32 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



escapement for the season was 1 68,988 red salmon, 186 chums, 21 

 kings, and 18 pinks. Henry McFadden, under the direction of 

 Agent Dennis Winn, was in charge of operations at this weir. 



KVICHAK RIVER 



Attempts to operate a weir on the Kvichak River were unsuccessful 

 in 1927 and 1929 because the structure was destroyed each time before 

 completion by pressure from high water resulting from the clogging 

 of the netting with algse and other vegetation. A different type of 

 weir was therefore installed in 1930. It consisted of a picket section of 

 the tripod type on each side of the river — that on the left side extend- 

 ing 80 feet from the bank, with four 24-inch counting gates, and that 

 on the right side extending 270 feet from the bank with eight 24-inch 

 counting gates — and between them an electric screen, 780 feet in length 

 made of galvanized iron chain and pipe. The entire weir was built in 

 a V shape, with the apex down river, at an angle of 22° from a line 

 at right angles to the channel. Modern electric equipment was located 

 on the left bank of the river. Both the power plant and the weir were 

 completed on July 1. 



The first red salmon were observed below the weir on July 6 and 

 some were seen jumping in the screen field, after which they would 

 dart down river into the uncharged water, where they would swim 

 around in good condition. The following day a few were noted pass- 

 ing upstream through the screen field. It was therefore decided to 

 increase the voltage. During the period from July 9 to 15 every effort 

 was made to adjust the electric current so that it would hold all of 

 the salmon below the weir without injury to those that came into the 

 screen field, but some salmon continued to pass through, while others 

 were temporarily stunned and drifted to the bottom of the river, there 

 to recover in a few seconds and swim away. Although the counting 

 gates in the picket sections of the weir were kept open, very few salmon- 

 were seen passing through them. The only reasons that could be 

 ascribed for this were that the gates were in shallow water and not in 

 the main river channel, and the water flowed through them at an 

 angle toward the main channel. 



On July 16, as an experiment, the current was turned oft" the chain 

 electrode in the boat passage, white canvas was spread on the river 

 bottom at a depth of 15 feet, a pile driver was anchored just above 

 the boat gate and an observer was stationed on the top of the pile- 

 driver gins, approximately 35 feet above the surface of the water, 

 where he could count fairly accurately on a bright day the salmon 

 swimming through the passage. The number counted on that day 

 was 31,361. The experiment was continued tlirough July 20, but the 

 number diminished daily, and apparently only the fresh salmon com- 

 ing up the river would go through the boat gate, while there were 

 still many along the river below the weir. Counting was therefore 

 discontinued at the close of July 20, when the count for the season 

 numbered 80,223, or but a fraction of the total number actually 

 escaping upstream. 



The power plant was shut down and the gates were opened on July 

 21, but the majority of the salmon did not go up the river for several 

 days. One school of good size was noted on July 31, after the picket 

 weir was removed, but by August 10, when work at the weir site was 

 completed, no salmon were in evidence in the river. 



