101-21 HERMAN CREEK K 50 
N55°59.9 W131°16.9 Previous No. 45 
KETCHIKAN, BEHM CANAL, N. shore 3 miles W. of Burroughs Bay 
MAJOR SPECIES Pink, chum OTHER SPECIES Coho, king, trout 
ESCAPEMENT TIMING Early. July-Aug: ESCAPEMENT MAGNITUDE 50,000. Weir counts 
SPAWNING FACILITIES Excellent. to 90, 000 
STREAM TEMPERATURES Coldrange. Observed temperatures: 57°F., Aug. 22, 1947; 48-52°F., 1948; 
46-50.3°F., 1949; 50.5-54°F., 1950; 48-66°F., 1951; 44-59°F., 1953; 44-58°F., 1954. 
VALLEY DESCRIPTION Glacial. Evidence of fault-line erosion in upper stream. Wooded valley floor, some 
braiding stream course areas, steep valley walls generally wooded, bare rock ridges, alder and brush abundant 
throughout. Main stream valley runs N. W. for three miles before turning to N.E. through falls area to small 
lake 1 mile. 
DRAINAGE 24 square miles (Polar Planimeter). Small lake 1 mile long, . 3 miles wide estimated to lie at 500! 
elevation. Early snowfields maintain flow until Aug. , precipitation fed thereafter. Clear water colored during 
rains from small beaver pond area .5 miles upstream and muskeg along valley slopes and ridges. 
STREAM MOUTH IDENTIFICATION Stream mouth is narrow and not evident when approached from the W. 
until directly opposite. Bar extends toward E. side of small cove, E. bank steep gravel, wooded shores. Stream 
mouth looks directly down Behm Canal. 
ANCHORAGE Small basin inside W. point at steep drop-off. Water usually milky from Unuk River discharge and 
requires sounding. Anchorage is exposed to S. and vessels should not be left untended. 
TRAILS AND SURVEY ROUTES Stream is easily walked during normal and low water levels. Bear trails 
along most of the lower stream can be used. Research parties have cut sections of trail in past, but undergrowth 
rapidly covers them. Streambed splits for .6 miles at the . 3 mile mark and either split may be surveyed in one 
direction and other on the return. 
AERIAL SURVEY NOTES A narrow valley with high trees along the stream course requires careful flight planning 
for effective aerial survey. The visibility factors are such that only light planes are satisfactory. However, the 
clear water and light colored stream bottom make salmon enumeration easy. Upstream termination marked by 
numerous splits where stream is not visible from the air. 
INTERTIDAL ZONE 
LENGTH .3 miles AVERAGE WIDTH/DEPTH _  80!'/18" 
GRADIENT AND VELOCITIES .5to1° at 2' per second 
BOTTOM Sand, gravel and scattered boulders. 
LOW TIDE LOCATION Inside of the bar by the anchorage. 
HIGH TIDE LOCATION Riffle above the head of the W. grassflats. A small flood channel along the E. side lies 
below and a second flood channel on the W. enters by the riffle. 
SCHOOLING AREAS Shallow pools in the stream section bounded by the E. and W. side grassflats. Heaviest 
schooling in the upper section below the riffles at the head of the grassflats. 
SPAWNING AREAS Some limited spawning above the small tributary entering from the E. at the lower E. grassflat. 
Heaviest spawning on the riffles at the head of the grassflats. 
GENERAL NOTES The lower intertidal stream banks are steep and difficult to walk during high tide. 
UPSTREAM 
LENGTH ACCESSIBLE 2.3 miles AVERAGE WIDTH/DEPTH 40-60'/18" 
GRADIENT AND VELOCITIES  .5° at 2! per second 
BOTTOM ‘Sand, gravel to 6" in diameter, occasional scattered boulder areas. 
MARKER DISTANCE 2 miles. 
MARKER IDENTIFICATION At the head of a long straight riffle section above pool with large boulder in mid- 
stream. Gradient increases to 1-2°. 
BARRIERS _ Impassable falls over 100' high lies above the steep termination section. A narrow canyon with large 
boulders and falls lies just below. 
TRIBUTARIES Minor tributaries throughout the stream drain the high ridges. None are important for spawning. 
SCHOOLING AREAS Large pool . 3 miles above high tide mark has been observed with largest concentrations above 
the intertidal schooling areas. Schooled fish are found in all pools in the stream during the spawning migration. 
SPAWNING AREAS 90% of spawning occurred in first mile above high tide mark in 1948 (Fisheries Research 
Institute Special Stream Studies). 50% of spawning occurred in first mile in 1953 (Herman Creek Weir Tagging 
Experiment, Fisheries Research Institute). Except for the last . 3 miles accessible, Herman Creek has excellent 
spawning facilities throughout. 
GENERAL NOTES Intensive stream studies were conducted here by Fisheries Research Institute in 1948 and 1953. 
