ISiree permanent tributaries (other than spring feeders) enter 

 the river in this zones The Little Ocqueoc River^ Silver Creek. 

 and. Orchard Lal<;e Outlets 



Physical arid chenical pro"orties r ;ffliion to £^1 zones at the 

 time of the nec;ting survey in 19h7 "vveic observed as followo The 

 river ivas appr oximate.ly at its inean levol or volume of floiv for 

 the season (123 cubic feet per second at Station IB); the color of 

 the water was li,ght brown] the water was clear. Differences found 

 in the chemical quality of the water were small among the several 

 sta.tions in Zones 1 and 2 (Appendrx G^ Table 2), Dissolved oxygen 

 varied from 7-1 to 8,5 p.p<.m,s no free carbon dioxide was present. 

 The water was hard; phenolphthalein alkalinity ranged from 1,0 to 

 ii,5 and methyl orange alkalinity from 106 to 13li (p,p,m, expressed 

 as GaG03)o The only pollution known to enter the river was derived 

 from scattered cattle watering points, street drainage from the 

 village of Millersburg (Stations 2F~2G);, and septic tank overflow 

 from the Ocqueoc Lake Group Camp (Station IB). 



Simultaneous readings of water temperatures by two observers 

 at different stations indicated that an irregular temperature 

 gradient existed in the river o The headwaters (and Zone 3) were 

 warmer than elseiiiiere in the watershed™ For Station 21, the water 

 temperature averaged 3.0 degrees Fo warmer than Station 23. In 

 Zone 1^ above Ocqueoc Lake, the water was the coolest „ At stations 

 2A-2B, the temperature averaged 2,0 degrees F. colder than at 

 Station IB. This cooling of the water in the upper portion of 

 Zone 1 is due to the presence of numeroTis spring feeders in that 

 area and to the spring fed tributaries, the Little Ocqueoc River 

 and Silver Greek, Warming of the water at Station IB, below 

 Ocqueoc Lake, is probably the result of its passage through that 

 body of water. 



Duration of the spawning season 



The spawning of the sea lamprey^ like that of many fishes, is 

 strongly influenced by water temperature » In the Ocqueoc River, 

 spawning activity commenced at mean daily water temperatures of 

 52,5 to 53-0 degrees F. at a time when daily fluctuations remained 

 about 50 degrees F. The peak of spawning activity occurred -vdien 

 mean daily temperatures rose above 58,0 degrees F. to 60. degrees 

 Fo and when, at the same time^ daily fluctuations seldom dropped 

 severely below 60 degrees F« Spawning occurred among late migrants 

 at mean daily temperatuj^es as high as 76 degrees F, with daily 

 fluctuations to 78 degrees F. Rapid drops in water temperature^ up 

 to and during the peak of spawning activity, caused very noticeable 

 declin.es in both nest building and spawning. Following the peak, 

 fluctuations abo?-e the 60-degree level had no perceptible effects 

 upon spawning activity. 



- 87 



