PACIFIC S.iLMOX FISHERIES. 



59 



men, as noted below, and has been continued, with the exception of 

 1914, to the present time. This work is made possible by the gen- 

 erosity of the Alaska Packers Association of San Francisco and the 

 Alaska-Portland Packers Association of Portland, Oreg., who furnish 

 the material and erect the barricade, also the labor needed throughout 

 the season, while the Bureau of Fisheries furnishes the persoimel 

 required to carry on the direct work of countmg the fish and making 

 other observations. 



A rack or trap is constructed across the foot of Lake Aleknagik, at 

 a constriction in the lake contour something more than 200 yards 

 wide, for the purpose of intercepting all salmon entering the lake and 

 passing them through gates or tunnels at such a rate and in such a 

 manner that an accurate estimate of thoir numbers can be obtained. 

 The pot of the trap is located near the left bank, and this has three 

 gates by which the salmon can bo passed from the pot into the lake 

 Each gate is 2 feet in width, and its bottom rests on a wooden plat- 

 form covered with white oUcloth, so that the fish can readily be seen 

 as they pass over it when the gate is raised. When fish are passing 

 through a gate a small wooden frame with a glass center is arranged 

 so it will float on the water, and in order to nold it in position it is 

 fastened to the framework of the gate. This is for the purpose of 

 making the water smooth so the fisli can readily be seen even though 

 the sui-faco be disturbed by ripjilos, etc. 



When the fish are coming ratluM- slowly, every one is counted by 

 means of a tally register as it passes out through the gates. When the 

 large run comes the following method is employed: An actual tally 

 of every salmon passing through is made for one minute, and this is 

 repeated 15 minutes later, the number passing through for 1 minute 

 ])eing regarded as the average for 15 minutes. A sheet with the whole 

 day divided into quarter hours is kept ready at the gate and the 

 number for one minute as taken from tne tally register is inmfiediately 

 entered thereon by the attendant who made the tally. From these 

 figures the total for the day is ol>tained. During only a small part 

 of the season has it been found necessary to resort to this method of 

 estimating the run. 



The following table shows for each year since 190S the commercial 

 catch of salmon made in Nushagak Bay, the number of fish passing 

 from Wood Kivor into Lake ^Ueknagik, tlio total of both and tno per- 

 centage of sahnon that escaped the llshermen: 



» Work not carried ou this year. 



