30 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



QUILCENE (WASH.) SUBSTATION. 



The early run of chum sahiion in the Quilcene River was above the 

 average of the past three years. The second run was also large, 

 though most of the fish escaped, as the trap was rendered ineffective 

 by the prevailing high-water stages. The spawning season of this 

 species began on August 17 and terminated December 20, with a total 

 collection of 7,488,000 eggs, this number exceeding by nearly half a 

 million the collection of the previous year. After the resulting fry 

 had reached the free swimming stage they were transferred, in ac- 

 cordance with the usual custom, to ponds from which the screens had 

 been removed and allowed to pass out at will. As a rule the fish 

 leave these ponds in from four to six weeks' time. 



Silver-salmon eggs to the number of 565,000, secured between Oc- 

 tober 17 and March 29, represent only about 20 per cent of the sea- 

 son's run of that species in the Quilcene River, most of the fish ascend- 

 ing during high-water periods and escaping the traps. Steelhcad 

 eggs to the number of 83,400 in the Quilcene hatchery at the opening 

 of the year were developed to the No. 1 fingerling stage and released 

 in Hood Canal. The spring collection of steelhcad eggs, made be- 

 tween February 27 and June 7, and amounting to 745,000, was the 

 largest in the history of the station. All fish taken in connection 

 with this work were green at the time of capture and were therefore 

 transferred to station ponds for the complete development of their 

 eggs. Some of the eggs taken were shipped in the eyed stage to east- 

 ern hatcheries; the product from the remainder will be returned to 

 parent waters. 



In the course of the year a water-supply system for domestic use 

 and fire protection was provided for this substation. A supply 

 tank was installed on the hill opposite to and 55 feet above the 

 foreman's cottage and was supplied with water from the creek by 

 a hydraulic ram. From the tank the water is piped to the various 

 buildings on the reservation. 



SULTAN (WASH.) SUBSTATION. 



This hatchery was open the entire year, and its work included 

 operations with the chinook and silver salmons and the steelhcad. 

 All fry hatched are transferred in the yolk-sac stage to temporary 

 ponds, formed by damming the overflow from the hatchery at va- 

 rious points. Here they may remain or pass out at will, no screens 

 obstructing the outlets. Egg collections of the chinook salmon de- 

 pend almost entirel}'^ upon the water stages in Elwell Creek. If 

 the creek is low in September and October, very few fish can enter ; 

 but in the case of normal water stages good collections may be ex- 

 pected. As the former condition prevailed in the fall of 1921, the 

 number of eggs taken was below the average, amounting to only 

 155,000. Approximately 100,000 silver-salmon fingerlings No. 1 car- 

 ried over from the previous year Avere liberated in the creek during 

 July. Egg collections of this species to the number of 2,304,000 

 were made at intervals from October 20 to March 13, hatched with 

 only normal losses, and the resulting fry distributed in local waters 

 tributary to the Skyhomish River. In July and August 104,400 



