32 



U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



development of younger lots necessitated their liberation. At the 

 end of the year nearly a million sockeye fingcrlings were on hand, 

 it being the intention to hold them for liberation about August 1, 

 providing water facilities permit. 



In view of the criticism to which the Avork of this substation has 

 been subjected from certain sources, it may be of passing interest 

 to estimate the proportion of the total run of sockeyes that came 

 under artificial propagation during the season by escaping the com- 

 mercial fishing activities in the Quinault River and passing into 

 Quinault Lake, where they were available for reproduction. It was 

 the original plan not to conduct fish-cultural operations during the 

 fiscal year 1921, but to obtain an accurate count of the sockeyes 

 entering the lake to afford a comparison of the results of artificial 

 propagation as against natural reproduction. As a result of certain 

 defects in the counting weir as installed the exact number of sock- 

 eyes entering the lake could not be ascertained, and the figures are 

 based to some extent upon estimate. Although no actual count of 

 the fish spawned in connection with egg, collections for the hatcheiy 

 was made the data available are sufficient to afford a reasonably 

 accurate estimate. 



The number of sockeye salmon counted into Quinault Lake from 

 April 14 to June 10, 1921, was 11,788. From June 10 to the end of 

 the run it was estimated that 8,000 additional fish entered the lake, 

 bringing the total run for the season up to 20,000 fish, in round num- 

 bers. Assuming that half of these were females, and placing at 

 2,000 the number of eggs produced by each female, there would have 

 been available some 2(),000,000 eggs. Comparing this w^ith the num- 

 ber of eggs actually obtained for artificial propagation — 4,100,000 — 

 it would appear that only about 20 per cent of the total number of 

 spawning fish entering the lake came under artificial propagation; 

 and though high water and storms interfered with the work to a con- 

 siderable extent the conditions prevailing throughout the egg-collect- 

 ing period maj'^ be said to represent an average season. 



Since the efforts to obtain an accurate count of the sockeye salmon 

 entering; the lake in 1921 were not successful, profiting by the experi- 

 ence gamed, the necessary alterations in the weir were made in ad- 

 vance of the season. The counting of the 1922 run of fish commenced 

 on March 29, and the daily tally from that date to June 30 is given 

 in the following tabular statement: 



Daily count of sockeye salmon entering Quinault (Wash.) Lake during the fiscal 

 year 1922, showing number of fish marked by gill nets each day. 



