12 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



STREAM MARKING. 



In order to make more effective the closing order of December 23, 

 1919, and to serve as a helpful guide to the fishermen, it was consid- 

 ered advisable to indicate by appropriate notices at suitable places on 

 shore the protected waters off the mouth of each salmon stream in 

 which fishing is prohibited. Though these notices in themselves 

 could not prevent unlawful encroaclmients on the streams, they would 

 serve as guides to those instinctively law-abiding and as warning to 

 those having no respect for the fishery laws and regulations. Thus 

 no one could plead in extenuation of a violation of the regulations 

 that tliere were no visible means defining the bounds wherein opera- 

 tions would be illegal. 



The placing of markers at the mouths of streams is therefore in- 

 tended to be helpful to the fishermen in enabling them to locate the 

 outer boundary of the protected area of each stream, and at the same 

 time the markers serve the further purpose of making more certain 

 to those engaged in the enforcement of the law and regulations that 

 encroachments upon prohibited waters are not accidental. 



The procedure generally followed in southeast Alaska in locating 

 markers has been to define arbitrarily the mouths of streams at the 

 line of mean low tide, unless physical conditions rendered such action 

 impracticable. This is the case at some streams where considerable 

 areas of silt have been deposited, which at low tide are exposed as 

 comparatively extensive mud flats. Owing to the varied conditions 

 encountered, no inflexible rule could be laid down for the determina- 

 tion of stream mouths, but as far as practicable the mouth of each 

 stream was to be fixed at the line of mean low tide. Where this could 

 not be done, authority was given to mark the mouths of such streams 

 at the line of mean high tide. 



Gratifying progress was made in the work of marking stream 

 mouths in southeast Alaska. Signboards were erected at 189 streams. 

 Of that number the mainland is credited with 21 streams, Chichagof 

 Island with 60, Yakobi Island 2, Baranof Island 18, Admiralty 

 Island 28, Kupreanof Island 5, Zarembo Island 1, Wrangell Island 

 2, Etolin Island 5, Mitkof Island 1, Kosciusko Island 6, and Prince 

 of Wales Island 40. There are several hundred more salmon streams 

 in southeast Alaska which have not been marked, but which will be 

 given attention as funds may be available for such work. 



In central Alaska markers were placed in 1920 at Eyak Eiver, 

 Mountain Slough, and Glacier River, all of which are streams of the 

 delta of the Copper River, the several other outlets of the Copper 

 having been marked in 1919. The Karluk River was also marked 

 in 1920. 



The salmon streams in western Alaska are comparatively large and 

 few in number. Of those tributary to Bristol Bay seven were marked 

 in 1920. They are as follows : Nushagak, Snake, Igushik, Kvichak, 

 Naknek, Egagik, and Ugashik Rivers. The mouth of the Yukon 

 River was marked in 1919. 



STREAM WATCHMEN. 



No more important work than the watching of salmon streams 

 engages the attention of the Alaska service. The preservation of the 



