15G 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
The water supply is received from two creeks, one at the hatchery, the other three- 
fourths of a mile away. The water is admitted into the building through the roof, 
jiasses through several screens, and is distributed to the troughs under pressure from 
a tank. The supply reaches the troughs through a G-inch i)ipe. 
There are 13 sections of 4 troughs each, the total capacity of which is approxi- 
mately 10,000,000 eggs. Taken as a whole the hatchery compares favorably with the 
best. Money has not been spared to make it first-class in every respect. 
The water in the pond connected with the hatchery can be kept at any tempera- 
ture desired. In this way a large number of fish can be held for a long period. The 
average temperature of water during the winter of 189G-97 was 32.5°. In the hatchery 
it was kept at from 38° to 43°. On a few occasions a temiierature of 52° was reached. 
Many of the eggs were 155 days in hatching. 
Few salmon were taken at the hatchery for spawning purposes from the 20th of 
July to the 5th of August. An abundance of fish entered the lower river, but as river 
fishing was being carried on, only an occasional salmon was observed as far upstream 
as the hatchery. Consequently tlie fishing gang, which was stationed on a projecting 
point making out from the southern bank of the river, watched for days for favorable 
signs, making repeated hauls with little or no success. The highest number of fish 
taken in one day was 83. This catch was made on the 5th of August, the day of 
our departure. The cause for this remarkable scarcity of salmon at the hatchery 
was attributable to the frequent seine hauls made inside the month of the river near 
the canneries, from 8,000 to 10,000 being taken there daily. Fish which escaped tbe 
seines off the spit were almost certain of capture before they could get very far up 
the river, thereby minimizing the chances of many being secured at the hatchery. 
The work of artificial propagation was thus greatly retarded, much to the discourage- 
ment of all concerned. 
At the end of a fortnight it was deemed advisable to commence supplying the 
hatchery with spawn fish from the mouth of the river, as at that time the indications 
were that few salmon would be taken on the hatchery seining-grouud. The first day 
7,000 fish were caught and placed in the ponds. The mortality was considerable at 
first, but after a time better results were obtained. It was subsequently learned that 
during the latter jjart of August a number of good hauls of salmon were made off the 
hatchery. Most of the fish, however, were taken outside the mouth of the river. 
As long as fishing is conducted in the river the hatchery will at most times labor 
under great disadvantage, for the seiniug-ground upstream can not then be depended 
upon to supply the number of spawn-fish required. Means should be taken to stop 
all commercial fishing, both in and directly otf the mouth of the river. With all 
obstructions removed, there would during the fishing season be little, if any, difficulty 
in obtaining spawn fish to run the hatchery at its fullest cajiacity, and at the same 
time this would not materially affect the pack of the canneries. 
The spawn-salmon are transported to the hatchery by “cars.” These are manu- 
factured from discarded dories, and are said to be more serviceable and more easily 
handled than the ordinary square box car. The fish are placed in the cars as care- 
fully as circumstances will permit. If the tide be low at the time the catch is made, 
the cars are tied up to the bank of the stream until the tide rises, for the river is too 
shallow to admit of their being towed to the hatchery, except after half flood-tide. 
The transportation of stock salmon in the manner described was in its experi- 
mental stage, and the fish did not always arrive at the spawning ponds in good 
