126 ALASKA FISHERIES AND FUR INDUSTRIES IN 1919. 



the stream or to get evidence concerning the possible presence of 

 salmon in it at that time. The country was too difficult and the time 

 too short to justify any attempt to follow the stream or to work in it 

 between the lake and its junction with the Copper. When Copper 

 Center was reached on September 4 the natives were still catching 

 some red salmon in the Copper above the mouth of the Klutina, but 

 according to their views the run had practically ceased. Only one 

 salmon wheel was seen still fishing in the stream. 



The return trip was made without further attempt to study the 

 salmon problem in the field, but in crossing Clear Creek (Sept. 6) 

 salmon were seen still spawning in the waters near the bridge where 

 they had been studied nearly seven weeks earlier. However, tKe 

 records of the fishermen and statements of the inspectors located at 

 Abercrombie Rapids indicated clearly that in the main stream the 

 run of red salmon had ceased and practically only silver salmon were 

 being caught. 



Along the south shore of Eyak Lake near Cordova, a large school 

 of red salmon was seen on the spawning beds in one of the shallow 

 bays. There was no opportunity to examine into their condition, 

 but it did not look as if all were spent fish. 



CLEAR CREEK. 



Clear Creek is a small tributary which, coming from the northeast, 

 flows into the Copper River near its mouth. It rises in the mountains 

 lying immediately east of the river, and its headwaters seem to be 

 in Goat Mountain. Where the railroad crosses the stream at Mile 43 

 the channel is about 100 feet wide and 1 to 3 feet deep. It preserves 

 this character from that ) oint to its junction with the Copper River, 

 which is distant 1^ miles by stream, but consderably less in a dhect 

 line from the railroad bridge. The creek has a moderate flow of 

 water which, at the time of our visit, was absolutely clear and free 

 from, any traces of glacial rrjaterial. The bottom consists of gravel, 

 with occasional small patches of mud, but no rock bottom was found. 

 The current is moderate and fairly constant, being everywhere suffi- 

 ciently noticeable to preclude the possibility of construing it as 

 equivalent to a lake and yet at no point violent. The party walked 

 down the stream to its junction with the Copper River. A few 

 salmon were playing around near the railroad bridge and had evidently 

 been at work sweeping out nests and preparing the ground for spawn- 

 ing. The fish were not fully ripe, although some males had begun 

 to assume a bright coloring. A few red salmon were seen at various 

 other points in the creek, but no large number in any one group until a 

 point was reached tliree-fourths of a mile from the bridge and below 

 a stretch of ripples in the stream where two or three groups aggre- 

 gating at least 200 fish were found. They showed little fungus and 

 only very occasional evidence of physical injury. All were in good 

 condition, and a few of them were taking on the brilliant red oi the 

 mature male. Numerous bear tracks were seen along the shore, and 

 trails led down through the grass and alder thickets to points where 

 these animals had evidently been watching for fish. No evidence 

 was obtained that the bears had been successful in their efforts to 

 catch the salmon, and the banks were entirely free from half-eaten 

 fish and skeletons such as were seen in other places later. 



