KAKLUK RIVER RED-SALMON INVESTIGATION 



23 



and fish were spawning for about 150 yards north and 100 yards south. About 1,500 fish in all in 

 the lake around the mouth of this creek. Very similar conditions were noted along the beach near 

 Halfway Creek and at Meadow Creek. In Meadow Creek we estimated that 3,000 to 3,500 fish, 

 spawning or dead, were contained in the lower 200 to 300 yards. Another thousand or 1,500 were 

 schooled off the mouth or spawning along the beaches on each side of the stream. 



July 18. — Spawning salmon were noted, though they were not numerous, along the south side 

 of Grassy Point, the south side of Tent Point, and about the mouth of a small creek that enters the 

 lake about 400 yards north of Tent Point. Others were noted along the shores near two small 

 creeks that enter from the west side about one-half and 1 mile above the foot of the lake. 



In Thumb Lake several thousand salmon were seen schooled in the lower end, where it narrows 

 to the outlet, and all along the lower end to the north of the outlet. Thumb River, above the lake, 

 was prospected for about 2 miles. The river branches about one-half mile above the lake. One 

 branch (the main one) goes on in the same general direction as the part below the forks (i. e., toward 

 the east), while the other branch comes from a valley to the north. At the junction, the north 

 branch breaks up into several mouths, forming numerous small islands and deltas. This whole 

 system of the upper Thumb River was crowded to its apparent capacity with spawning salmon. 

 The gravel of the river bed was everywhere covered with spawning beds; apparently there was not 

 a square yard of the whole river bed, wherever there was suitable gravel, that did not contain a 

 spawning bed. 



Toward the upper part of the south branch fish were not quite so numerous, but spawning 

 conditions were not so favorable here, as the fall was becoming more rapid, with cascades and big 

 slate bowlders common. Similar conditions were observed in the north branch, which is not quite 

 as large as the south branch. All of the channels in the delta region were densely populated with 

 spawning fish. If anything, the north branch was more densely populated than the south branch, 

 though on account of the greater size of the latter it evidently contained more fish. Almost every- 

 where in both branches the live salmon were in rank after rank across the streams — one rank right 

 behind another. There were tens of thousands of dead salmon strewing the banks and gravel 

 bars. Any estimate of the number of spawning fish was difficult but it was thought that certainly 

 not less than 300,000 fish, and probably about half a million, had entered Upper Thumb River 

 up to this time. This year (1926) there was no single spawning area as important as this one. 

 It accommodated about half of the heavy early escapement, as well as a fair proportion of the 

 later runs. 



The small creek entering Thumb Lake near the northwest corner was examined for a few hun- 

 dred yards, as far as salmon can ascend. There were 700 to 800 fish in the creek, about 500 dead 

 along the shores of the lake, and some 1,500 massed in a typical dense school off the mouth of the 

 stream and spawning along the foot of the lake on both sides. 



July 19. — A few spawning fish were seen at the first point above Island Point on the east side 

 of the lake. There is no creek here, but the topography indicates that there may be some drainage 

 seeping through the gravel. A few were seen at scattered points along this shore, up to the head of 

 the lake, but the total number was inconsiderable — probably not more than a few hundred. 



Canyon Creek was examined for about 2 miles. Great numbers of fish were spawning here, 

 though apparently they were not quite as numerous as in Upper Thumb River, nor was there quite 

 as large a spawning district. At one place there was a fine large hole in the river, approximately 

 6 feet deep, 30 feet wide, and 60 feet long, which was filled with salmon. Estimated 4,000 to 5,000 

 in this one spot, and between 100,000 and 150,000 in the whole stream. At the upper limit of the 

 part explored the creek goes through a rugged, steep-walled canyon, in which is a fall that is almost 

 but not quite insurmountable for salmon. We watched many fish trying to get up over the fall, 

 but saw none succeed, although a few were seen above. This is doubtless practically the upper 

 limit of the spawning area in this stream. 



Falls Creek was explored for about 1J^ miles. No insurmountable falls were reached, although 

 the upper quarter of a mile was a series of cascades, and here fish were relatively scarce. Estimated 

 20,000 to 25,000 fish in the entire stream, which is considerably smaller than Canyon Creek. 



There are a number of small spring branches to O'Malley River, which enter between Falls 

 Creek and Karluk Lake and which provided spawning areas for a large number of salmon. One, 

 alone, had about 5,000 fish, both dead and alive, and it was estimated that in all there must have 

 been twice that number. 



