234 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



lagoon locally called "Section Tom's Bay/' and the others tlowirig 

 southward into South Bay, an equally shallow lake of fresh water lying 

 in the bottom which was covered by the lake during the period of high 

 water between 1865 and 1890, Below the point of efflux of these sev- 

 eral "overflows," the main channel of the river, as it existed at the 

 time of the Stansbury survey and the low-water stage of that period, 

 has become almost filled up and reduced to the status of a muddy 

 slough. The course of this channel can still be traced in part by the 

 stumps of the willows which formerly fringed the banks but were 

 killed by the encroaching salt water of the lake and afterwards cut oft" 

 by the ice that formed on the tresh water above and drifted about 

 under the influence of the wind. 



It is evident that during the late i)eriod of high water, when the 

 encroachment of the lake upon the land caused the river to discharge 

 farther eastward than is shown upon the map, the silt and sediment 

 brought down by the current were dei)osited in the old bed and when 

 the lake again subsided the river was forced to seek new channels with 

 the resultant changes in the tojjography noted above. 



Below the upper overflows the country to the northward of the 

 river bank is marshy and overgrown with tules (a species of Scirjms), 

 the gathering-place of vast flocks of waterfowl, and below the lower 

 overflows the south side of the river is of the same character. The 

 land map on file at the court-house in Brigham City shows surveyed 

 sections on the north side of the river which are in reality under 

 water (the " Bear Kiver Bay " mentioned above), even at the present low 

 stage of water, while on the south side the recession of the water has 

 exposed a large area of alkali flats and miry clay which was recently 

 part of the lake bed. 



The flow of water in Bear Kiver is subject to great seasonal variation, 

 as is shown in the following table recording the discharge as measured 

 at Colinston, Utah, in 1897, according to Professor Fortier: 



Date. 



Jan. ] . 

 Jan. fi. 

 Jan. 10 

 Jan. 15 

 .Jan. 20 

 Jan. 2.5 

 Jan. 30, 

 Feb. 5. 

 Pel). 10 

 Feb. 15 

 Feb. 20 

 Feb. 25 

 Feb. 28 

 Mar. 5. 

 Mar. 10 

 Mar. 15 

 Mar. 20 

 Mar. 25 

 Mar. 30 

 Apr. 5 - 

 Apr. 10 

 Apr. 15 



Cubic 

 feet per 

 second. 



Date. 



Cubic 

 feet per 

 second. 



Apr. 20. 

 Apr. 25. 

 Apr. 30 . 

 May 5.. 

 May M 

 May 15. 

 May 20. 

 May 25. 

 May 30. 

 June 5 . 

 Juno 10 

 .Juno 15 

 Juno 2J 

 June 25 

 Juno 30 

 Julys.. 

 July 10. 

 July J5. 

 July 20. 

 July 25. 

 July .iO. 

 Auir. 5 . 



900 

 415 



eo2 



0G5 

 165 

 665 

 295 

 605 

 295 

 540 

 500 

 805 

 990 

 (.35 

 570 

 445 

 930 

 590 

 375 

 375 

 142 



too 



I>a,tf 



' Cubic 

 feet per 

 I second. 



Aug. 10 

 Aug. 15 . 

 Aug. 20 , 

 Aug. 25 . 

 Aug. 30 . 

 Sept. 5. . 

 Sept. 10 . 

 Sept. 15 . 

 Sept. 20 . 

 Sept. 25 . 

 Sept. 30 . 

 Oct. 5 . . . 

 Oct. 10 - . 

 Oct. 15 .. 

 Oct. 20 . . 

 Oct. 25 . . 

 Oct. 30 . . 

 Dec. 5... 

 Dec. 10., 

 Dec. 15.. 

 Dec. 20.. 



1, 100 

 1,100 

 1,025 

 990 

 955 

 1,100 

 1,185 

 1,230 

 1,185 

 1,185 

 1,275 

 1,230 

 1, 590 

 1,872 

 1. 872 

 1, 930 

 1,605 

 1,275 

 1, 375 

 1,590 

 1,695 



