SALMON INVESTIGATIONS IN COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN IN 1896. 
49 
The timber in the region drained by the Siuslaw is chiefly fir, some cedar, hemlock, 
spruce, maple, and alder. Some of the alders are as much as 18 inches in diameter, 
and some of the fir trees a short distance west of the summit of the Coast Range are 
very high. There is also in this region a very rich growth of ferns, chiefly the common 
Pteris. A‘ large portion of the timber along the lower 30 miles of the Siuslaw was 
destroyed by Are some sixty years ago. This is being replaced by an undergrowth of 
fir, alder, maple, etc. The timber bordering the sand hills is mostly bull pine. 
The North Fork of Siuslaw River is much smaller than the main river. In the 
neighborhood of Minerva the deeper holes in the river are from 20 to 50 feet wide, the 
shallow places connecting these holes being about half this width. Along the river, 
for a distance above tide water of about 8 miles, are many gravel bars over which the 
water flows during the summer in depths varying from a few inches to about 3 feet. 
The timber along the North Fork is similar to that on the main river, the under or 
smaller growth immediately on the banks being some denser. Very little timber along 
the North Fork below Minerva has been destroyed and scarcely none above that place. 
The water in North Fork is clear, though considerably stained by vegetation, much 
more so than in the main fork. 
The water in the Siuslaw in the summer is moderately clear, though slightly 
discolored by vegetation. It also contains a fine silt or sediment of some sort, which 
collects on the web of gill nets. At flood tide, about halfway between Florence and 
Mapleton, the water appears of a reddish color, apparently due to the mingling of the 
comparatively fresh with the brackish water, the salt in the brackish water precipi- 
tating the clay sediment in the fresher water. During the summer, at the head of 
navigation, the water at all times is too brackish for steamboat boiler use. 
The head of tide water is about half a mile above Seaton. About half a mile 
below Seaton is an island in the river, on either side of which, at low tide, the water in 
the deepest place is less than 3 feet. Small steamers drawing about 3£ feet of water 
can not pass this island in summer except at from half to full tide. 
Mapleton is 1 mile below Seaton. Below Mapleton in summer and at low tide the 
water in the shallow portions of the river is seldom less than 10 or 12 feet in depth. 
Seaton is properly the head of tide water, Mapleton the head of navigation. 
The river below Mapleton will average at least twice as wide as it does above it, 
and it varies in depth at low tide in summer from 10 to 12 feet to as much as 60 feet. 
On October 16 a series of bottom temperatures from Martin Creek to Acme was 
taken. The temperature of the air at 8 a. m. was 57°; surface of the water at Martin 
Creek, 57°; bottom at same place at a depth of 15 feet, 58°. This bottom temperature 
decreased as we approached the lower portion of the river until at Acme, in 30 feet of 
water, it was 54°. 
The fishermen , methods of fishing , etc . — The fishermen on the Siuslaw River are with 
few exceptions Americans, Norwegians, and Indians. The fishing on the main river 
is done for the most part by the Americans and Norwegians, on the North Fork 
mostly by Indians. During the past season about three-fourths of the fishermen were 
permanent residents on the river; the remaining one-fourth were mostly from the 
Columbia River, and in general they restricted their fishing to the lower 8 miles of 
the river, using drift nets. The resident fishermen are further up the river and set 
their nets in the ordinary way. Each fisherman regards himself as privileged to fish 
anywhere along the river he chooses. The fact that a man owns property on the river 
F. C. B. 1897—4 
