22 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



cause of the possibility of hindering or preventing salmon from as- 

 cending to their spawning grounds. With respect to the stream cov- 

 ered by each application the commission desired information from 

 the bureau as to whether it was used by spawning salmon, its eco- 

 nomic value to the fishery industry, and whether an eifective fishway 

 could be constructed over the proposed dam. 



The 10 applications referred to the bureau were for Speel Eiver. 

 Cascade Creek, Mill Creek, Aaron Creek, Harding Creek, Grant 

 Creek, Tyee Creek, AVhite River, and Anan Creek, in the southeast 

 district, and Kenai River in central Alaska. Thorough investigation 

 of the streams concerned in southeast Alaska was made during the 

 season by Assistant Agent E. M. I5all. and of the Kenai River by 

 Assistant Agent Shirley A. Baker. Upon the basis of their reports 

 and other information on file in the bureau, the Federal Power Com- 

 mission was advised that there was no objection to the development 

 of the proposed projects in Speel River, Cascade Creek, Harding 

 Creek, Grant Creek, Tyee Creek, and White River, inasmuch as there 

 were no commercial runs of salmon in them. No objection was made 

 regarding Mill Creek, as the proposed dam would not be too high to 

 prevent the installation of a successful fishway. The contemplated 

 project in Aaron Creek affected only one fork of that stream, and the 

 remaining spawning beds were regarded as ample for the preserva- 

 tion of the run. 



In the case of Anan Creek the bureau expressed unqualified opposi- 

 tion to any project that contemplated its use for any purpose other 

 than the propagation of salmon under natural conditions. As bear- 

 ing upon this stream, the following is quoted from a letter of Janu- 

 ary 30, 1923, addressed by the Secretary of Commerce to the Federal 

 Power Commission: 



Anan Creek has long been known as one of the most important humpback- 

 salmon streams in southeastern Alaska. It has been a large and steady pro- 

 ducer for more than 20 years — in fact, it has yielded about a million salmon in 

 a single season— and it continues to be a salmon producer of the first magnitude. 

 It embraces a spawning area of unequaled excellence approximately 4 miles in 

 length. Its economic importance to the fishery industry is second to none in 

 southeastern Alaska. The erection of a 60-foot dam at the mouth of Anan 

 Creek would practically destroy one of the most valuable salmon fisheries of 

 southeastern Alaska for two reasons: (a) That a successful fishway of that 

 height would be impracticable, and (b) that the spawning grounds would be 

 fiooded with several feet of water, thus greatly lessening their value. In view 

 of these things it is the opinion of this department that Anan Creek should not 

 be used for any other purpose than the production of salmon. Unquestionably 

 there are numerous streams in southeastern Alaska that are better adapted 

 to the development of electric power than Anan Creek and which are inacces- 

 sible to salmon by reason of natural insurmountable barriers. 



Opposition was also expressed to the development of the project 

 contemplated on Kenai River, which was discussed in the same letter, 

 as folloAvs: 



It is understood that this project involves the construction of a storage dam 

 6 feet in height at the outlet of Kenai Lake and a diversion dam 120 feet high 

 at a point about 11 miles below the lake. The department has given very careful 

 consideration to this matter, and an extended personal investigation in the 

 region has been made by an agent of the Bureau of Fisheries. As a result 

 two important outstanding facts are developed: (a) That the main run of 

 red salmon spawns in the upper Kenai River waters above the proposed diver- 

 sion dam in Kenai River Canyon; (6) that the tributary streams below the 

 proposed diversion dam carry almost negligible runs of red salmon. 



