Table 5. — Distribution of female pink salmon among three sections of Sashin Creek, 1966; 

 3,026 females were counted through the weir, and 96 percent (2,905) were assumed to be 

 in the study sections 



Table 6. — Average number of days tagged female pink salmon were on redds in the three study 

 sections of Sashin Creek in 1963, 1965, and 1966 



Number 



Number 



Number 



Number 



Number 



1963. 

 1965. 

 1966. 



Number 



according to its contribution to the total 

 female-day- redd-life estimate for the three 

 sections. In the second method the percentage 

 of tagged females seen in each section was 

 used to prorate the weir count of females 

 to each section. 



Estimates of the number of spawning females 

 in each section based on female-days and 

 redd life were similar to those based on the 

 distribution' of tagged females (table 5). Since 

 I have no reason to think either method is 

 the better, I used the average of the two for 

 calculating the potential egg deposition in 

 each area. The densities of females on the 

 spawning grounds were about the same in 

 the Lower and Middle sections and markedly 

 lower in the Upper section. The scant use of 

 the Upper section when the total number of 

 females in the escapement is low is usual in 

 Sashin Creek (Merrell, 1962; McNeil, 1968). 



was again recorded. One day was added to the 

 total number of days each female was ob- 

 served to allow for her presence a half 

 day before the first observation and a half 

 day after the last. The average time of females 

 on redds in Sashin Creek was longer in 1966 

 than in 1963 and 1965 in each study area 

 (table 6). Several factors may explain the 

 longer average time on redds in 1966: 

 (1) Females entered Sashin Creek and spawned 

 in a few days, so that less energy was ex- 

 pended in prespawning activities; (2) females 

 were large; (3) although streamflows were 

 generally high during spawning, extreme flood 

 conditions did not occur; and (4) because of 

 the small number of females (less than half 

 as many as in 1963 or 1965), antagonism 

 among females on the redd sites was probably 

 less. 



Length of Time on Redd 



To determine redd life, the presence and 

 location were recorded when a tagged female 

 was first seen on an established redd; on sub- 

 sequent surveys her presence (or absence) 



Length and Fecundity 



Data on length and fecundity of female 

 pink salmon entering Sashin Creek have been 

 collected routinely since 1955 and were col- 

 lected sporadically in earlier years (Olson 

 and McNeil, 1967). In table 7, I summarize 



