KARLUK RIVER RED-SALMON INVESTIGATION 



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50°. Lower course with many dead and far more numerous living fish, which are in fine shape. 

 This is equally important with O'Malley River. Length unknown to us. It is reported to be only 

 a mile to impassable falls. 



Walked around head of bay and down north shore to Barabara Point. The head of bay, beyond 

 Canyon Creek, fronting low land, was one mass of spawning fish for 20 or 30 feet off shore. Camped 

 at Barabara Point. 



August 11. — Water of lake colder, 50° at 7.50 a. m. 



Below Barabara Point, perhaps 300 yards, a small creek with perhaps 100 salmon around mouth. 

 Earlier a few ran up and perished. Stream now 2 feet wide. 



Took a sounding in middle of lake near entrance to South Arm, depth 235 feet (70 meters). 

 Another off Long Point (east shore), depth 305 feet (91 meters). 



Running down middle of lake to sound against stiff breeze. Opposite Bluff Point at 10.25 

 Reached sounding station opposite Eagle Point, in middle of lake, 10.35. Depth 405 feet (121 

 meters) ; same depth as off Tree Point. 



Reached head Thumb Bay at 12.20. Temperature of bay 56°; of Thumb Lake 54°; of Thumb 

 River 52°. Found dead on bank of Thumb River a red salmon 8 inches long, testes mature, had 

 black spots on back but none on tail. Examined gill rakers, found to be characteristic. 



Thumb Lake is shallow throughout, strewn with glacial bowlders near lower end. Soundings 

 20 and 33 feet (about 10 meters). Thumb River at mouth very wide and shallow, with two open- 

 ings. Salmon constantly entering and floundering up the shallows, with backs exposed. They are 

 numerous, but not crowded, all the way up to Thumb Lake, where most of them pass into a small 

 stream, which enters from the left bank (looking downstream), immediately at foot of lake (Salmon 

 Creek). A constant procession enters this tributary, said to be about 1 mile long. After witnessing 

 intensity of spawning in Grassy Point and Meadow Creeks am impressed by fact that the apparently 

 more favorable creeks are not crowded. 



Upper Thumb River is full of "dollies." One examined (15 inches) had not been feeding and 

 had testes white, though no liquid milt was present. Watching the "dollies" in creek, a number 

 were seen turning on sides and rubbing against bottom as though spawning, but could not be sure 

 that spawning was in progress. Contains few salmon, dead or alive. Said to be 1J^ miles to 

 impassable falls. 



Leaving Thumb Bay for the foot of the lake we passed two or three very small creeks, all with 

 a few salmon off mouth and entering. At 5 p. m., having made about 4 miles, we reached Cotton- 

 wood Point and camped at mouth of Cottonwood Creek, 10 to 15 feet wide, descending by gentle 

 grade. Bowlders of large size are present, but finer materials make spawning possible, with covered 

 eggs. Perhaps a hundred fish were thickly clustered off mouth, and were entering at intervals 

 through water so shallow that the whole back and head were bare. Above, the stream is thickly 

 crowded with spawning fish, which are almost as numerous as in Meadow Creek, in proportion to 

 size of stream, and far more numerous than in O'Malley River. Temperature 53° at 5.30 p. m. 



August 12. — Temperature, Cottonwood Creek, 49°, lake 50°, at 7.45 a. m. Salmon entering 

 freely. 



Reached Moraine Creek, at 9.45 a. m. Temperature 49°. This is one of the principal spawn- 

 ing streams, to be compared with Cottonwood Creek. Perhaps averages 15 to 20 feet wide, 6 to 8 

 inches deep, rapid current, but suited for spawning, except for too coarse materials. This creek was 

 examined by O'Malley and me in 1919; apparently fewer fish this year. O'Malley thinks one- 

 third less. The stream is well stocked, however, and may well be called crowded. Hundreds of 

 fish are spawning along the beaches, for 100 yards or more north of the mouth. Rough estimate 

 20,000 salmon, many more alive than dead. Rutter visited this creek in 1903, walked down from 

 falls (1^2 miles) to mouth, and estimated 30,000 dead and alive. 



Water 200 feet to north of mouth of Moraine Creek was 49J^°, that of creek 49°; general surface 

 temperature of lake, away from any stream, at 10 a. m. 50°. 



Spring Creek at 10.20. Temperature 44°. First pond 49°, fed by stream 47°. Upper pond 

 46H°- More than twice as many fish this year as in 1919, but none too many. Upper pond perhaps 

 150 feet long by 60 feet wide. Fish spawn all through the small creeks which connect the ponds, 

 and in the ponds, the creeks often not more than 2 feet wide. Counted 200 dead in upper pond. A 

 third pond, still larger, was full of dead and living fish. Is fed by springs and has no inlet. About 



