Fishery bulletin of the Fish and Wildlife Service - NOAA

THE SALMON RUNS OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER
IN 1938 1
By WILLIS H. RICH, Professor of Biology, Stanford University and Director of Research, Fish Commission
of Oregon; in cooperation with the Division of Fishery Biology, Fish and Wildlife Service
Page
Introduction 103
The Columbia River salmon fishery 104
Data for the runs of 1938- --- 107
Modified tables - 113
Nature of the analysis of runs 116
Chinook salmon 119
History of the run of 1938 119
Rate of travel 124
The June-July run 125
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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Page
Chinook salmon—Continued.
Intensity of fishing in general
Percentage of grilse
Blueback salmon
Steelhead trout
Silver and chum salmon
Summary
Literature cited
130
132
134
138
143
145
147
With the announcement of plans for the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam on
the Columbia River in eastern Washington, questions were raised as to the effect that
this development would have on the salmon runs and as to the possible means for
preserving those salmon populations that had formerly reproduced in the area above
the site of the dam. Funds were provided by the United States Bureau of Reclamation
to the Washington State Department of Fisheries for the purpose of making a
preliminary study of possible means for preserving the runs. A report (Washington
State Department of Fisheries 1938 2
) was presented in January 1938, in which the
chief recommendation was for an extensive system of artificial propagation. Later
the Bureau of Reclamation appointed a board of consultants to review the proposed
plan and to make recommendations. In their report (Calkins, Durand, and Rich
1939 8
) these consultants recommended, substantially, the plan proposed by the
Washington Department of Fisheries.
In the preparation of this report the writer made an analysis of the available data
on the salmon runs of 1938 for the particular purpose of determining the relative
importance of those fractions of the runs that would be affected by the construction of
the Grand Coulee Dam. Various other facts bearing upon the state of the Columbia
River salmon resources and the problems of their conservation were developed during
the course of this analysis and it has seemed desirable to amplify the part of the
1 Contribution No. 7, Department of Research, Fish Commission of Oregon.
1 Heport of the preliminary investigations Into the possible methods of preserving the Colombia Elver salmon and steelhead at
the Grand Coulee Dam. Шрр. TJ. S. Bureau of Heclamatlon, Washington. (Processed.)
' Report of the board of consultants on the ash problems of the upper Columbia River, 83 pp. U. 8. Bureau of Reclamation,
Denver, Colo. (Processed.)
103