The last Chinook salmon rim of any importance was reported in 

 1925. These fish ascended the river in May and early Jime, but it 

 ■would be practically impossible for them to do so today under the pre- 

 sent system of vrater useo Local people report that Nine Mile Dam, 

 built in 1905 near Reese, Washington, -was an effective though not a 

 complete barrier to the upstream migration and that it iwas largely 

 resr>onsible for the decline in the runs of chinook salmon. This struct- 

 ure is no longer a barrier, since the river has cut a channel around it. 



From all accounts the Walla Walla River at one time was a good 

 producer of chinook salmon and steelhead trout, but it has little pre- 

 sent or potential fisheries value. 



5a» Vanaycle Canyon Creek , 5B. Warm Spring Canyon Creek , and 

 5C. Gardena Creek . — '■ (May 25, 1936j Suomela and 3\irrows.) These small, 

 intermittent streams enter the Walla Walla River from the south, below 

 the confluence with the Touchet River. They are of no value to anadrom- 

 ouB fish. 



5D« Touchet River .— (June 6-8 and 10-lU, 1935; Burrows and 

 Whiteleather.) Enters the Walla Walla River about 20 miles above the 

 mouth. The river is about 61.5 miles long from its mouth to the con- 

 fluence of its north and south forks, all of which was siirveyed. Aver- 

 age widths varied from 75 feet near the mouth to 35 feet in the upper 

 sections. At the time of survey the discharge was estimated at 75 c.f.s. 

 Excellent spawning riffles and resting pools are well distributed 

 throughout the course. It was estimated that there was over one million 

 square yards comprising 60 percent of the stream bed suitable for spawn- 

 ing. There are twenty unscreened diversions. Fifteen of these have 

 dams, only six of -v^ich are permanent structiires. None is over 3*5 feet 

 high, with the exception of the Preston-Shaeffer mill dam located 1^ miles 

 above the city of Waitsburg, Washington. This dam is 6 feet high and 

 is provided with an adeqxiate fishway. The diversion at times may take 

 the entire flow, leaving the channel dry for a distance of about 1 mile 

 from the dam to the point of return below the mill. A similar problem 

 occvirs at the lowermost diversion on the river. This diversion, oper- 

 ated by the Touchet Irrigation Company, is located 5 miles above the 

 mouth. It has a prior right for 30 c.f.s. and thus there is at least 

 this amount of water in the stream above this point. However, during 

 periods of low water this diversion withdraws the entire stream flow, 

 leaving the 5-niile channel below the dam virtually dry iivith the excep- 

 tion of the deep, imdrained pools. It is reported that these two situ- 

 ations would not be critical to upstream migrating chinook salmon and 

 steelhead trout, since the dry periods occur later than the time of 

 entry of these fish. The possible effects on the seaward migrants are 

 not known. 



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