111-30 SHORT CREEK Ke siz) 
N56°00.3 W131°31.9 Previous No. 47 
KETCHIKAN, BEHM CANAL, SHORT BAY, BELL ARM, head 
MAJOR SPECIES Pink, chum, coho OTHER SPECIES Red, trout 
ESCAPEMENT TIMING Middle. Aug. -Sep. ESCAPEMENT MAGNITUDE  10-20,000 
SPAWNING FACILITIES Excellent. Pink and chum limited to lower . 3 miles of stream by falls and rapids passable 
to coho. Excellent coho spawning facilities in the stream at the head of Reflection Lake. Gravel size and stream 
velocities are suitable throughout the lower stream sections. 
STREAM TEMPERATURES Normal range. Observed temperatures: 46-54°F., 1947; 45-68°F., 1948; 51-57°F., 
1949; 53-59°F., 1950; 57-58°F., 1951; 50-63°F., 1952; 53-67°F., 1953. 
VALLEY DESCRIPTION Glacial. Main valley runs W. from head of Short Bay to Reflection Lake 1.8 miles up- 
stream. Reflection Lake, 5.5 miles in length, is a narrow, deep clearwater lake. The head stream enters from 
the N. from the cirque headwaters 3 miles above. A small clearwater tributary enters . 3 miles upstream from the 
mouth from a small hanging valley. 
DRAINAGE Short Creek has a total diainage area of 27 square miles (Polar Planimeter), with 19 square miles draining 
into Lake Reflection, 20 square miles to the gaging station, and 3 square miles draining to the proposed diversion 
dam site on the E. fork. Early snowfields drain into Reflection Lake. 
STREAM MOUTH IDENTIFICATION A rocky point on the W. shore at the head of Short Bay has a Forest 
Service trail marker. Another trail marker is on the edge of the grassflat on the W. side of the intertidal zone. 
Piling in lower intertidal area on E. side of delta. 
ANCHORAGE Along drop-off .3 miles from edge of grass flats, near W. shore. 
TRAILS AND SURVEY ROUTES Forest Service trail follows E. side of stream to rapids area and crosses a log 
bridge above E. tributary. Trail crosses extensive muskeg to shelter cabin at outlet to Reflection Lake. Surveys 
are conducted downstream from the bridge. The stream is easily followed during normal water levels. 
AERIAL SURVEY NOTES Clear water and light colored bottom aid aerial visibility. Approach along E. side of val= 
ley and turn onto main stream down E. tributary. Late afternoon shadows reduce visibility somewhat. 
INTERTIDAL ZONE 
LENGTH .1 miles AVERAGE WIDTH/DEPTH = 20-60'/ 24-36" 
GRADIENT AND VELOCITIES 3-5” at 2-3' per second 
BOTTOM Sand, gravel to 4" in diameter, some scattered rocks to 12" in diameter. 
LOW TIDE LOCATION Opposite rocky point on W. shore. 
HIGH TIDE LOCATION Inside tree line at riffle above long intertidal pool through upper grassflat. Large log 
across stream was marked with red paint. 
SCHOOLING AREAS Large pool below high tide mark, smaller pool by bank at lower margin of grassflat and 
smaller split W. of main stream. 
SPAWNING AREAS The broad intertidal area has excellent spawning facilities extensively used by pink salmon. 
Spawning occurs in all sections above mid-tide. The stream fans out below the grassflats and spawning has been 
observed at all points. The smaller split W. of the main stream is extensively used. 
GENERAL NOTES Short Creek is an excellent example of successful intertidal spawning. Over 50% of the total 
spawning in some years was observed in the intertidal zone. Short Bay freezes during the winter, but has not been 
observed to disturb the intertidal spawning areas. 
UPSTREAM 
LENGTH ACCESSIBLE >8 miles AVERAGE WIDTH/DEPTH 20-50'/ 24-36" 
GRADIENT AND VELOCITIES 2-5° (short sections to 10”) at 2-4' per second 
BOTTOM Sand, gravel to 5" in diameter, boulders and bedrock upstream. 
MARKER DISTANCE  .3 miles. 
MARKER IDENTIFICATION Forest Service bridge across main stream. 
BARRIERS Rapids and small falls from . 3 mile mark to . 4 mile mark where a barrier falls during normal and low 
water prevents passage of pink and chum salmon. Constriction of lower end of pool below barrier falls causes pool 
level to rise during high water with easier passage for salmon. Tributary enters from E. at .3 mile mark. Drains 
3 square miles. Accessible to salmon for less than . 1 miles. 
SCHOOLING AREAS Earliest schooling in pools near Forest Service bridge at marker. Pools throughout first .3 
tailes used. Pink salmon tagged in the stream in 1948 were present for up to a month before spawning. Coho 
school in Reflection Lake and off the main stream at the head of the lake in Aug. 
SPAWNING AREAS — Spawning occurs throughout the first . 3 miles of stream with heaviest concentrations observed 
in split area just above high tide mark. Coho ascend the stream and pass through Reflection Lake to the main 
stream at the head to spawn. 
GENERAL NOTES The barrier falls noted above under BARRIER is of interest. The constriction at the lower end 
of the pool allows the flooding waters to raise the pool level so that the falls height is reduced for salmon passage. 
Observers have commented that this is a natural fish elevator. 
