ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL IKDUSTEIES, 1922. 41 



if not their only ones, are grass-covered islands. All of ' e 52 islands in the 

 Wood River lakes were examined for breeding grounds of gulls and terns. 

 Besides four islands in Aleknagik Lake already known, three islands in Nerka 

 Lake showed evidence of having vast breeding grounds of Ixdh tliese predatory 

 birds, and it is believed that a large part of the great flocks of terns that fre- 

 quent this district during the spring and summer nest on these three islands, 

 which are close together, and could be kept clear of eggs by two men during the 

 nesting period. 



FISHING ON SPAWNING GROrNDS. 



Five native families fished for salmon on the spawning beds of Aleknagik 

 Lake during the spawning period. There was no fishing on any of the other 

 lakes. About 3,000 salmon were caught and dried, of which .some were spent 

 red salmon and some cohos. Three native families continued fishing in the 

 lake after the red-salmon spawning period was past and until the first part 

 of October, the last family leaving the lake on October 7. They operated a 

 total of nine nets most of the time, which it was estimated caught over 1.000 

 Dolly Varden trout besides other fresh-water fish, all for food for themselves 

 and their dogs. 



ACTION or ICE ON SALMON EGGS. 



To determine the action of the winter ice on salmon eggs, several nests in 

 shallow water near the lake shores were marked with poles for winter ex- 

 amination. During the fall water gages were placed in several of the lakes 

 to register the rise or fall of the water. From August 23 to September 5, 

 when it reached its lowest level, the water of the lakes fell 2 inches. From 

 that date on the water ro.se steadily, until by October 21 it had reached a level 

 18 inches higher than on September 5. The shallowest spawning nest found 

 on lake-shore areas was covered with 12 inches of water on August 26. As the 

 height of the spawning period was during the lowest stages of the water, few 

 of the spawning beds were covered with less than 2i feet of water when the 

 " freeze up " came on November 4. It is reported that the past fall has not 

 been wet. The condition of eggs in tributary streams is not certain. The 

 streams, being for the most part small and very short, reach a flood stage on 

 rainy days, but fall again to a low level in a few hours. Several nests in 2 

 inches of water were marked and will be examined during the coming winter. 



CONCLUSION. 



In conclusion it may be stated that throughout the examination of the 

 district natural conditions were found to be almost ideal for salmon produc- 

 tion. All of the great spawning areas are easily accessible to the salmon. 

 Although thousands of trout and terns still remain to menace the young, much 

 benefit has resulted from the past three seasons of work toward their ex- 

 termination. In the season just passed (1922) the spawning areas were almost 

 destitute of breeding salmon. With continued work <m predatory fish and birds, 

 and an ample escapement of brood salmon, it would seem that the Wood River 

 lake system should produce many times the number of red salmon it has in the 

 past 



LAKE ALEKNAGIK INVESTIGATIONS. 



In connection Avitli recent studios of the Wood River region, it is 

 believed that it Avill be of interest and vahie to publish a report of 

 examinations of Lake Aleknagik and its tributaries that were made 

 in 1008 and 1909 by Millard C. Marsh, then chief agent in the 

 bureau's Alaska service. In 1908 IMr. Marsh was accompanied by 

 Claudius Wallich, field superintendent, specially detailed for the 

 trip, and the period from May 31 to August 9 of that year was spent 

 on the lake. The following year, accompanied by J. A. Legge, of 

 the Afognak hatchery, Mr. Marsh was on Lake Aleknagik from June 

 7 until August 8. The report on these explorations, which has 

 recently been revised by Mr. Marsh, is as follows: 



