438 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



The Kiamath River is important as a salmon stream because it has 

 both a spring and fall rim of salmon. In 1888 a cannery was estab- 

 lished at Reqiia, at the mouth, and this has been operated occasion- 

 ally ever since. The pickling of salmon has been done here for a 

 number of years. Some years part of the catch has been shipped 

 fresh to the cannery on Smith River or to the Rogue River (Oreg.) 

 cannery. Since 1909 the cannery has been operated continuously by 

 the KJamath River Packers Association. 



HiLinholdt Bay and tributaries. — The shore line of Humboldt County 

 is bold and high, except in the vicinity of Humboldt Bay, where it 

 is rather flat. The latter is the only harbor along the county shore, 

 and it is quite difficult of access, owing to the bar at the entrance 

 upon which the sea breaks quite heavily. The bay is about 12 miles 

 long and about 3 miles wide. Mad River, which has its rise in the 

 lower part of Trinity County, runs in a northwesterly direction, then 

 makes a sharp turn and enters the bay from the north side. Eel 

 River, which has its rise in Lake County, far to the southeast, runs in 

 a northwesterly direction and enters the bay at its southern extrem- 

 ity. Small railroads running south from Eureka traverse the shores 

 of both rivers for some miles. A railroad now runs from the north 

 side of San Francisco Bay to Eureka, and it has aided very materially 

 in extending the market for salmon caught in these rivers. 



Mattole River. — This is a small and unimportant river in the south- 

 ern part of Humboldt County and is said to have a good run of 

 salmon each year, but no commercial fishing has as yet been carried 

 on here. 



N^oyo River. — In 1915 salmon fishing began at Fort Bragg, in 

 Mendocino County, where the Noyo River debouches into the ocean. 

 The building of a branch railroad to this point made the shipping 

 of salmon a possibility. In 1915 and 1916 considerable salmon 

 were caught and shipped fresh. In 1917 the Tillamook Ice & Cold 

 Storage Co. built and operated a cannery here, while the Columbia & 

 Northern Fishing & Packing Co. in the same year built and operated 

 a cold-storage and mild-curing plant. The cannery has not been 

 operated since 1920. 



Sacramento and San Joaquin Rirers. — These two rivers are the 

 most important rivers in California. The Sacramento is quite crooked, 

 the distance by river from Red Bluff to San Francisco being about 

 375 miles, while the distance by rail between these two places is only 

 225 miles. The river rises in several small lakes in the mountains 

 about 20 miles west of the town of Mount Shasta (formerly known as 

 Sisson), in Siskiyou County, and for nearly half its length flows 

 through a narrow canyon. The upper portion is a typical mountain 

 stream, with innumerable pools and rapids. A little above Redding 

 the river emerges from the canyon and widens into a broad, shallow 

 stream. Below Sacramento it runs through a level country and is 

 affected by tides. Sloughs are numerous in this stretch, some con- 

 necting it with the San Joaquin. The Sacramento and San Joaquin 

 Rivers join as they empty into Suisun Bay. 



The principal tributaries of the Sacramento which are frequented 

 by salmon are the Pit and McCloud Rivers and Battle Creek. At one 

 time salmon frequented the American and Feather Rivers, but min- 

 ing and irrigation operations along these streams either killed them 

 off or drove them away. 



