SALMON INVESTIGATIONS IN COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN IN 1896. 
33 
Throughout the lower portion of its course this river has cut a narrow, deep 
channel in the lava beds. The canyon’s walls are so abrupt that it is impossible to 
reach the river in many places. At Sherar’s Bridge the canyon widens out a little and 
the river here has a fall of 8 or 10 feet. Below the falls the river is compressed into 
a very narrow gorge, through which the water rushes with much fury. At the bridge 
the water is said to be 86 feet deep, which is about equal to the river’s width at that 
point. Immediately above the falls the river widens out greatly and is very shallow 
for some distance. 
Until within the last six or eight years “ salmon” were seen here every spring in 
considerable numbers. Mr. J. H. Sherar, who has lived at these falls for many years, 
says “ salmon trout ” were present throughout the year, but were not abundant except 
in the spring, and that they spawned in the spring; they had no difficulty in ascending 
the falls, and his understanding has always been that many of them went far toward 
the headwaters to spawn. Formerly Mr. Sherar caught large numbers of these 
salmon trout, but he has seen but very few for four or five years. 
Several persons who live on the upper course of the Des Chutes, report that for- 
merly a good many “salmon trout” were seen there in the spring, which was their 
spawning time, but that few if any have been noticed for several years. It would 
appear that the chinook salmon has never run into the Des Chutes in large numbers 
and that few enter it now; that the fish which at one time was rather abundant 
is the salmon trout or steelhead, tSalmo gairdneri. The spawuing-beds in this river 
are too remote from the railroad to be available for fish-cultural operations. 
HOOD RIVER. 
This stream is fed chiefly by the snows and glaciers of Mount Hood and flows into 
the Columbia at Hood River Station. It does not appear to ever have been frequented 
by chinook salmon in large numbers. The people at Hood River Station do not think 
that many salmon enter this river, and persons living several miles up the river say that 
salmon are seen there but rarely. 
BIG WHITE SALMON RIVER. 
This river was examined August 6, and again on September 4. It is a stream of 
considerable size, having its sources on the western and southern slopes of Mount 
Adams. It flows in a general southerly course and empties into the Columbia nearly 
opposite Hood River Station. It is, in its lower course at least, a rough, turbulent 
stream, full of rapids and large bowlders, and flowing between high, and, in some places, 
precipitous, banks, so that it is difficult to reach the edge of the stream. At the 
mouth of the river the canyon widens out and there is a little level land along the 
stream. In August all of this was flooded by back water from the Columbia, but in 
September it was dry. Ho salmon were seen on our first visit, but on September 4 
quite a number were observed jumping in the Columbia about the mouth of the tribu- 
tary stream. On that date Indians had established two camps at the mouth of the 
river for the purpose of taking salmon during the season. They go up the stream from 
a quarter of a mile to a mile and capture the salmon by means of gaff-hooks on the 
ends of long poles. Only four salmon were taken during an afternoon. While the 
conditions are not favorable for operating a hatchery on this river, a good many eggs 
could probably be obtained and carried to any station which may be established on 
the lower Columbia. 
S’. C. B. 1897—3 
