PROGRESS REPORT 

 SPRING CHINOOK SALMON TRANSPLANTATION STUDY 



1955-61 



by 



Paul D. Zimmer, Roy J. Wahle, and Eugene M. Maltzeff 



Fishery Research Biologists 



Bureau of Commercial Fisheries 



U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 



Portland, Oregon 



ABSTRACT 



A study to determine feasibility of Introducing spring chinook salmon Into Wind 

 River, Washington, has been underway since 1955. In the period 1955-61, 3,221 adult 

 spring Chinook salmon have been trapped at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River 

 and transferred to Carson National Fish Hatchery at Wind River, Washington, for 

 subsequent artificial propagation. The total number of fingerlings released in Wind 

 River, resulting from artificial spawning of adults hauled from Bonneville Dam 

 and from adults returning to the hatchery, has been 5,078,800. 



Partial counts in 1956, 1957, and 1958 at Shipperd Falls fishway, located on 

 Wind River near its mouth, indicate that 10, 1, and 26 spring chinook salmon, 

 respectively, passed through the fishway. Counting was not conducted in 1959. 

 Full-time counting was conducted in 1960 and 1961 at Shipperd Falls fishway and 

 totals of 854 and 1,032 spring chinook salmon, respectively, were tabulated. 



Spring chinook salmon adults returning to Carson National Fish Hatchery from 

 releases of fingerlings have been as follows: 1959, 107; 1960, 552; 1961, 610. 



INTRODUCTION 



Many attempts have been made to introduce 

 new runs, or to Increase existing populations, 

 of spring chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus 

 tshawytscha) not only in the Columbia River 

 watershed, but in coastal streams of Oregon 

 and Washington as well. Inadequate facilities 

 to hold fish during maturation period, unfavor- 

 able water temperatures for the adults, inabil- 

 ity to secure eggs of good quality, and diffi- 

 culties in rearing young salmon to fingerling 



size have been responsible for negligible 

 success in most instances. 



A major function of the Columbia River 

 Fishery Development Programof the Bureau of 

 Commercial Fisheries, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

 Service, is the improvement of natural stream 

 habitat by removal of log jams and construc- 

 tion of fishways at natural barriers. These 

 activities have made many additional miles of 

 spawning and rearing area available to 

 anadromous fish. 



