26 ALASKA FISHERIES AND FUR INDUSTRIES IN 1916. 
The Copper River is a glacial stream about 300 miles long which 
empties into the Gulf of Alaska through a delta nearly 40 miles im 
width and extending upstream about 25 miles. Among its chief 
tributaries are the Klutina River, about 75 miles in length; the 
Chitina, approximately 100 miles long; and the Gulkana, some 80 
miles in length. 
For many years prior to 1915 the Copper River has been the 
scene of commercial fishing for salmon at the delta, and in a limited. 
way there has been some salting of salmon above the delta. The 
Copper River & Northwestern Railway crosses the upper part of 
the delta about 20 miles out from Cordova and in a general way 
parallels the river to Chitina, 131 miles from Cordova. The railroad 
follows immediately along the river bank for a considerable part of 
this distance. The Copper River is unique in that it is the only 
stream in Alaska that supports a salmon fishery of any consequence 
entirely separate from and independent of coastal operations. In 
1915 advantage was taken of the railroad facilities and a cannery 
was established at Abercrombie just above Abercrombie Canyon, 55: 
miles from Cordova and about 35 miles from the lower end of the 
delta. Fish were hauled to the cannery on the railroad from pomts 
along the river, and the finished product was transported in the 
same way to Cordova. The success of this undertaking attracted 
considerable attention to the region, and in 1916 there was a notable 
expansion of operations in the Copper River district. Prior to 1915 
but one cannery had drawn on the river for its supply of salmon. 
In that year three canneries secured salmon from the stream, and 
in 1916 there were five canneries drawing in part or wholly upon 
that stream. 
As a result of this expansion fishing was prosecuted with such vigor 
at certain localities as to occasion some concern regarding the effect 
it might have upon the future supply of salmon. This apprehension 
was stimulated somewhat by complaints of the Indians on the Cop- 
per River, presented through a representative of the Bureau of Educa- 
tion, to the effect that the unusual activity in fishing operations was 
causing a shortage in the supply of salmon used by the Indians for 
food. The native settlements, having a population of about 300 
Indians, are well above the sections of the river, where fishing for 
the canneries is carried on. In view of this condition, Assistant 
Agent James H. Lyman was directed to visit the upper waters and 
tributaries of the Copper River for the purpose of ascertaining, if 
possible, whether the complaints as to the scarcity of fish were jus- 
tified and whether an examination would show that a sufficient num- 
ber of salmon were reaching the spawning grounds to prevent any 
depletion in the future supply. This work was carried on in Sep- 
tember, the particular waters visited being Long Lake tributary to 
