140 ALASKA FISHERIES AND FUR INDUSTRIES IN 1919, 



SUMMARY. 



Copper River and its tributaries may readily be subdivided into 

 a small number of regions which diflfer distinctly in character and 

 probable relation to the spawning of the salmon that visit the region. 



1. A group of small tributaries flowing into the river on the west 

 side between the mouth and the town of Cliitina. — These streams are 

 all very short, ratlier turbulent, and not supplied with lakes to which 

 salmon can ascend for spawning. Wnile lower reaches of these 

 streams may be utilized by silvers that come late, there is good reason 

 to think that they play no part in "the red salmon production of the 

 river. 



2. Chitina Creek, with its small lakes. — This creek belongs in a 

 sense to the series of short streams entering the lower river from the 

 west, but it differs from all the rest in having attached to it a series 

 of permanent lakes that are accessible. 



3. A series of three tributaries of some size which enter from the 

 west, and which possess conspicuous lakes. — These are the Tonsina, 

 the Klutina, and the Tazlina Rivers. Tonsina Lake was not visited, 

 but Klutina and Tazlina Lakes and Rivers, with their tributaries were 

 studied in detail. They constitute undoubtedly the most important 

 spawning grounds visited, and perhaps the most important con- 

 nected with the Copper River system. 



4. The upper Copper River, with its tributaries, the Gulkana, the 

 Gakona, the Mentasta, and others, w hich lie north of Copper Center. — 

 There are many lakes on these tributaries, and it is likely that in 

 normal seasons salmon are abundant in this region. This territory 

 was not visited. 



5. The Chitina River, wdth its tributaries. — In this region only 

 Long Lake was visited, and it does not seem to deserve the merit as a 

 spawning place for salmon that has been attributed to it. Many 

 reports were heard of salmon being abundant in various subordinate 

 streams and lakes connected with the Chitina. Some of these reports 

 were ver}^ definite. One of them, which w as current later than the 

 visit to that region, was investigated by J. E. Most, superintendent 

 of the cannen- at Abercrombie. The account concerned lakes on 

 clear streams that run into the Neena and ultimately into the Nizina. 

 According to Mr. Most's statements, the lakes are small and are fed 

 by numerous clear streams, all of which contain some salmon. Llis 

 observations led him to think that there were some 3,000 fish in this 

 vicinity^ at the time of his visit, about the middle of August. 



6. The tributaries of Copper River on the east between its mouth 

 and Chitina. — Clear Creek has already been discussed. It is a small 

 stream, but the only one in that stretch w^hich was reported to be 

 significant as a spawning ground for salmon. The Bremner, which 

 is the largest stream on the east side of the river in this stretch, is 

 said to carry a good many salmon, but opportunity was not given to 

 visit it nor any of the other streams in that vicinity. 



7. Lake lOutina. — This is a most important spawning ground for 

 the red salmon. Salmon Creek, on the southeast shore, several inlets 

 at the head of the lake, and St. Anne Creek, at the northwest angle, 

 form the actual spawning territoiy. The red salmon w^ere well ad- 

 vanced in spawning on Salmon Creek August 6, on St. Anne Creek 

 August 10, and at the head of the lake a week later. Spawning had 



