101-11 WARD CREEK K 90 
N55° 24.7 W131°42.6 Previous No. 86 
KETCHIKAN, BEHM CANAL, TONGASS NARROWS, WARD COVE, head 
MAJOR SPECIES Pink OTHER SPECIES Coho, chum, red, trout 
ESCAPEMENT TIMING Late. Sep. -Oct. ESCAPEMENT MAGNITUDE  10-20,000 
SPAWNING FACILITIES Limited primarily to short section of Ward Creek above Ward Lake. Facilities in the 
-4 miles of riffles are excellent. Facilities in the intertidal and creek below Ward Lake are very limited, though 
spawning occurs in the lower sections of pools where gravel is available. 
STREAM TEMPERATURES Warm range. Observed temperatures: 59°F., 9/9/49; 52°F., 9/22/50; 49-55°F., 1951. 
VALLEY DESCRIPTION Stream cut valley of glacial origin running toward N.E. Pass at head of valley less 
than 1,000' crosses into upper George Inlet. Several lake basins, a pulp mill reservoir (lake) was formed by a dam 
across Warm Creek less than 2 miles above Ward Lake (planted with trout). 
DRAINAGE 17 square miles (Polar Planimeter). Precipitation fed through 4 lakes and some small ponds, muskeg 
azeas, wooded valley and slopes. Water is usually amber colored. Pulp mill water requirements during dry summer 
periods occasionally reduce the discharge of Ward Creek to a mere trickle, though this is generally not significant 
during the runs in late Sep. after the rains begin. 
STREAM MOUTH IDENTIFICATION The stream mouth lies beyond the pulp mill log booming area and has 
the main highway bridge crossing the lower intertidal zone. 
ANCHORAGE Mooring facilities in Ward Cove. 
TRAILS AND SURVEY ROUTES Road to Ward Lake and upstream to the dam and reservoir. Trails along the 
accessible stream. Stream bed above Ward Lake easily walked during normal water, trails along the bank. 
AERIAL SURVEY NOTES Amber colored water restricts visibility of salmon except in the spawning area above 
Ward Lake during good light conditions. However, this stream is not regularly surveyed by air. 
INTERTIDAL ZONE 
LENGTH .2 miles AVERAGE WIDTH/DEPTH 25-35'/12-24" 
GRADIENT AND VELOCITIES 1-3° at 2-4' per second 
BOTTOM Some gravel in upper section, bedrock, boulders. 
LOW TIDE LOCATION Just above highway bridge. 
HIGH TIDE LOCATION Just below foot bridge where grassflat on N. side of stream ends. 
SCHOOLING AREAS Some deep intertidal pools are used by schooling salmon. Beyond the highway bridge, coho 
salmon school off the mouth from July until Sep. 
SPAWNING AREAS Limited to the gravels around the center of the broad intertidal section. A small tributary 
enters from the N. side in this area. 
GENERAL NOTES 
UPSTREAM 
LENGTH ACCESSIBLE 2 miles AVERAGE WIDTH/DEPTH 25-40'/12-24" 
GRADIENT AND VELOCITIES Varies from less than .5° to over 3° at .5=3' per second 
BOTTOM Sand, gravel, boulders, rocks, bedrock. 
MARKER DISTANCE 1.3 miles. 
MARKER IDENTIFICATION Increased gradient above the Lake Perserverance trail crossing. Stream surveys 
are made from Ward Lake to this marker, a distance of .4 miles. 
BARRIERS Rapids and small falls are difficult passage for pink and chum. Coho pass above. Pulp Mill dam is 
complete barrier. 
TRIBUTARIES Small intertidal tributary has limited facilities for short distance. Clearwater tributary enters S. 
side of Ward Lake with good gravel for . 1 miles. 
SCHOOLING AREAS Ward Lake is major schooling area for coho in Aug. Other species school in lake in Sep. 
SPAWNING AREAS Excellent facilities for .4 miles above Ward Lake, limited elsewhere. 
GENERAL NOTES Ward Creek is a well-known coho salmon stream. The early coho school off the mouth in Ward 
Cove and are subject to a sports fishery. There is good evidence that past reports of red salmon escapements in 
Ward Creek were predominantly coho which are also red colored on the spawning grounds. 
