REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 39 



however, to cover the gronud (hiring- that period as thoroughly as 

 was deemed advisable, and arrangements have been made to continue 

 the work during the summer of 1893. The principal features of interest 

 brought out by Mr. Gorham's party iu respect to the Clarke Fork may 

 be noted as follows : 



The upper part of the river was first examined between Flathead 

 Lake and Lake Pend d'Oreille, but within that part of its course no 

 obstructions were discovered which could, to any extent, imi)ede the 

 passage of salmon in case they had free access to Lake Pend d'Oreille. 

 The lower Flathead River drains the lake of the same name and, after 

 flowing first southerly and then westerly a distance of about 70 miles, 

 unites with the Missoula River to form the Clarke Fork. Just below 

 the lake Flathead River is occupied for several miles by a succession 

 of rapids, with still water here and there, its width averaging about 

 300 feet, and its depth probably from 6 to 10 feet. Even less active 

 species than the salmon would have no difficulty in passing this point. 



The next place of interest in going downstream is Thompson Falls, 

 situated in the Clarke Fork some sixty-odd miles above Lake Pend 

 d'Oreille. At this point the stream is very much contracted, and rushes 

 through a rocky gorge a distance of several hundred feet. There is 

 also here a fall of about 6 or 8 feet, over which a large volume of water 

 pours, sufficient, it is supposed, to permit of the movements of salmon 

 without difficulty. Immediately below the falls are large eddies and the 

 river there appears as an ideal home for both salmon and trout. The 

 water is clear and pure, and on September 19 had a temperature of 61° 

 to 62° F, The course of the river from Thompson Falls to Lake Pend 

 d'Oreille is clear of all obstructions, and the same is also true with 

 respect to this lake itself, which has a length of about 20 miles between 

 the mouth of the Clarke Fork and the beginning of the Pend d'Oreille 

 River, being, in fact, practically only a general widening out of the 

 river. 



Below the lake the river is known as the Pend d'Oreille River. From 

 Sand Point it flows almost directly west to the Washington line; 

 thence northwesterly and northerly until within British America, where 

 it makes a sharj) turn to the WSW., and empties into the Columbia 

 River within sight of the pole marking the international boundary line. 

 The length of the river within the territory of the United States is 

 slightly over 100 miles, and in British Columbia about 22 miles. 



Between Lake Pend d'Oreille and the Idaho-Washington boundary 

 line it presents only a single, rai)id descent called Albany Falls, which 

 are located about 1^ miles above the town of Newport, Idaho. An 

 island divides the river here, and the Great Northern Railroad crosses 

 it at the same place, making use of the island as the base of one of 

 the bridge x)iers. The falls are therefore double, being situated on 

 each side of the island. They have a rapid but not vertical descent 

 of between 8 and 10 feet. They are much broken, and at the time they 

 were visited had a good volume of water passing over them ; but at 



