Is salinity a factor in the distribution of Nereocystis Luetkeana? * 
GrorGE B. RicG 
Under an appointment from the United States Bureau of Soils 
the writer has investigated the kelps of the Puget Sound region 
as a source of potash fertilizer. This work was done during the 
summers of 1911 and 1912. During 1912 attention was given in 
particular to a study of the effect of fresh water on the growth of 
the bladder kelp (Nereocystis Luetkeana) as seen in the bed in 
Freshwater Bay near the mouth of the Elwha River. The Elwha 
is a snow-fed stream originating on the southwestern slope of 
Mount Olympus. It flows north and discharges into the Strait 
of Juan de Fuca some six miles west of the city of Port Angeles, 
Washington. It is the largest stream flowing into the Strait of 
Juan de Fuca or Puget Sound from the Olympic Mountains. The 
monthly maximum and minimum discharge of this river is reported 
in the Report of the United States Geological Survey,f in cubic feet 
per second, for the period of October, 1897, to December, 1898. 
For the portion of the year 1897 covered by this report the maxi- 
mum discharge occurred in November and was 7,075 second feet, 
while the minimum occurred in October and was 171 second feet. 
For 1898 the maximum (3,282 second feet) occurred in June and 
the minimum (330 second feet) occurred in October. The mean 
for the period reported is 1,444 second feet. These observations 
were taken at McDonald, Washington. This is above the outlet 
of Lake Sutherland and also the outlet of Little River, so that the 
actual discharge of the river was somewhat greater than the above 
- figures show. Mr. G. W. Northrup, superintendent of the opera- 
tion of the power plant of the Olympic Power Company on the 
Elwha, states that the minimum discharge of the river for the 
year 1912 has been between 400 and 500 second feet, and that the 
maximum reaches an enormous amount each year during flood 
water periods, that is, in May and November. 
+ Published by permission of the Secretary of Agriculture. | 
* Twentieth Annual Report of the United States Geological Survey, Part IV, 
Pp. 531 
237 
