COPPEE RIVER INVESTIGATION. 125 



by storms and winds, even thouo^h the shore is 5 miles distant from 

 the opposite shore where later salmon were fomid in certain streams. 



At the head of the lake the foot of the glacier is separated from the 

 lake water by a strip of sand and gravel practically entirely without 

 vegetation and at most not 2 miles wide. The channels that carried 

 the glacial water to the lake are evidently shifting and mist able and 

 hence entirely unfitted for the spa^vning of the salmon. Conditions 

 in such respect were sharply contrasted with those found at the head 

 of Lake Klutina. "\'\liile each of the channels was studied camp was 

 located on the west side of the lake at a point similar to that utilized 

 for a camp at the head of Lake Klutina. Although the net was put 

 out at that point and maintained at several near-by positions during 

 the entire stay, not a single fish of any kind was caught nor a dead 

 salmon found on the shore anywhere. 



On August 26 camp was moved to a point near the mouth of the 

 Nelchina "River, and the shore iiitervonmg between the two places 

 was studied. No evidence of any kind was obtained to indicate the 

 present or previous presence of salmon at any point along the strip 

 from the head of the lake to the mouth of the Nelchina River. The 

 Nelchina is split up into a considerable number of channels, and it 

 would have required more time than was available to have made a 

 careful study of them. It is reported that red salmon ascend that 

 river for spawning, but there was no evidence of their presence in the 

 stream in the very brief observation made in passing. 



On August 29 the lower Mendeltna River was explored, and living 

 red salmon not yet spawned out were found. The number was not 

 large, and there were no dead fish on the shore in the lower regions of 

 the stream nor any fish skeletons or bear trails along the shore to 

 indicate that fish had been more abundant there earlier in the year. 

 It is said that the red salmon ascend to lakes some 12 to 15 miles 

 upstream in which they spawn. In the absence of trails it would 

 have been impossible to make the trip upstream without a larger 

 expenditure oi time than was available, so that the questions of the 

 number of fish which utilized the stream for spawning purposes, the 

 suitability of the river for such a use, and the numbers actually pres- 

 ent all had to be left for fnture deterniiiialion. That night camp was 

 located close to the outlet of Lake Tazlina at a cabin known as the 

 home of a former prominent ('opper River Indian called Tazlina 

 ffohnny. The place was not inhabited, because of his death last 

 winter. It was evident that regular and successful fishing operations 

 had been carried out at that point in previous times. A net was set 

 from stakes which had been located evidently for salmon fishing in 

 a very small indentation of the shore near the cabin, and within a 

 short time a considerable number of fish were secured. The largest 

 male was not fully ripe, and all of the fish were in good condition, 

 though not so large and well nourished on the average as those caught 

 in Lake Klutina. '^I'hey were carefully examined and data recorded 

 for comparing them with the fish obtained at other localities. It is 

 worthy of special notice that fish were still running upstream there 

 and were not yet fully ripe, although it was the enu of Auj^ust. 



On August 31 the return trip was begun down the valley of the 

 Tazlina River. Inasmuch as the trail for the greater |)art of the way 

 was some distance from the river, there was no opportunity to study 



