84 



U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



three companies opera tinp; off the mouth of the Karluk River re- 

 ported the capture of 662,140 red salmon, or a little less than half of 

 the run. In 1922, previous to the establishment of a reservation, the 

 escapement was slightly over 35 per cent. 



Operations at this point were under the immediate supervision of 

 Fred R. Lucas, superintendent of the bureau's hatchery at Afognak. 



NELSON RIVER SALMON COUNT 



Plans were made for the counting of salmon ascending Nelson 

 RiA'er in the season of 1923, and with the assistance of the Pacific 

 American Fisheries in June a trap with leads extending to both 

 banks was constructed in the west channel of the river about 10 miles 

 distant from the Nelson Lagoon cannery. The river at that point 

 was about 1,200 feet wide and from 4 to 12 feet deep, according to 

 the tides. Much difficulty was experienced as a result of heavy winds 

 and tides. In the sandy river bottom great holes formed around and 

 loosened the piles, thus permitting the fish to escape. It was felt to 

 be impracticable to continue counting, and the trap was dismantled, 

 only 25,371 salmon having passed through up to Julj^ 19. Homer H. 

 Whitford, from the Afognak hatchery, was in charge of this work 

 at Nelson River. 



HATCHERIES 

 EXTENT OF OPERATIONS 



Salmon propagation in Alaska, exclusive of Territorial activities, 

 was carried on by the Government at McDonald Lake in southeastern 

 Alaska and at Afognak Lake on Afognak Island in central Alaska, 

 by the Alaska Packers Association* at Heckman Lake, and by the 

 Northwestern Fisheries Co. at Hugh Smith Lake. Collections of 

 red-salmon eggs at these stations in 1923 were 58,915,000, or 51.830,- 

 000 less than in 1922. This decline in collections is accounted for by 

 the temporary suspension of operations at Afognak while the station 

 was being repaired. 



Operations of Federal and private hatcheries in Alaska in 1923 



Location of hatchery 



McDonald Lake _. 



Afognak Lake 



Heckman Lake (Fortmann) 

 Hugh Smith Lake (Quadra) 



Total 



Red or sockeye salmon 



Eggs taken 

 in 1922 



Salmon 

 liberated 

 in 1922-23 



Eggs taken 

 in 1923 



25, 000, 000 



1 61, 790, 000 



17. 760, 000 



6, 195, 000 



110,745,000 



24, 099, 045 



46, 333, 000 



16, 985, 000 



6, 007, 000 



25, 550, 000 



15,480,000 

 17,885,000 



93, 424, 045 



58, 915, 000 



' Shipped red-salmon eggs to other commissions, as follows: Alaska Territorial Fish Commission, Juneau, 

 \laska, 5,098,936; Oregon Fish Commission, Bonneville, Oreg., 5,045,000; Washington State Fish Com- 

 mission, Seattle, Wash., 534,464. 



HATCHERY REBATES 



The owners of private salmon hatcheries in Alaska, who are also 

 packers of canned salmon, are exempt by law from the payment of 



