32 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



for the maintenance of the species in Quinault Lake, provided the 

 tish find congenial spawning areas and the eggs and resulting prog- 

 eny are not subjected to untoward conditions. The returns from 

 the natural spawning of these years will be of interest to all ob- 

 servers. 



During the spawning season of 1922 conditions were apparently 

 not conducive to the best results from natural spawning. The cus- 

 tomary fall rains were much restricted, and neither Quinault Lake 

 nor its tributaries attained the normal high fall levels. At no time 

 in the course of the spawning period did the lake rise to more than 8 

 feet above the average sunnner stage. As a result the spawning sock- 

 eyes were not induced to ascend to the upper reaches of the larger 

 tributaries. Large numbers resorted instead to the smaller streams 

 entering the lake, greatly congesting these limited spawning areas, 

 while the more extensive grounds in the larger streams received 

 only a comparatively few eggs. Never before in the history of the 

 station has such a large number of spawning sockeyes entered Falls 

 Creek, the small tributary on which the hatchery is located. It was 

 estimated that not less than 10,000,000 eggs could easily have been 

 taken from this stream alone. 



Reports having reached the station during December that sockeyes 

 in considerable numbers were returning to the ocean, an investigation 

 was instituted, which indicated that Indians fishing near the mouth 

 of tlie river for silver salmon and steelheads were taking from 30 

 to 40 sockeyes daily. All that were examined were typical spawners 

 in a much emaciated condition. It Avas assumed that because of 

 the low-water stages they had remained in Quinault River through- 

 out the spawning season without entering the lake. 



During November a five-day trip was made along the upper 

 Quinault River and its tributaries for the purpose of ascertaining 

 the number of fish that had resorted to those waters, the condition 

 of the spawning beds, and other relevant information. Some 12 

 miles above Quinault Lake the so-called East Fork and the North 

 Fork unite to form the upper Quinault River. The East Fork 

 contains many small sloughs and shallow gravelly stretches, com- 

 prising very fair spawning beds. Sockeyes Avere noted working on 

 these beds as far up as the junction of the Big South Fork with 

 the East Fork, about 18 miles above the lake. At some distance 

 above this point the river contains a succession of rapids and it is 

 doubtful if spawning fish are able to surmount them. 



The North Fork appears to be quite lacking in suitable spawning 

 grounds, and no fish were seen in it beyond a distance of 2 miles 

 above its junction with East Fork, though the examination was con- 

 tinued for a distance of more than 8 miles above that point. 



It was estimated that perhaps 25 per cent of the fish reaching 

 Quinault Lake resorted to the upper Quinault for spawning, and 

 that not less than 75 per cent of this number remained in w^aters 

 below the forks. During the progress of the investigation Big 

 Creek, Merriman Creek, and Inner Creek, all tributaries of the 

 upper Quinault River below the forks and from which egg collections 

 are customarily made, contained large numbers of salmon. 



Of special interest in connection with the natural reproduction 

 of salmon in the upper Quinault River are the changing conditions 

 brought about by the destruction of the forests. Local residents 



