IK. Little DesohuteB River . — (jime 2ht I9h2; Frpy.) Enters the 

 Deschutes River about 23 miles above the city of Bend, Oregon, It is 

 about 65 miles long and has an average width of about 50 feet. Except 

 in its headwaters it is a sluggish stream having few if any suitable 

 spawning areas. Bottom materials are largely mud and sand. It is of 

 little or no possible value to salmon or steelhead trout, and is in- 

 accessible because of the falls in the main Deschutes River below Bend. 



2. John Day River.-- (September 7,8, and October 10, 19k2 ; 

 Parkhurst and Bryant. Rechecked May 28-29, I9khi Nielson.) Enters the 

 Columbia River about 33 lailes above The Dalles, Oregon, and about 18 

 miles above the confluence of the Deschutes River, The main river is 

 about 227 miles long ajid has a drainage basin of about 8,000 square 

 miles in the sami-arid, north-central section of the state of Oregon, 

 An examination of the flow records taken at the gauging station loca- 

 ted 16 miles above the mouth indicates a wide variation in the rate of 

 flow. The maximum discharge during the period of record (190i4.-5-1935~ 

 36) Was 224., 900 o.f.s, measured on March 20, 1932, and the minimum 

 discharge was I4. c.f .s, on August 31» 1931« Minimum flows occur during 

 the months of August, September, and October, In May and June rAien the 

 spring runs of chinook salmon ajid steelhead trout normally would be 

 entering the stream the average discharge is 2,000-5,000 c,f,8, but 

 may be as low as 350 c,f,B, The lower section of the river is slug- 

 gish and often turbid. 



From the mouth of the stream, to Hay Creek, a distance of 

 30 miles, the gradient is slight to moderate and the bottom is com- 

 posed chiefly of s«md, silt, and large rubble. Riffles are few and 

 poor and there is no suitable spawning surea. Resting pools, however, 

 are almost continuous although they lack cover and generally are of 

 poor quality. In the next section, from Hay Creek upstreein to Butte 

 Creek, a distance of Z4.3 miles, the gradient is moderate to fairly steep. 

 The stream bottom is composed principally of broken bedrock, sand, and 

 silt and the few riffle areas suitable for spawning are of poor quality. 

 Resting pools continue to be large and numerous but they lack cover and 

 are of poor qxiality. Similar conditions continue upstream to Dayville, 

 Oregon, In the hi mile section from Dayville to 3 miles above Prairie 

 City the river has a moderate gradient. Spawning riffles are numerous 

 throughout and in the upper II4. miles of this section they are of an 

 excellent nature, at least 75 percent of the total bottom area being 

 suitable for spawning. At the time of observation there was a large 

 gold dredge operating on the river about 21 miles below Prairie City 

 near the town of Mt, Vernon and moving slowly downstream. It had torn 

 up 10 miles of the river bottom above this point, irtiere the streeun bed 

 Was transformed into numerous conical mounds of gravel tailings 8-12 

 feet high around which the river meandered through numerous small 

 channel 8.. Dxiring low water periods, as at the time of inspection, this 

 condition would greatly impede if not entirely block the upstream 

 passage of adult fish and also would be a hazard to downstream migrants. 

 Another serious problem resulting from the activity of gold dredges is 

 that the water is rendered extremely turbid below them £ind the heavy 

 burden of silt is deposited over the stream bed. Thus, vast areas are 



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