Mo other species of salmon or any steelhead trout are found in 

 the McKenzie. Squawfish, suckers, and cyprinids are fairly abundant 

 in the lower reaches. The resident variety of rainbovir trout, locally 

 called "Redsides" is nationally famous as a sport fish. Special 

 ilcKanzie River boats have been developed for the spectacular v^hite- 

 watsr fishing trips doim the McKenzie for this brilliantly colored 

 fish. Tl'ius, in addition to its salmon production, the McKenzie has an 

 extremely hign recreational value. Largely because of the recogni- 

 tion of the fishery values, the former plan for a hign flood control 

 dam on the main McKenzie at Quartz Creek has been abandoned and in its 

 place a plan involving dams on three tributaries of the IIcKenzie has 

 been adopted. 



In the past the McKenzie River vras the most inportant spring 

 Chinook salmon producer in the Willamette River system. Its great 

 potential value for both salmon and trout should be safeguarded and 

 developed. 



25DD-(1). Mohawk Creek .— (June 19-21, 193^; Hanavan, Parkhurst, 

 "iffilding, Morton, and Langton.) Enters the McKenzie River approximately 

 10 miles above the mouth. The stream is about 30 miles long, of which 

 the lower 20 miles up to an impassable 12 -foot high falls vras surveyed. 



The flow ranged from a minimum of 11 c.f.s., on September 17, 1938 

 to a maximum of 8,160 c.f.s., on January 1, 1943. From July through 

 October the discharge is usually 25-50 c.f.s., (U.S.G.S. records). The 

 '.rater temperature was from 60-64° F. In the lower 9 miles to li^rcola, 

 Oregon the valley is flat, well cultivated, and the gradient is only 

 C feet per mile. In the next 9 miles above Marcola the stream is 

 bordered by steep hills and the gradient is 28 feet per mile. The 

 gradient above this point is increasingly steep, with cascades and low 

 falls. The upper v,ratershed consists of completely logged-off, burned- 

 over, denuded hills. Because of this there are extreme variations in 

 T/ater level, v/ith floods rising up to 15 feet over a short period. The 

 farmlands in the lower section suffer from flooding and occasional soil 

 losses due to bank cutting. Below Ifercola tne stream bed is over 50 

 percent mud and sand, and the spawning gravels are heavily silted. The 

 stream is bordered by thick marginal vegetation throughout, v^-hich af- 

 fords some shelter for resident trout. Resting pools are numerous be- 

 low Marcola, but the better spavming riffles are located above. There 

 is spawning area available for about 4,000 salmon. It was reported 

 that the stream supported a run of spring chinook salmon up to about 

 the year 1910, but this run has been greatly depleted, and there are 

 no reports of runs of migratory fish at present. 



The lower section of the stream abounds with chubs, suckers, min- 

 nows, and turtles. A fev/ cutthroat trout were seen in the upper sec- 

 tion. 



61 



