CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME 71 



Demonstrations on methods of preparing and serving fish were 

 given at various meetings. California newspapers maintaining home 

 economics departments and household editorial pages are cooperating 

 by publishing and demonstrating fresh fish recipes, in an effort to create 

 a greater consumer acceptance and demand for California sea foods. — 

 A. A. Alstrom, Division of Fish and Game, San Francisco, December- 

 21, 1933. 



KLAMATH RIVER SPAWNING CONDITIONS IN 1932 



The season of 1932 was the occasion of an unusually large migra- 

 tion of salmon into Klamath River. It presented also a temptation to 

 take eggs for artificial propagation in excess of hatchery facilities. 

 Pall Creek Hatchery, the only plant for salmon propagation in Klamath 

 River, has a safe capacity for 3,000,000 eggs. A larger number, 

 possibly 4,000,000 may be received, but in that case, crowding becomes 

 entirely too severe for safety. At this time, then, something over 

 4,000,000 eggs were taken and the racks, still crowded with fish, were 

 opened. 



Selected female fish to the number of 1302 were spawned, and an 

 estimated number of 9154 were allowed to continue their migration and 

 spawn naturally. There has been some question as to whether the bed 

 of the river above the Klamathon racks presented a sufficient number 

 of suitable gravel bars to accommodate any number of spawning fish, 

 and also whether the tides caused by the power plant at Copco are 

 destructive to eggs if such are deposited in the gravel of the bars. 



Two assistants, Charles F. Moore and Kenneth E. Sullivan, were 

 detailed by Earl Leitritz, foreman of the Fall Creek Hatchery, to 

 determine by actual observation just what happened after the racks 

 were opened. Work was begun November 4 and continued until 

 December 1. 



The observers covered the river between the racks and the dam 

 and they also examined Fall, Jenny and Bogus creeks. They worked 

 independently, and their excellent notebooks agree in the main in their 

 findings. 



Spawning beds were numerous ; 25 or so measuring from 60 to 900 

 feet long and of various widths, were mentioned in particular. Upwards 

 of 200 nests were examined. Many pairs were seen spawning — 2811 

 dead fish were counted by one observer, 2226 of which were in Pall 

 Creek. This mortality was largely the natural result of spawning and 

 bore no relation to the condition of the river. 



Most of the spawning operations are restricted to gravel bars 

 which are left exposed at low water, and w^here the drainage is so com- 

 plete as to destroy the eggs. In many cases, the sudden rise of the 

 water Mdiipped out the disturbed gravel of the nests and completely 

 destroved them. There are no spawning beds in the river above the 

 mouth of Fall Creek as the channel is mostly in solid rock, although 

 many salmon (300 or more) were found there. Jenny Creek is not fit 

 for spawning; Bogus Creek was too roilv for examination; Fall Creek 

 w-as overcrowded. Dead salmon were frequently found in situations 

 Avhere they had been caught by falling water and perished before they 

 were able to finish spawning. 



