REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. CI 



Salmon River. 



Early in the spring of 1897 arrangements were made with Mr. Thomas 

 Brown for collecting quinnat-salmon eggs on the Salmon River on the 

 same terms as heretofore, viz: 40 cents per 1,000 for eyed eggs, the con- 

 struction of the rack, capture of the fish and care of the eggs until they 

 reached that stage to be undertaken by him, and the Commission to 

 furnish the necessary troughs and other hatching apparatus. The rack 

 was placed across the Salmon Eiver in May, at the same point where 

 operations had been conducted the previous season, and another rack 

 was built across the Sandy River later in the season for the purpose of 

 turning the salmon from that stream into the Salmon River. At the 

 beginning of the year, when the racks were completed, numbers of 

 fish appeared below them, and indications pointed to a large collection 

 of eggs; but many fish were captured before the spawning season by 

 fishermen and others living in the vicinity, which materially reduced 

 the available supply. 



The first eggs were taken on July 22 and the last during the latter 

 part of August. During this period 1,216,000 eggs were secured from 

 the 389 females; of these, 1,066,600 were shipped to Clackamas in four 

 consignments during September, and the balance were hatched and 

 liberated in the river near the rack. 



Rogue River. 



During the early spring an investigation of various sites on the 

 Rogue River was made by the superintendent, with a view to establish- 

 ing an auxiliary station for collecting quinnat-salmon eggs. A number 

 of sites were examined in the vicinity of Gold Hill, and a point was 

 selected about 12 miles above that place, the water to be secured from 

 an irrigation ditch connected with Rogue River; but before the arrange- 

 ments could be completed with the parties owning the land, who lived 

 at Jacksonville, Oreg., Mr. R. D. Hume, of Wedderburn, Oreg., agreed 

 to erect a hatchery on Rogue River and equip it, provided the United 

 States Fish Commission would operate it. This offer was accepted and 

 the site near Gold Hill abandoned. The point selected by Mr. Hume is 

 at the mouth of Elk Creek, about 26 miles from Central Point. Arrange- 

 ments were made with J. J. Pankey to build a rack across the river, 

 capture the fish, and furnish eyed eggs to the Commission at the rate of 

 40 cents per 1,000. In August a hatching-house, 24 by 50 feet, was built 

 on the banks of the river .above, equipped with 8 hatching-troughs, 35 

 feet long, 12 inches wide, and 10 inches deep, and with a filtering-tank 12 

 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 3 feet deep in one end. The water supply was 

 taken from Elk Creek, its temperature being from 12° to 14° warmer 

 than that of Rogue River. In order to raise the water in the creek to 

 a sufficient height, a dam 10 feet high and 100 feet long was built about 

 1,800 feet from the hatchery, the water being conveyed in a 2- foot flume. 



In September Mr. G. H. Tolbert, fish-culturist, was detached from 

 Fort Gaston Station aud placed in charge of the work. The building 



