The Survey- 

 Main Snake River . — (October 3-7, 19U2; Parkhurst and Bryant.) 

 The Snake River is 200-300 yards wide in the section extending from 

 the vicinity of Ontario, Oregon up to a point below Marsing, Idaho, 

 a distance of about 55 miles The stream gradient is slight to 

 moderate. There are few good riffle areas, but miles of river where 

 the water is 3-6 feet deep and running at a fair velocity. There is 

 little large rubble in this section, and almost half of the river 

 bed is composed of mud and sand„ The river banks are generally steep, 

 about 10 feet high, and composed of earth. Marginal vegetation is 

 moderate, with some dense patches of willow, some large cottonwoods, 

 poplar, alder, cattails, grasses and sedges o 



In the early years of the century the river was racked in the 

 vicinity of Ontario, and large numbers of Chinook salmon were taken 

 for artificial propagation by the Oregon Fish Commission. In one 

 year of record more than 20 million eggs were taken in the fall season 

 at this station, indicating the former large size of the run. 



The river valley is 15 or more miles wide near Ontario, gradually 

 decreasing upstream to about 2 miles in width below Marsing. Most of 

 the valley is under cultivation, being in hay, pasture, grain, sugar 

 beets, soft fruits, corn, and truck gardens. The watershed is bounded 

 by low, moderately sloping hills having a sparse cover of sage. 



In the 20 mile section from Marsing up to Walters Ferry the river 

 gradient is moderate and the banks are generally of gradual slope, 

 about 6 feet high, and composed mainly of earth, with some gravel. 

 Marginal vegetation is sparse, consisting of sedge, cattails, and 

 sagebrush. The valley is saucer-shaped, about 2 miles wide, and mostly 

 covered with sage brush and grass, although there is some cultivation 

 of hay, grain, hops, and corn in spots where irrigation is supplied 

 by a few small tributaries. The gradually rising series of low hills 

 in the watershed is covered with sage and some grass, and is used for 

 grazing in the spring. 



From Walters Ferry upstream to where the road to Melba, Idaho 

 approaches the river, a distance of about 5 miles, there is found the 

 best spawning gravels in this area. This section formerly accommodated 

 a large run of fall chinook salmon, the last good run occurring in 1929 

 or 1930, according to local residents. A few spawners were observed 

 in thi3 section in 19U1 and 19U2. Spawning occurred in the latter part 

 of September and in October. The river bed is composed of more than 

 75 percent medium and smell rubble. Spawning riffles are numerous and* 

 of excellent quality. The river has an average width of about U00 feet 

 and a moderate gradient in this section. Resting pools are few and of 

 poor quality. Marginal vegetation is moderate below, but becomes sparse 

 in the upper part of the section. The valley is 1/U to 2 miles wide, 



