PEOPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1926 345 



Baker Lake (Wash.) , Station and Substations 



[Joseph Kemmerjch, Superintendent] 



Fish-cultural operations were in progress in this field throughout the year 

 at the main station and five of its auxiliaries, while eggs from the late run of 

 chum salmon were obtained at a sixth auxiliary, at Brinnon, Wash. While 

 weather and water conditions 'during the spawning season were largely un- 

 favorable and undoubtedly occasioned some falling off in egg collections, the 

 major part of the heavy decrease shown — the total of 26,273,000 eggs secured 

 being little more than half as large as the collection of the preceding year — 

 is ascribed to the altered conditions brought about through the construction of 

 a hydroelectric dam in Baker River near the town of Concrete. Aside from 

 the eggs collected, eggs of the sockeye, Chinook, silver, and humpback salmons 

 aggregating 10,615.000 were received from other sources and handled at Baker 

 Lake or some of its auxiliaries. 



Baker Laic {Wash.) station. — Fish-cultural operations at this station, so far 

 as the collection of eggs is concerned, were almost a complete failure due to the 

 erection of the dam at Concrete, Wash. The entire brood stock of sockeye 

 salmon secured for the season consisted of the 40 fish that passed through the 

 obstruction when the diversion channel was open during the first days of July. 

 On July 8 the channel was closed, forcing all water through three flood gates ; 

 and from that time on the immense volume of rapidly flowing water, with the 

 7-foot drop at the lower end, constituted an impassable barrier to the passage 

 of fish. Several attempts were made during the season to improvise a fishway, 

 but they were not successful. On July 10 it was noted that brood sockeyes 

 were congregating below the dam in considerable numbers, and the run was 

 estimated to consist of not less than 10,000 fish. This large body of salmon 

 remained below the structure struggling persistently in their vain efforts to 

 surmount it, until, completely exhausted, they gradually disappeared. A large 

 number perished in the Baker and Skagit Rivers, and by the middle of Sep- 

 tember only a very few were left. The run of chinook and silver salmon 

 dropped back into the Skagit River, finding other suitable spawning grounds ; 

 but from all evidence obtainable there was nothing to show that any of the 

 sockeyes deposited their spawn, and it is believed the run of that species in 

 Baker River was a complete loss. Fifty thousand eggs were obtained from the 

 few brood fish referred to above, and about 5,621.000 eyed eggs were transferred 

 from the Yes Bay (Alaska) station, these two lots forming the entire stock of 

 sockeye-salmon eggs handled in the course of the season. 



Birdsview (Wash.) substation.— Oft account of its low water level during the 

 spawning season of the chinook and humpback salmons no eggs from either of 

 these species were obtainable from Grandy Creek. In an effort to locate other 

 sources of supply all streams tributary to the Skagit River within a reasonable 

 distance were inspected, and it was found that the waters at the mouths of 

 most of them were spreading over a wide area and were too shallow to permit 

 the entrance of fish. This situation was remedied so far as possible by the 

 station employees, who spent several days in deepening and narrowing the 

 channels so that salmon could pass through them and continue their upward 

 journey. Eyed eggs of chinook salmon to the number of 672,000 were received 

 from the Little White Salmon hatchery, and by means of a trap made of 

 chicken wire enough brood fish of this species were taken in Phinney Creek 

 late in September to yield 53,000 additional eggs. Six hundred and forty 

 thousand fingerling silver salmon, carried over from the stock of the preceding 

 year, were liberated early in July in tributaries of the Skagit River. Eggs of 

 this species to the number of 2,833,000 were taken between October 30 and 

 February 8, of which 200,000 were shipped in the eyed stage to the Lincoln 

 Park aquarium at Chicago, 111. The remainder was hatched and the fry 

 liberated in due season in tributaries of the Skagit River. From 205 ripe 

 female humpback salmon taken in a temporary trap" installed in Phinney Creek 

 335,000 eggs were collected. These were developed with only a small loss and 

 the product returned as advanced fry to the parent stream. About 30S.000 

 steelhead salmon carried over from last year's stock were utilized in filling 

 applications or planted in suitable local waters. Notwithstanding its very low 

 water stages during most of the spring, the run of this species into Grandy 

 Creek was the largest of any year since 1918. Between March 17 and June i, 

 855.000 eggs were obtained, and had the creek been at its usual spring stage 

 this collection probably could have been doubled. Among other shipments of 

 15«17°— 27 4 



