101-31 ELLA CREEK K 72 
N55° 29.7 W130°59.4 Previous No. 72 
KETCHIKAN, BEHM CANAL, W. shore 1. 8 miles W. of Eddystone Rock 
MAJOR SPECIES Pink OTHER SPECIES Chum, coho 
ESCAPEMENT TIMING Late. Sep. -Oct. ESCAPEMENT MAGNITUDE 2-5,000 
SPAWNING FACILITIES Very limited by normal standards. However, observed returns of salmon indicate that 
the facilities that exist are more productive than indicated by lack of "spawning facilities". Falls a short distance 
above high tide is a barrier to pink and chum salmon. 
STREAM TEMPERATURES Warmrange. Observed temperatures 52-55°F., 1949. 
VALLEY DESCRIPTION Stream cut valley of glacial origin. Ella Lake outlet is 2.5 miles upstream. Extensive 
muskeg flats between the lake and the mouth, rocky ridges and muskeg areas around the lake. 
DRAINAGE 34 square miles (Polar Planimeter). Precipitation fed lake system. 
STREAM MOUTH IDENTIFICATION Forest Service shelter cabin and trail marker at edge of woods N. of 
stream mouth. 
ANCHORAGE | Just inside Ella Point at mouth of creek in shallow water. 
TRAILS AND SURVEY ROUTES Trail along stream past falls on N. bank. Forest Service trail to Ella Lake. 
AERIAL SURVEY NOTES Not usually surveyed by air. 
INTERTIDAL ZONE 
LENGTH .2 miles AVERAGE WIDTH/DEPTH  50!/24" 
GRADIENT AND VELOCITIES 1° at 2' per second 
BOTTOM Sand, gravel and bedrock, scattered boulders. 
HIGH TIDE LOCATION At the head of the S. grassflat. 
SCHOOLING AREAS Pools in upper intertidal. 
SPAWNING AREAS Limited gravel area below high tide mark. 
GENERAL NOTES 
UPSTREAM 
LENGTH ACCESSIBLE .1 miles AVERAGE WIDTH/DEPTH 40-60'/24" 
GRADIENT AND VELOCITIES Greater than 3° at 2-4! per second 
BOTTOM Bedrock and large gravel, scattered boulders. 
MARKER DISTANCE .1 miles. 
MARKER IDENTIFICATION Barrier falls. 
BARRIERS Falls impassable to pink and chum salmon. Coho observed in stream may be able to pass upstream 
during favorable water levels. 
TRIBUTARIES None below falls. 
SCHOOLING AREAS Pools scattered throughout stream. 
SPAWNING AREAS Appear to be poor, with little suitable gravel. However, the magnitude of escapements 
observed here indicates that facilities are much more favorable than indicated by appearance. 
GENERAL NOTES Numerous cracks and fissures in the bedrock of the stream may be used for egg deposition. 
Pink salmon have been observed digging over bedrock. 
ESCAPEMENT RECORD 
[Counts made by ground surveys are designated by G. Aerial surveys by A] 
' SURVEYED PINK CHUM OTHER SPECIES REMARKS 
Date Miles By Live Dead Live Dead Live Adjective Rating 
1943 
Sep 15 ASI,FWS Many thousands at mouth 
1947 
Oct 1 Gye ERI 10 3 10 at mouth. Stream very high 
1949 
Sep 17 Caer ERT 4,000 50 600 
Sep 27 G .1 FRI 5,000 300 1,500 50 
Oct 3 Coe 600 50 500 
