CHIGNIK TO RESURRECTION BAY SALMON STATISTICS 
671 
remarkable aggregations of salmon bones. With such conditions existing in the river 
it seems quite probable that the failure of the spawning of 1924 to produce a run in 
1926 may be ascribed to the fact that the same conditions that caused the death of all 
kinds of fish also acted unfavorably on the eggs that had been deposited. It is certain 
that these eggs did not survive, since comparatively few pink salmon fry were observed 
leaving the river in the spring of 1925. The red-salmon spawning of 1924 was also 
unfavorably affected as was shown by the poor run of 1929. Everything indicates, 
therefore, that in 1924 the spawning grounds of the Karluk were overcrowded with 
spawning pink salmon, and that this overcrowding was responsible for the poor 
run of 1926. This statement should not be taken, however, as indicating that such 
overcrowding is in any way a common occurrence. On. the contrary, it is believed 
that such overcrowding is extremely rare, especially in the case of runs that are 
exploited commercially. 
Comparatively few chum salmon are taken at Karluk. They are not regarded 
as a valuable fishery resource. Available records show that they have been taken in 
each year from 1915 to 1927, and that the largest catch was made in 1926, while none 
was reported before 1912. 
NORTHWEST COAST OF KODIAK ISLAND DISTRICT 
This district embraces the waters of Kodiak Island from Cape Uyak on the south 
to and including Whale Passage at the eastern end of Kupreanof Strait. The coast 
line is broken by several deep bays into which flow several streams used by salmon. 
The most noted of these is Uganik River, while on the outer coast, between Cape Ugat 
and Cape Kuliuk, Little River is the only conspicuous producer of salmon. The data 
are presented in Table 19. 
The history of the Little River fishery is almost a duplication of that of Red 
River, and it dates back to about the same time, having begun more than 30 years ago. 
This is primarily a red-salmon stream, as there are no recorded catches of other species 
except in four years when chums and pinks were taken, the total catch for any year 
being less than 1,000 fish. The earliest recorded catch of salmon at Little River was 
made in 1897, the next in 1900, and then beginning in 1904 the fishery was continued 
without interruption until 1918, in which year no salmon were reported from that 
stream. Fishing was resumed in 1919 and carried on through the next two seasons. 
Following a hiatus of three years, from 1922 to 1924, small catches were made in 1925 
and 1926, but 1927 was again unproductive so far as records show. The maximum 
catch in 1904 was reported as 246,131 fish, but as the catch in no subsequent 
season even remotely approached that figure, the accuracy of the number in 1904 
is open to question. The average annual catch from 1900 to 1911, not including the 
doubtful record for 1904, was over 50,000 red salmon; but in 1912 the catch dropped 
to 5,583, and only once since then did it exceed 10,000. In considering this record, 
little doubt exists that intensive fishing at Little River between 1904 and 1911 
depleted and almost destroyed its red-salmon run, until a locality that was once very 
productive, considering its size, was abandoned as fished out. 
