KARLUK EIVEE RED-SALMON INVESTIGATION 



19 



their size than do the more suitable spawning streams of the Thumb and Head of Lake. Only 

 about a mile of their course is suitable for spawning, sometimes even less. No humpbacks were 

 seen in any of the short creeks on the west coast. 



August 23. — Ran to head of lake. Lucas and Studdert examined Cascade Creek and Meadow 

 Creek. At the latter fish were congregated off the mouth, entering at intervals. Perhaps 100 there, 

 all told. Comparatively few dead fish. The stream was reported favorable for one-half mile, then 

 rapid and bowldery, and fish dropped off, although no falls were encountered. The stream became 

 so rough that in less than 2 miles the fish had disappeared. 



As regards numbers of fish at head of lake, it seemed that, as nearly as we could estimate, 

 the scarcity of red salmon this year is nearly equally distributed over all parts of the lake. Compared 

 with 1921, the dead fish and the living were lacking in what appeared equal proportions. The 

 rivers at the head of the lake were signally deficient, the sloughs in which last year the dead salmon 

 had so greatly become aggregated were relatively poorly covered. 



The shore spawning grounds about Cascade Creek, O'Malley River, and Canyon Creek were 

 less populated, proportionally, than were the streams themselves. Along that stretch of beach to 

 the left of O'Malley River, extending for a quarter of a mile, where last year a continuous band of 

 spawners was closely crowded, contained this year only a few straggling pairs. But on the whole 

 the situation seemed in harmony with our expectation, from the counting at the weir, that on the 

 average there were only one-fifth the fish this year that we found last year. 



A very few scattering humpbacks find their way to head of lake and enter streams. Prob- 

 ably less than a dozen, all told, were seen in O'Malley River and Falls Creek. None were observed 

 spawning in the lake gravels. 



August 24- — Ran down east shore, examining all streams below Thumb Bay. Cottonwood 

 Creek had a few fish off mouth; occasionally one was seen to enter. Contrasts strikingly with last 

 year, when there was a constant procession of salmon scurrying over the shallow beach. Perhaps 

 100 live fish in the first one-fourth mile of stream and comparatively few dead ones. Lucas and 

 Studdert ascended stream into the canyon. Available spawning grounds in lower one-half mile 

 only; above that no falls found, but rapid and impracticable. 



Temperature at mouth Alder Creek 45° at 9.55 a. m., when lake temperature was 47° and 

 air 54°. 



The eastern shore of lake north of Thumb contains many shallow stretches of good gravels, in 

 which spawning red salmon are working. The total number is small this year, but they are widely 

 distributed. No live humps observed anywhere among beach spawners, but two dead ones seen 

 on beach between Alder Creek and the Thumb. None were seen in short rocky streams on either 

 side of the lake. , 



Spring Creek was again examined. Very deficient, compared with last year. Only some half 

 a dozen live fish and practically no dead ones seen below ponds, and in the ponds themselves cer- 

 tainly not one-tenth as many, living or dead. None seen in the right-hand fork above junction 

 with outlet of ponds. 



Mouth of Spring Creek 41° at 12.45. Right-hand fork above junction 38°. Left-hand fork 

 above junction 43°. All fish were in warmer left-hand fork. Last year we saw an occasional one 

 ascending right-hand fork, but this year none were there. Temperature at upper end of upper 

 pond, where water seems to enter at base of abrupt bluff, 40°. 



Latter part of afternoon with Lucas, ran to head of lake and returned by way of Meadow and 

 Tree Points. Temperature of Canyon Creek at mouth, 46°. O'Malley River at mouth 48°. 

 Spawning gravels at upper end of lake 46°. Temperature of lake just outside entering current of 

 O'Malley River 47°. 



It will be seen that fish entering O'Malley River leave a temperature of 47° to enter one of 48°. 



Fred R. Lucas, who had accompanied the writers on their visit to the lake in 

 1922, again examined the spawning grounds in 1924, and the following extracts are 

 taken from his report: 



Karluk. — The large humpback run in Karluk River did considerable damage to to the red- 

 salmon spawn. On August 21 hundreds of thousands of fish died in the 20 miles of river between 

 the weir and the still water at the Larsens Bay portage. The mortality included adult red salmon, 



