The Surrey 



16. Methow River a— - (November - December, 1934, August 

 13-24, 1935, and March 16-17, 1938. Burrows, Christy,,' Hanavan, 

 Kolloen, Shuman, Suomela, and Whiteleather.) Enters the Columbia 

 River at the town of Pateros, Washingtono The main stream is 

 approximately 71 l/2 miles long, and was completely surveyedo 



The discharge varies considerably, due to irrigation useo 

 Gaging-S'fcft'tion records for the water-year 1943-44 taken at Twisp, 

 about 39 river-miles above the mouth, show discharges ranging 

 from a maximxjm of 5,240 c.f.s. in May to a minimum of 145 Cof.So 

 in September o The water temperature in August ranges from 58°Fo 

 down to 47°Foj becoming colder upstream. The gradient is moderate, 

 about 22 feet per mile over the entire course. About half of the 

 stream bed is composed of medium and small rubble, and in general 

 the bottom conditions for spavming salmon are exceliento 



There are two diversion dams on the main Methow River that 

 are sometimes impassable to migrating fish during times of low 

 flow. These are the Bolingor dam about 12 miles above the mouth, 

 and the Methow Valley Canal Company irrigation diversion dam 

 about 43 miles above the nouth» 



In addition to these, there are three other dams that have been 

 of the same nature in the past, but now are passable c The lowermost 

 of these is the Parkinson irrigation dam, located about 24 miles above 

 the mouth. A section of this dam has been washed out and it is not ex- 

 pected to be replaced. 



The second is the Foghorn irrigation and power dam about 49 miles 

 above the mouth. A fishway was installed at this dam in 1942. 



The third is the Little Wetzel irrigation diversion dam located 

 about 54 miles above the mouth. This dam has been partially washed 

 out. 



At the time of the original survey in August j, 1935, there were 

 26 irrigation diversions on the main Methow with flows ranging from 

 1/2 to 80 c.f.s. and withdrawing a total flow of more than 500 Cof.So 

 None of these ditches were screened at the time of the survey, but 

 the Washington State Fisheries Department has since succeeded in 

 screening all of the important diversions. 



At present the main Methow River supports a fair spring run of 

 steelhead trout and small spring and summer runs of chinook salmcno 

 The stream is suitable for these races of fish, and with the aid of 

 artificial propagation the size of the runs has been inoreased© In 

 1946 the Yfinthrop hatchery trapped 1,074 chinooks. This is in 

 addition to a large number of chinooks that spawned in the river. 



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