SALMON FISHEKIES OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN. 
155 
by falls or other obstrnctioris which they cannot snnnonnt. These waters furnish the 
feeding-grounds of the young salmon during their early life, which is spent in the fresh 
waters. Their migration seaward does not begin until they are at least a year old and 
have attained a length of from 8 to 10 inches. These streams are the nurseries of 
the great salmon fisheries of the lower Columbia. From each goes out every year a 
colony, more or less numei ous, to swell the aggregate of young salmon necessary to 
repair the waste by natural casualty and by capture. 
The area of natural distribution has not as yet been very materially abridged. 
Certain streams, such as the Bruneau and the Boise, have been obstructed by dams 
near their mouths, but the vast extent of wa ters still accessible to salmon and 
affording suitable breeding and feeding grounds, indicates that we must look to other 
causes to explain any ascertaiiied deterioration in the salmon fisheries of the Columbia. 
DECREASE OF SALMON IN THE HEAD ’WATERS OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER. 
The investigations made by Prof. Evermanu and the parties under his direction 
establish conclusively the fact that there has been a very great reduction in the num- 
ber of salmon frequenting the head waters of the Columbia Fiver and its tributaries. 
This decrease is more notable in the main river. In the early history of the fishery 
salmon Avere found in the head AAUiters in marvelous abundance. According to the 
information obtained by Prof. EA’ermann: 
They were abundant in the Columbia River at Kettle Falls as late as 1878. Since then there 
has been a great decrease. They have been scarce since 1882. Since 1890 there have been scarcely 
any at Kettle Falls. The Mej'ers Brothers say that they have been almost unable to buy any salmon 
for their own table from the Indians for three years. Certain Indians with whom we talked at Kettle 
Falls said salmon were once very abundant there, but that very few are seen now. Other persons 
testified to the same effect. Essentially the same information was obtained regarding the decrease of 
salmon in other parts of the u[)per tributaries of the Columbia, viz: at Spokane, in both the Big and 
Little Spokane rivers, and in the Snake River and its various tributaries. 
Dr. O. P. Jenkins, an assistant of Prof. Evermaun, makes the following report in 
reference to tbe Yakima River, Washington: 
The Yakima is the main stream of tlie valley. It receives many tributaries, the main ones being 
Manistash and AA^ilson creeks. The river near the city (Elleusburg) is 160 feet wide, by an average 
of 10 feet deep, and flows with a velocity of 1 foot pei’ second. Temperature at 9:15 a. ni., August 
21, 1893, 60'^ F. ; water clear. Those acquainted with the facts state that formerly, up to about 1885, 
salmon of three or four kinds, including the quinnat, ran up the .stream to this vallej^ and spawned m 
the river in great numbers; at present very few make their appearance. 
There is no reason to doubt — indeed, the fact is beyond (jnestion — that the number 
of salmon noAv reaching tire head waters of streams in the Columbia River basin is 
insignificant in comparison with the number which some years ago annually idsited 
and spawned in these waters. It is further apparent that this decrease is not to be 
attributed either to the contraction of the area accessible to them or to changed con- 
ditions in the waters Avhicli would deter the salmon from entering them. AYe must 
look to the great commercial fisheries prosecuted in the loAver river for an explanation 
of this decrease, which portends inevitable disaster to these fisheries if the conditions 
which have brought it about are permitted to continue. 
The relations of the decreased number of salmon in the head waters to the devel- 
opment of the commercial fisheries is brought out in a very instructive way by an 
analysis of the following table: 
