111-30 COW CREEK K 79 
N55°55.8 W131° 22.8 Previous No. 79 
KETCHIKAN, BEHM NARROWS, S.-S.W. of Claude Point 
MAJOR SPECIES Pink OTHER SPECIES Chum, coho 
ESCAPEMENT TIMING Middle. Aug. -Sep. ESCAPEMENT MAGNITUDE >10,000 
SPAWNING FACILITIES Good spawning facilities throughout the upstream. The intertidal zone has very little 
gravel and is steep from mid-tide to high tide. The spawning facilities upstream have boulders scattered through the 
gravel areas. The falls tributary from the E. has excellent gravel for the short distance accessible. 
STREAM TEMPERATURES Normal range. Observed temperatures: 59°F., 8/18/48; 47-56.5°F., 1949: 
47-59°F., 1950; 47-54°F., 1951; 48-54°F., 1952; 50-58°F., 1953. Tributary from E. through lake up to 5°F. 
warmer than main stream during sunny weather. 
VALLEY DESCRIPTION Glacial origin. The main valley extends S. 9 miles to the cirque headwaters nearly 4,000! 
elevation. The tributary valley from the E. joins the main yalley just above saltwater, heading in the same high 
tidge about 9 miles upstream, with a 1 mile long lake .9 miles above the confluence with the main stream. Bare 
rock ridges. 
DRAINAGE 39 square miles (Polar Plaimeter). Snowfields on both headwaters. One large lake and a number of small 
lakes and ponds. Precipitation fed in late summer. Muskeg colored during rains. 
STREAM MOUTH IDENTIFICATION Mouth is directly S. of the W. end of Claude Point. A point extends from 
the E. side of the mouth diverting the intertidal creek along the W. shore. Grassflats along the E. intertidal zone. 
Constriction in stream at high tide mark. 
ANCHORAGE Excellent anchorage behind Claude Point. Anchorage off W. side of Homesite, EE. point in shallow 
water. near stream also used. 
TRAILS AND SURVEY ROUTES Game trails along both banks with the W. bank being best. Stream bed easily 
walked on normal water levels. 
AERIAL SURVEY NOTES Visibility adequate during normal water levels at mid-day. Morning and afternoon 
shadows restrict visibility. 
INTERTIDAL ZONE 
LENGTH .2miles AVERAGE WIDTH/DEPTH  30-60'/18" 
GRADIENT AND VELOCITIES >3° at 2-3! per second 
BOTTOM Sand, some gravel below mid-tide, boulders above. 
LOW TIDE LOCATION Just inside bar extending from E. point. 
HIGH TIDE LOCATION At the head of the constriction marked by a small knoll on the W. bank above short 
grassflat. A sand-bottomed pool is just above the constriction at the base of a long straight section of stream. 
SCHOOLING AREAS Most schooling is at the mouth of the stream. Salmon ascending usually pass into the stream 
on high tide. Some schooling occurs in the boulder area just below high tide. 
SPAWNING AREAS No important spawning areas in the intertidal zone. 
GENERAL NOTES 
UPSTREAM 
LENGTH ACCESSIBLE 1mile AVERAGE WIDTH/DEPTH 50-100'/12-18" 
GRADIENT AND VELOCITIES  1-2° at 2' per second 
BOTTOM Sand, gravel, scattered boulders throughout. 
MARKER DISTANCE  .7 miles. 
MARKER IDENTIFICATION Blazed tree on W. bank at sharp bend to W. above the E. falls tributary. Stream 
velocities increase above. 
BARRIERS Impassable falls 1 mile on main stream. The lower drop is about 12' and the upper about 18’. 
TRIBUTARIES Lake tributary enters stream .5 miles upstream from E. and is accessible to salmon for .05 miles to 
the base of cascade falls over 100' high. Warmer than the main stream, it has excellent gravel riffles. 
SCHOOLING AREAS Salmon entering the stream school in the pool just above high tide. Small schools are found 
prior to the spawning peak scattered throughout the stream. A relatively large pool just above the tributary has 
been observed with the largest schools. 
SPAWNING AREAS Spawning occurs throughout the stream, with the largest concentrations observed around the 
tributary and in the broad riffles just downstream. 
GENERAL NOTES Additional information is available at the Fisheries Research Institute Library from special 
stream studies conducted by the Institute in 1948. Supplementary observations were also made in following years. 
