INVESTIGATIONS IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN. 
109 
Tlie principal tributaries of tliat portion of Snake River wbicli is accessible to salmon are 
tlie following : Sahnon Falls River or Salmon Creek, Malade River, Brunean River, Owyhee 
River, Boise River, Payette River, Salmon River, Grande Ronde River, Clearwater River, 
and Palouse River. 
Beyond the fact that the fish enter Salmon Creek and ascend it for a mile or more, we 
were able to ascertain nothing concerning the value of this stream. 
Malade River is effectually shut off by high falls near its mouth. Trout are said to ascend 
the stream during high water in the spring, biit it becomes impassable later. The stream 
often goes dry for a distance of many miles along the lower part of its course, and has also 
other impassable falls in its upper course. 
Brunean River was formerly an important stream for spawning salmon, which reached its 
head waters in October, according to the statement of Mr. ,1. L. Fuller, of Bliss, Idaho; We 
are informed that a dam recently constructed in the Lower Brunean now wholly prevents the 
ascent of fish. 
The Owyhee River is still open to salmon, so far as could be learned from reports. Mr. .1. 
L. Fuller has seen them in the extreme head waters of the Owyhee in Nevada. 
Boise River, like the Brunean, was formerly a salmon stream, but is now partly or entirely 
closed by a dam near Caldwell, and is unsuit.ablo by placer mining in the ui)per part of the 
stream . 
The Payette, Salmon, and Clearwater rivers are all available sjiawning-gronnds for the 
salmon, and we learned of no obstructions in these streams. 
The Grande Ronde River is ascended as far as La Grande, where a dam obstructs further 
progress. 
A high falls at the mouth of the Palouse River prevents the ascent of salmon. 
The principal streams and lakes tributary to the Columbia River above the mouth of the 
Snake are: Yakima River, Wenatchee River, Chelan Lake, Okanagan River, Spokane River, 
Little Spokane River, Cmur d’Alene Lake, Colville River, Kettle River, and Pend d’Oreille 
River and its numerous tributary streams and lakes. 
Up to 1885 the y.akima River was visited by three or four species of salmon, including the 
quinnat, in great numbers. Important spawning-beds were located in the bed of the stream; 
but in recent years but few salmon have made their appearance in this river. No artificial 
obstructions have been interj^osed, and the decline can hardly be due to any change in the 
character of the stream. 
We were not able to visit Chelan Lake and Wenatchee and Okanagan rivers, and do not 
know to what extent salmon fre(iuent these w'aters. Spokane River, below the falls, was 
formerly an imiiortant salmon stream containing large siiawjiing-beds, but salmon are rarely 
seen there now. The steelhead still occurs in considerable numbers in the Spokane. 
The Little Spokane, as already stated elsewhere, was visited by salmon in great numbers 
in 1882 and iirevious years, but since 1882 the number has been very few. 
Salmon have never been able to reach Co?ur d’Alene Lake, Spokane Falls apparently having- 
proved an effective barrier to their ascent. 
Only the few miles of Colville River below IMeyers Falls can be reached by salmon, and 
it is certain that this was formerly an important spawning-ground. The portion of Colville 
River above the falls would x>rove excellent for salmon, but ileyers Falls form an absolute 
barrier. Kettle River flows into the Columbia from the west, just above Kettle Falls. It was 
not visited by us, and we were not able to get any reliable information regardingjt. 
The Pend d’Oreille River and the numerous important streams and lakes tribiitary to it 
have been discussed elsewhere in this xaaper. The occurrence of salmon in Kettle River and 
the lower i)art of the Pend d’Oreille is dependent upon their ability to ascend Kettle Falls. 
That salmon formerly reached and ascended the Lower Kettle Falls seems pretty well estab- 
lished; but whether they have ev^er passed the Upper Kettle Falls is not so certain. The 
Ui>per Falls, upon examination, do not appear to Ije as formidable as the Lower. The fact 
that so little evidence could be secured regarding the occurrence of salmon in any of these 
waters renders it highly probable tbat at no time have they ever ascended in any considerable 
numbers above the Upper Kettle Falls. 
