the Indians to provide for satisfactory spawning escapement if in the 

 future any of the streams in or bordering on the various reservations 

 in this area, and particularly those of the Yakima River system, are to 

 be restocked and rehabilitated for salmon and steelheado 



Despite the fact that a part of the spawning grounds in Area III 

 has been made inaccessible by high dams, river flows have been diminished 

 by the diversion of irrigation water, that there are still many unscreened 

 irrigation ditches, and that the abundance level of the runs is far below 

 the former level. Area III is still an important salmon producing areao 



At Priest Rapids, which are located approximately 396 miles up 

 the Columbia River, the Pacific Power and Light Company operates a 

 power planto There is no barrier dam, the water being diverted by 

 a small wing dam from above the rapids down a mile'=long canal to the 

 power house on the south bank. The maximum operating head is about 

 25 feetj and the usual diversion is 300 c.foS. The plant operates two 

 fixed bladed power wheels, one a Francis type, and the other a propeller 

 type, at a speed of approximately 150 RePoMo It is recommended that this 

 canal be adequately screened and provided with a satisfactory by=pass 

 channel o 



There are now two dams on the main Columbia in this Area, and 

 a third is under construction. The Rock Island Dam was built by the 

 Puget Sound Power and Light Company and is located about 15 miles 

 below the mouth of the Wena tehee River, and 452 miles above the mouth 

 of the Columbia o It is a 22 to 33 foot barrier to migratory fish, but 

 has 3 satisfactory fishcways. It was started in 1929 and completed in 

 1934. The original construction provided for 8 more generators, each 

 of 20,000 K.Wo capacity, for fut\xre installation in addition to the 

 \mits actually installed. However, even at this late date there has 

 been no attempt to install and operate the additional units, in spite 

 of recently threatened power shortages in the Pacific Northwesto 



Fish counting stations have been operated at this dam during part 

 of each year by the Fish and Wildlife Service to provide information on 

 fish entering the section of the river above the Yakima River and below 

 Grand Coulee Dam. These counts are given in the follorwing table. 



Examination of the Rock Island counts shows that there were 

 relatively small runs of fish remaining in the Columbia above Rock 

 Island in the few years prior to the building of Grand Coulee Dam, 

 and that there had previously been poor years as well. It is also 

 quite evident that there have been no great losses to the runs that 

 can be attributed to the salvage operations and transferring of the 

 stocks to hatcheries and streams below Grand Coulee after 1939 under 

 the Grand Coulee Fish Salvage Program of the Fish and Wildlife Service. 

 It is therefore desirable that a g reater spawning escapement be provided 

 so that these important stocks can be increased in the future, and may 

 more fully utilize the large potential spawning and rearing capacity of 

 this sectiono 



