A plan was proposed by J. T. Bamaby of the Fish and Wildlife Service 

 for extending the migration of blusback salmon to compensate for the less 

 of spawning area resulting from the Canadian flood- -control program.^ The 

 plarip however^ was not accepted by the Canadians „ It would have opened 

 several lakes and streams which were formerly utilized by the bluebacks.. 

 Vasea-.oXj Skaha^ and Okanogan Lakes., rJLne possible streams, and an unesti,- 

 mated amo>aiit of lake-shore spawning area would have become available^ =-/ 

 These areas are shown in figure 9. 



Tne plan proposed would have involved (1) the construction of fish 

 ladder-s at Oliver Diversion Dam^ Okanogs_a Falls, and Lake Okai'iogan outlet, 

 plus a series of small ladders over drop sections planned in the channel, 

 and fish screens to protect fingerlings from becoming diverted into irri- 

 gation ditches s and (2) relocation of the present rvns upstream into the 

 new rearing areao From past experisnce it is regarded as very do.ubtf-al 

 whetner the S£?_mon viould ma?fe a prespawTiing migration beyond Lake OsoyooSo 

 The theory that bluebacks remain in the lake end proceed upstream just 

 before spawriing Is sabstan.t-iated by earlier investigators who have stated 

 that sockeye (blueuack) salition not only return to their own river basin 

 at maturity but predominantly return to the particular part of the river 

 basin in which they were reared as fingerlings (Gilbert 1917 ^ p. ^1). The 

 run would be trapped and hauled by track to the new lakes. The most logi- 

 cal trapping point is at Zosel Dam located at Oroville, Washington. 



One disadvan.tage to be tiiken into acccun,t when considering the exten- 

 sion of spawrdng grounds was the lack of protection of blueback salmon in 

 Canadian waters. More rigidly enforced laws are needed. In the past, 

 snaggingj gaf'fing, and even gill-netting have been consistently in evidence 

 in this area. These activities are undoubtedly responsible for the loss of 

 a considerable nu'nber of spawners each jp.ar and would be ev'en more serious 

 if the fish had a longer migra-^ion route through relatively constricted 

 channels to the upper region. i^ 



A secondary proposal ey Barnaby will i'llow the blueback run to pass 

 over drop sections to be constructed in the channel. Small fishways over 

 these will make it possible for the s aLmon to pass upstream to the upper 

 portion of their present spawning area not altered by the flood oonxrol 

 project. 



The importance t^ future blueback runs of maintaining a Lake Osoyoos 

 spavming and r earing area may be deomonstrated b^ ^comparing the plankton 

 populations of Lake Osoyoos with Lake Wenatchee.2/ Young blueback salmon 

 are principally plankton feeders. 



5V This system of lakes at one time produced a substantial part of the entire 

 blueback population of the Columbia River (Fish and Hanavan,19ii8, p. 23). 

 6j' "Interim report on Okanogan River, British Columbia". J. T. Barnaby^ 

 mimeographed reporo }jy the U.S. Fish and Wildlf_fe Service. October 19$0,5 pp. 

 7/ Lake Wenatchee wt)uld probably have to support the entire natural spawn- 

 ing run of blueback salmon if it became necessary to abandon Lake Osoyoos. 



2U 



