94 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
tary to Becharof Lake of the Egegik River system, and the measures 
that were taken to prevent stream pollution which might impair 
valuable salmon runs. 
These drilling operations were carried on by an association of the 
Standard, Union, and Associated Oil Companies. During the prog- 
ress of drilling in July, a pocket of salt water was encountered at a 
depth of 500 feet. The pressure in the well shaft was 150 pounds per 
square inch at the surface, necessitating capping of the well, building 
of sump pools to prevent leakage into Salmon Creek, and cementing- 
in of the well casing to a point below the water stratum to cut off 
further flow. The salt water that was collected in the pools was later 
eradually released under direction of the Bureau at the period of 
high water run-off in the stream. The dilution by fresh water was 
sufficient to prevent any harm to salmon eggs or fry. In order to 
assure full protection to the salmon populations in the event that 
further similar deposits should be encountered, the drilling associa- 
tion voluntarily installed more than a mile of 6-inch pipe to carry any 
wastes from the well to a point on the Pacific side of the peninsula 
where they may be disposed of without danger to salmon runs. 
STREAM MARKING 
New markers defining areas closed to commercial fishing were 
erected to replace those which had become illegible or damaged, and 
changes were made in the positions of others to conform with changes 
made in the regulations with respect to closed areas. 
STREAM GUARDS 
The Bureau employed 134 men in 1938 as stream guards, weir 
operators, and special workmen in connection with law-enforcement 
duties. Of these, 57 were stationed in southeast Alaska, 45 in central, 
and 32 in western Alaska. Some of the workers were engaged for 
only a few days, but the average period of employment ranged from 
2 to 5 months. 
In southeast Alaska 21 stream watchmen furnished their own 
launches and were assigned to patrol larger bodies of water, or in the 
vicinity of several streams. 
In central Alaska 10 guards were stationed in the Seward-Katalla 
district, 8 on Cook Inlet, 16 in the Kodiak-Afognak district, 3 at 
Chignik, and 8 in the Ikatan-Shumagin district. Eight of these 
guards, most of whom were in the Seward-Katalla district, furnished 
their own launches. 
In western Alaska 29 were on Bristol Bay and 3 in the Yukon- 
Kuskokwim district. 
There were also 11 special employees engaged in scientific work—3 
on herring and 8 on salmon investigations. This work was carried on 
in southeast and central Alaska, as heretofore, and in addition an 
extensive study of the salmon was begun in the Bristol Bay region. 
In addition, there were 12 statutory employees, 50 men on the 
Bureau’s vessels, and 2 on the chartered boat. 
The foregoing makes a grand total of 209 persons identified with 
fishery protective work in Alaska in 1938, as compared with 236 in 
1937. 
