches the vicinity of the lower end of the Grand Coulee. It 

 then turns southward toward Moses Lake. At the little town 

 of Odessa, again just below the mouth of Wilson Creek (its 

 principal northern tributary), and probably at other places, 

 the creek sinks, usually to reappear further down. During 

 high water it sometimes reaches Moses Lake, though it is said 

 usually not to do so. At the lower end of Moses Lake are great 

 sand dunes and sandy wastes placed across the old drainage 

 channel of the creek. Through these the water seeps to reappear 

 on the surface at intervals between the dunes and the Columbia 

 which the waters finally reach. Although it is quite certain that 

 at one time previous to the late pleistocene, Crab Creek flowed 

 into the Columbia, it evidently has not done so for many 

 years. 



In its upper reaches the water is pure and sweet, but just 

 above MovSes Lake, according to Lieut. Symons,* it l)ecomes 

 somewhat alkaline. That of Moses Lake is stagnant alkaline, 

 and unfit for drinking. Below the lake the water is alkaline, 

 filled with organic matter, and unpalatable. 



The water of the creek stood in deep, still pools the largest of 

 which was thirty feet or more across and ten feet or so in depth. 

 Between the pools were shallows where the current was not 

 very strong, and only a few miles up stream from the largest 

 pool, the creek became a mere rill which one could almost step 

 across. Persons living in the neighborhood said that varying 

 volume from point to point along its course was characteristic 

 of Crab Creek. 



Trout were found in considerable abundance but, probably 

 owing to an abundant food supply, they did not take the fly or 

 baited hook with any avidity. Young trout two to three inches 

 long were abundant in the creek and some were found in an 

 irrigating ditch which received its water from the creek. 



Three days were devoted to an examination of the creek and 

 only four species of fishes were obtained. 



• Report of an examination of the Upper Columbia River by Lieut. Thomas W. 

 Symons, Ex. Doc. 186, 47th Cong. Ist Session. 



