884 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



the salmon resorted iu vast numbers to the Feather, Tuba, American, 

 Mokolumne, and Tuokimne Elvers for purposes of spawning, and many 

 places, such as Salmon Falls, on the American, were named from the 

 abundance of these fish. On the Tuba Elver, as late as 1853, the miners 

 obtained a large supply of food from this source. At the present time 

 no salmon enter these streams. It would be safe to estimate that one- 

 half the streams in this State to which salmon formerly resorted for 

 spawning, have, for this purpose, been destroyed by mining. As min- 

 ing is the more important industry, of course, for this evil there is no 

 remedy other than by artificial means to increase the supply in those 

 tributaries that are still the resort of these fish. The i^rmcipal spawning 

 grounds remaining are the McCloud, Klamath, Little Sacramento, and 

 Pit Elvers in the northern part of the State, and the San Joaquin and 

 Merced in the southern. The short streams entering into the ocean 

 from the coast range of mountains from Point Conception, in latitude 

 34"^ 20' north to the boundary of Oregon, are also spawning grounds for 

 salmon. The fish of the coast streams deposit their eggs in January 

 and February, during the winter rains, when the streams are full, while 

 the salmon of the tributaries of the Sacramento and San Joaquin spawn 

 in August and September, when the water is at its lowest stage. The 

 salmon of the short coast rivers do not average as large as the Sacra- 

 mento salmon, but they are probably the same fish, with habits modified 

 to suit the streams to which they resort. 



2. The Salmo quinnat readily adapts Itself to a life in freshwater, and re- 

 produces its kind where it has no opportunity to go to the ocean. When 

 the dams were constructed on the small streams rhat go to make the 

 reservoirs of San Andreas and Pillarcitos — which supply the city of San 

 Francisco with water — as also when the dam was constructed on the 

 San Leandro, to suj^ply the city of Oakland, the young of the salmon 

 that had spawned the year previous to the erection of these dams re- 

 mained in the reservoirs and grew to weigh, frequently, as much as ten 

 pounds ; these rejoroduced until the reservoirs have been stocked. As 

 the supply of fish Increased the quantities of food lessened, so that the 

 salmon have gradually decreased in weight until now, after nine years, 

 they do not average more than two pounds. From the fact that, when 

 food was in abundance, they grew to weigh from eight to twelve pounds, 

 and that, as they increased in numbers, they averaged less in size, but 

 still continued to spawn and produce young fish, it would seem that the 

 Sacramento salmon may be successfully Introduced into large lakes in 

 the interior of the continent, where, in consequence of dams or other 

 obstructions, they would be prevented from reaching the ocean. The 

 history of this fish in these small reservoirs shows that all that is requi- 

 site for their successful Increase is the abundant supply of food, to be 

 found in large bodies of fresh water. Salmon, fully mature, weighing 

 two pounds, and filled with ripe eggs, were taken, in September, 1877, 

 in the waters of San Leandro reservoir. These fish were hatched in the 



