Kvichak River 



Chum salmon runs in the Kvichak River are 

 similar in magnitude to those of the Naknek 

 River. In spite of significant numbers taken in 

 the commercial fishery, few chum salmon ap- 

 pear at the outlet of Iliamna Lake. According 

 to Bureau personnel, chum salmon are most 

 abundant in the Alagnak River, a major tribu- 

 tary that enters the main river from the east, 

 well within the influence of tides. Small 

 numbers of chum salmon are known to spawn 

 in the minor tributaries that enter the main 

 river from the north. 



Nushagak River 



The Nushagak River is the most important 

 chum salmon stream in Bristol Bay. The 

 annual average commercial catch has been 

 more than twice that of the combined Naknek 

 and Kvichak River catches, the next most im- 

 portant streams. Most chum salmon utilize the 

 main river for spawning, and very few have 

 been observed at the counting station, which 

 is located far upstream. They have been ob- 

 served in considerable numbers up the major 

 tributary, Mulchatna River, which enters the 

 main stem below the counting site. 



Togiak River 



Although the Togiak is a minor chum salmon 

 river, it has runs of nearly as many salmon 

 of this species as of sockeye salmon. In 

 recent years, its commercial production has 

 been more than 20,000 chum salmon. Spawning 

 occurs principally in the main river, but the 

 small tributaries are also utilized by chum 

 salmon spawners. Escapements up to 200,000 

 have been reported by personnel of the Bureau 

 of Commercial Fisheries. 



CAPE NEWENHAM TO THE 

 KUSKOKWIM RIVER 



sockeye salmon have been reported from eight. 

 Sockeye salmon distribution, however, was not 

 the same in all cases as chum. Aerial surveys 

 by Raleigh in 1957 disclosed chum salmon in 

 four streams, but the survey timing did not 

 coincide with spawning. Their presence in the 

 streams was verified by local residents. Small 

 streams of doubtful value to salmon have not 

 been included in the listing. 



The importance of salmon in the food supply 

 of the different native villages from Cape 

 Newenham to the Kuskokwim River (fig. 5) is 

 rated in table 3. The total estimated annual 

 catch of chum salmon in the area was approxi- 

 mately 37,000. The village of Eek rated high 

 in dependency on salmon, while Platinum and 

 Goodnews Bay rated low. Villages inhabited 

 only by native residents invariably depend 

 more on the fish and wildlife resources for 

 their livelihood than those with white residents. 

 Also, the coastal natives depend less on salmon 

 and more on other sources of food, such as 

 seals, beluga, waterfowl, and ocean species 

 of fish, than do the inland natives who live 

 adjacent to salmon streams. 



The 1960 fishing regulations, which were 

 established by the State of Alaska Department 

 of Fish and Game, allowed a quota of 25,000 

 sockeye salmon and a total of 3,000 salmon of 

 all other species to be taken commercially 

 within the mouth of the Kanektok River (fig. 4). 

 Other than this, all salmon fishing is for the 

 subsistence of local residents. 



KUSKOKWIM RIVER 



The Kuskokwim River, with 22,237 square 

 miles of drainage, is the second largest river 

 in Alaska, being exceeded in size only by the 

 Yukon. From its source in the central section 

 of interior Alaska, it flows in a generally 

 southwesterly direction and discharges into the 

 head of Kuskokwim Bay (fig. 4). 



The coastal area lying between Cape Newen- 

 ham and the mouth of the Kuskokwim River 

 contains a number of small rivers and streams 

 (fig. 4). Two of the streams, Kanektok and Eek 

 Rivers, have estimated chum salmon catches 

 in excess of 20,000 (table 2). Chum salmon are 

 known to enter nine of these streams, and 



Although there have been commercial fish- 

 eries in this river, they were limited to king 

 (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and sockeye sal- 

 mon, chum salmon being used in the extensive 

 native personal-use fisheries. The more de- 

 sirable species were salted, pickled, or dried 

 by small commercial enterprises, but since 



