01101 flirt
.11.4.14
GAME COMMISSION
NUMBER 7
Bully Creek and
Malheur River

STATE OF OREGON
OREGON STATE GAME COMMISSION
FISBERT DIVISION
C. J. Campbell, Chief of Operations
SPECIAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
By Agreement With
BUREAU OF SPORT FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE
FINAL REPORT
Nongami Fish Eradication Program
Bully Creek Reservoir and Malheur River Segments
Contract No. 14-16-0001-2030
By
Lawrence E. Bisbee
Fishery Biologist
Monty L. Montgomery
Liaison Biologist
NUMBER 7
Bully Creek and
Malheur River

Oregon
STATE
CONTRACT NO. 14-16-0001-20L
December 318 1964
DATE
FINAL REPORT
Bully Creek Reservoir and Malheur River Segments
Nongame Fish Eradication Program
Period Covered: June 15, 1963 to July 1, 1964
INTRODUCTION
Rehabilitation of Bully Creek Reservoir, its tributaries, and segments of the Malheur River system was completed in 1963.
All waters treated supported large populations of undesirable fish.
The treatment procedures are discussed by project segment within the report.
A portion of the funds was appropriated by the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation with disbursement supervised by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife.
Bully Creek Segment
ABSTRACT
Construction on the Bully Creek Reservoir located in Malheur County, Oregon was completed in May 1963.
Chemical treatment of the impoundment occurred on
October 21, 1963.
The reservoir at treatment contained 4,440 acre-feet of water covering 243 surface acres.
A total of 2,493 gallons of liquid synergized rotenone (Pro-Noxfish) was used to establish a concentration of 1.7 ppm.
Fish populations eradicated by species and percentages were as follows: Carp, 63.0 percent; redside shiners, 19.0 percent; bridgelip suckers, 17 percent; coarsescale suckers, squawfish, and black bullhead combined totaled 1 percent.
Toxicity tests revealed the reservoir had detoxified prior to November 140 1963.
Initial stocking of the impoundment with rainbow fingerling was completed November 26, 1963 after bottom food samples indicated that sufficient trout foods were available.
Figure 1 contains the relief map of the reservoir.

Chemical treatment of approximately 88 miles of tributary streams and irrigation laterals was started June 20 and completed October 21, 1963.
Much of the tributary system is characterized by intermittent or very low stream flows.
Rotenone dispensing stations were used on the live streams while the intermittent tributaries were treated with packcans.
Approximately 275 gallons of liquid rotenone were used on the tributary streams.
Fish found in the tributaries were predominantly undesirable species.
The fish population eradicated from the tributaries consisted of speckled dace, 60 percent; bridgelip suckers, 25 percent; redside shiners, 10 percent; carp 2 percent; squawfish, 2 percent; trout and cottids, 1 percent.
Approximately 10,500 rainbow trout were scheduled for stocking in the suitable tributaries in 1964.
Location and past history
Bully Creek Reservoir is located on the stream of that name, a tributary of the Malheur River in Malheur County, Township 18 South, Range 43
East, Section 12 and lies nine miles northwest of Vale, Oregon.
Surface area at active capacity is 1,000 acres with total storage of 31,000 acre-feet.
Bully Creek dam was completed by the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation in
May 1963.
The Bully Creek drainage in the past has provided a minor early season trout fishery in the headwater tributaries.
Much of the drainage is unsuitable for game fish.
The majority of the property near the stream is in private ownership and closed to public access.
No prior fishery management or rehabilitation work has been attempted on the Bully Creek watershed.
- 2-

Preparation
The Bully Creek drainage lies in open, rolling sagebrush-juniper covered hill country with frequent valleys of cultivated lands interspersed between deep canyons and rocky draws.
Many of the streams are small, either going completely dry each year, running intermittently, or at best carrying small flows through most of the summer and fall.
Most of the spring and summer runoff is utilized for irrigation.
The drainage incurs occasional flash floods in the early spring which have scoured many of the stream channels.
The preliminary physical survey of the drainage was completed June 23 to August 20, 1961 and is contained in a separate report.
Survey data on the reservoir was obtained from a topography map furnished by the U. S.
Bureau of Reclamation.
Chemical treatment of Bully Creek Reservoir and tributaries was undertaken in an attempt to eliminate the undesirable fish.
Permanent removal of rough fish from the reservoir itself and the stream below a barrier located five miles above the reservoir is improbable because of recontamination of fish in water diverted into the reservoir from the Malheur River system by means of the Harper Diversion Canal.
Rough fish eliminated from the streams above the barrier on Bully Creek would reduce the effort required in any future treatment of the reservoir.
The tributaries are not expected to provide much additional angling.
The reservoir should provide good angling as long as the rough fish population remains at a low level.
"
Stream survey report of Bully Creek and its tributaries above proposed Bully Creek Reservoir-dam site" 1961, Ralph Elle - Oregon State
Game Commission.
- 3

Treatment of the Bully Creek drainage required contacting all landowners and coordinating water flows with the local ranchers and the Vale Irrigation
District.
All parties involved were very cooperative.
Treatment work commenced in June to take advantage of as much flowing water as possible to permit better transportation of the toxicant.
Treatment of the reservoir was delayed until the end of the irrigation season in mid-October after maximum drawdown and to permit closure of the head gates to prevent toxic water from entering the stream below the dam.
Sampling of the fish populations was accomplished throughout the tributary system to determine the upstream limits of rough fish prior to the chemical treatment of the tributaries.
No specialized equipment or supplies were needed.
Equipment used consisted of back-pack cans, rotenone dispensers and 1-gallon rotenone cans.
The portable 200-gallon John Bean sprayer was of little use on the majority of the Bully Creek tributaries because of the inaccessible terrain.
In preparing the reservoir for treatment, transporting and assembling of equipment, establishing live-box stations, and sectioning of the lake required 15-man days.
Water volumes in the reservoir at the time of treatment were determined from a contour map and capacity table obtained from the U. S. Bureau of
Reclamation (Figure 1).
The reservoir was divided into three sections for equal distribution of the chemical.
Ten live-boxes each containing ten
4- to 6-inch carp were set in the reservoir.
from 1 foot to 33 feet.
Depths of live-boxes ranged
A chemical analysis of Bully Creek water was made January 1, 1963. The sample was taken from the stream at the head of the impoundment prior to completion of the dam.
The results are presented in Table 1.

Table 1: Water Analysis - Bully Creek Reservoir - 1963
Depth in feet
Dissolved solids, ppm
Alkalinity, as CaCo
3
Carbonate, ppm
1
230
20
Bi-carbonate, ppm
.
.
131
Conductivity, micromhos/cm 305
P h value 8.48
Chemical treatment of the tributaries was begun June 20, 1963 on the headwaters of North and South Bully Creeks.
Treatment progressed down the main branch of Bully Creek with side tributaries treated as they were reached.
Rotenone dispensing stations were established in all stream sections where practical.
In many areas, stream flows were insufficient to carry the toxicant and treatment was accomplished by the use of back-pack cans.
Many areas were inaccessible by vehicle and the Bean portable spray equipment could not be used.
5

Table 2 is a listing of the tributaries and impoundments treated, including water volumes encountered in the project.
Table 2: Tributaries and Impoundments Treated in the Bully Creek
Drainage, 1963
Stream
Miles
Treated Estimated flow
Big Creek
Bully Creek
Bully Creek, North Fork
Clover Creek
Cottonwood Creek (lower)
Cottonwood Creek (upper)
Cottonwood Creek, S. Fk, (upper)
Cottonwood Creek, W. Fk.
(upper)
Gooding Creek
Indian Creek
N. G. Creek
North Bully Creek
South Bully Creek
0.25
39.00
7075
4.25
4.25
8.50
3.50
2.50
0.50
6.50
1.60
0.25
0.25
Impoundments
Foster Reservoir, #1
Foster Reservoir, #2
3 acre-feet
5 acre-feet
Potholes to 0.25 cfs
1.0 cfs to 3.0 cfs
Potholes to 0.5 cfs
0.50 cfs
1.50 cfs
1.0 cfs to 2.0 cfs
Potholes to 0.5 cfs
1.0 cfs
Potholes to 0.25 cfs
Potholes
1.50 cfs
Potholes to 0.25 cfs
Potholes to 0.25 cfs
The population of fish removed from the streams numbered several thousand fish per mile.
An estimate of the total number of fish killed in the main stem of Bully Creek was approximately 900,000 fish.
Most fish ranged in size from fry, one and one-half inches, to fish six inches in length.
The composition of the fish population checked was speckled dace,
60 percent; bridgelip suckers, 25 per cent; redside shiners, 10 percent; carp, 2 percent; squawfish, 2 percent; trout and cottids, 1 percent.
Estimates of the total fish killed were made by counting a section of stream one hundred feet in length every mile.

Rainbow were found only in the headwaters of the streams as follows:
Bully Creek - 11 miles, upper Cottonwood Creek - 5 miles, and lower Cottonwood
Creek - 4 miles.
Dace, shiners, and bridgelip suckers were abundant throughout the drainage.
Squawfish were limited to the lower 18 miles of Bully Creek, while carp inhabited the lower 5 miles of the stream below the barrier.
Rechecking of the entire drainage for success of the program began on
August 26, 1963.
Sections of stream 100 to 300 yards in length were retreated with rotenone every half mile in areas where difficulty in treatment had been encountered.
In other areas, a check was made approximately every mile.
In many areas of Bully Creek no fish were observed.
In a number of other areas from one to several hundred dace were found.
In many instances, dace had returned to areas where a complete kill was believed to have been obtained at the time of the first treatment, It appeared that eggs had hatched after the stream had detoxified, Some suckera were found in isolated spring areas.
In upper Cottonwood Creek, considerable trouble was encountered with springs in two different areas.
A half-mile section was re-treated on two separate occasions before all fish were eliminated, Another section 1.5
miles in length required re-treatment three times.
The last treatment revealed a small number of dace in this section of stream.
7

Bully Creek Reservoir, looking toward dam from butte near center of reservoir.
_8

Harper Diversion Dam Malheur River
Water is diverted at this point for BulTy. Creek Reservoir.

CHEMICAL TREATMENT - RESh VOIR
Bully Creek Reservoir was chemically treated on October 21, 1963.
When treated the reservoir contained 4,440 acre-feet of water covering 243 surface acres.
Eight men spent approximately 10 hours to distribute 2,493 gallons of chemical.
The concentration of rotenone to water was 1.7 ppm.
The majority of the toxicant was distributed by boats equipped with venturi devices attached to the outboard motors.
Six boats were used with two assigned to each of three sections of the reservoir.
Near the completion of the treatment, one scow was re-equipped with a 200-gallon John Bean pumper and used to treat, with rotenone, the shore line areas that were inaccessible to the boats.
Equipment used in the chemical rehabilitation of Bully Creek Reservoir and tributaries is contained in Table 3.

3
4
3
3
1
Number
100
2
2
2
1
1
6
1
3
10
1
8
,Table 3: Items Used in Chemical Treatment of Bully Greek Reservoir and
Tributaries
6
1
8
12
300 feet
1
1
Equipment
Unit
Gallons
Cases
14-foot aluminum
14-foot aluminum
16-foot aluminum
18-horsepower
25-horsepower
30-gallon
15-gallon
200-gallon
5-gallon
* -ton
16-foot
1- to 5-gallon
4 foot by 4 foot
3/8-inch pair
T-340
Item
Regular gasoline
Outboard motor oil
Gas hand pump
Flat bottom scows
Boats
Boats
Outboard motors
Outboard motors
Rotenone dispensers
Rotenone dispensers
Portable Bean spraying rig with 200 feet of pressure hose
Back-pack cans
Hoist
Poles to construct "A" frame
Live-boxes with floats and lines
Outboard motor lift
Venturi attachments including hoses and fittings
Rotenone cans
Barrel bung opener
Plywood shore markers
Wooden buoys
Nylon cord
Barrel hooks
International crawler tractor

Three shoal areas of approximately 15 Acres were treated by airplane.
Radio contact with the pilot was maintained through the treatment to assure good coverage.
During the early planning of the project, it was estimated that Bully
Creek Reservoir would contain 1,300 acre-feet of water at the time of treatment.
The volume actually treated was 4,500 acre-feet increasing the anticipated cost by $5,377.
Fish kills in the reservoir were-spot sampled and found to consist of carp, 63.0 percent; redside shiners, 19.0 percent; bridgelip suckers, 17 percent; coarsescale suckers, squawfish and black bullhead combined 1 percent.
No estimate of the total number of fish killed was obtained.
The majority of the carp were 2 to 7 inches in length with few big fish of any species observed.
CHECK OF TOXICITY AND COMPLETENESS OF KILL
The reservoir and the live-boxes containing test fish were checked the day following treatment.
All fish in 9 of the live-boxes were dead.
One live-box in 33 feet of water contained live carp the day after treatment.
A number of live carp showing effects of the rotenone were observed in the general vicinity of the live-box.
Additional rotenone was pumped into the deep areas where the live fish were observed.
Two days following the initial treatment, no live fish could be found including the fish contained in the live-box at the 33-foot level.
Live carp which were affected by rotenone had been observed around the mouth of the inlet canal the day following the initial treatment of
-12-

the reservoir.
A constant flow rotenone device previously set in the inflowing water had not completely killed the carp.
The area was thoroughly treated with the pumper-spray unit a second time, completing the fish kill.
(Note--Treatment of the inlet canal is included in the report on the Malheur River segment of the Bully Creek project.)
Four gill nets were set in Bully Creek Reservoir on October 28, 1963 to check for completeness of kill.
The nets were set at various depths in the reservoir, Figure 1.
No fish were caught in four days of fishing effort.
Live-boxes containing 8- to 10-inch rainbow trout were placed in the impoundment on November 7, 1963 to check for toxicity.
On November
14, 1963 the live-boxes were removed with all trout alive.
Post treatment work involving gill-netting, checking of live-boxes, bottom food sampling, and returning of equipment used on the project required 17 man-days.
Figure 1 reveals the location of the bottom samples obtained, liveboxed fish, gill-net sets, and sectioning of the impoundment for chemical treatment.
Bottom food samples were taken in Bully Creek Reservoir on November
1,9, 1963 to determine if sufficient food organisms were available to allow immediate restocking of the reservoir.
The information is presented in Table 4.

Table 4: Bottom Food Samples taken in Bully Creek Reservoir November 19,
1963 with an Ekman Dredge
Item
General location
Depth range feet
Bottom type
Food organisms
Shrimp - Hyalella
Tricoptera larvae
Diptera larvae
Annelids
36
6
2
2
14
Number of Samples
11 6
Vicinity of dam Narrows
17 - 49
Silt
Center of
West shore
37 - 44
Silt
4 - 8
Silt and debris
-
10
1
-
-
-
58
20
205
3
6
10
Upper end
Silt
Restocking
An adequate supply of food organisms was present and restocking of the reservoir commenced on November 22.
The rainbow stocking data for Bully Creek Reservoir is contained in Table 5.
Table 5: Rainbow Trout Released in Bully Creek Reservoir Through June 30,
1964
Date
November 22, 1963
November 26, 1963
April 1, 1964.
May 5, 1964
Totals
Species
Rainbow
Rainbow
Rainbow
Rainbow
Number
49,500
22,558
51,168
117,000
240 226
Pounds
1,000
861
328
191
2 380
Size in Inches
4.5
4.5
2.5
2.3
Since stocking, the rainbow fingerling have exhibited a good rate of growth.
The average fork length of 109 rainbow caught by gill nets on April 25, 1964 was
6.69 inches, weighing 2.24 ounces.
A sample of 9 rainbow obtained by angling on
June 13, 1964 averaged 9.62 inches fork length and weighed 9.14 ounces.
The rainbow measuring slightly over 10 inches fork length weighed 12 ounces.
- 14 -

An analysis of rainbow stomach contents on April 29, 1964 indicated the fish were feeding primarily on diptera larvae.
Examination on June 13 revealed the fish to be feeding entirely on small crustaceans, predominantly
Daphnia.
Late spring rains resulted in impassable road conditions, delaying the stream restocking program until June 1964.
The individual releases of rainbow stocked in Bully Creek and tributaries are listed in Table 6.
Table 6: Rainbow Stocking in Bully Creek and Tributaries
June 1964
StreaM Species Number Size in Inches
Bully Creek
Cottonwood Creek, Lower
Cottonwood Creek, Upper
N. G. Creek
Rainbow
Rainbow
Rainbow
Rainbow
7,500
700
2,000
300
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.0
Totals 10,500 3.0
Creel Census and Angler rise
Light angler use was experienced on Bully Creek Reservoir through May
1964.
However, as the fish increased in length and weight, greater angler utilization was experienced.
Creel data collected from late April through early June is presented in Table 7.
Table 7: Creek Census Data, Bully Creek Reservoir
April 25 to June 13, 1964
Number in 2-inch
6-8
Size Groups
8-10 10-12
Total Total Hours
Fish Anglers Fished
Fish Fish per per
Period
May 21 to
.Tune 30
Species
April 25 to
May 20 Rainbow
Rainbow 8
17
26 15
17
49
14
14
29
33
1.2
3.
0.6
L 5
- 15 -

Control gates on Harper Diversion Canal.
Water is diverted into Bully Creek Reservoir by canal at left center.
- 16 -

Rainbow trout caught in early June 1964 - Bully Creek Reservoir.
The
8- to 10-inch fish are from the fingerling stocked in November 1963.
- 17 -

Temperatures and Dissolved Oxygen
Water temperatures and oxygen analyses were secured in the reservoir in early March prior to the ice breakup and in June, 1964.
The oxygen and temperature data are contained in Table 8.
Table 8: Water Temperature in 0°Fahrenheit and Dissolved Oxygen in ppm,
Bully Creek Reservoir, 1964
1'
2'
3'
4'
5'
6'
7'
8'
14'
15'
16'
17'
18'
9'
10'
11'
12'
13'
19'
20'
30'
40'
45'
50'
60'
65'
Date
Station No.:
Depth - Feet
Air Temp.
Surface Temp.
March 7, 1964
No. 1
June 1, 1964
No. 1
Temperature Oxygen Tem erature 0
380
79°
June 1, 1964
No. 2 en Tem erature 0 :en
68.5°
33
70 68.5
35
37
37.5
37.5
38
38
38
38
38
37.5
37.5
37.5
37.5
37.5
37.5
37.5
37.5
37.5
37.5
37.5
37
10.7
12.4
8.5
7.8
6.1
67
65.5
64.5
57
57
57
57
64
59
58.5
58
57.5
57.5
57
57
57
57
57
56.5
56.5
56
55.5
52.5
50.5
49.5
49.5
8.6
8.6
8.1
7.9
7.6
5.9
68.5
68
67
67
66.5
66
64.5
64
64
63
62
58.5
57
56
55.5
54.5
10.0
10.0
8.9
6.3
Time
Turbidity
12:00 Noon
Clear
Maximum Depth 38 feet
Ice Cover 10 inches
4:30 p.m.
Clear -83 inches
65 feet
5:30 p.m.
Clear-78 inches
17 feet

Fish Population
The population of fish was checked by gill net and trap net on April 25,
1964.
The net catch is delineated in Table 9.
Table 9: 'Composition of Fish Obtained by Gill Net and Trap Net,
Bully Creek Reservoir, April 25, 1964
Method
Gill Net
Trap Net
Number of
Sets Species
7 Rainbow
1
Bridgelip sucker
Rainbow
Bridgelip sucker
Number
Taken
171
1
282
3
Fish per
Net
24.4
0.1
1
1
Number in One-Inch Size Groups
2 3
4 5 6 7 8
16 92 58 5
46 46 55 55 57 22
1
1
2
The nets revealed rough fish to be present in the reservoir although rainbow trout comprised 99.1 percent of the catch.

Malheur River Segment
ABSTRACT
The Malheur River segment was completed in conjunction with the Bully
Creek Reservoir treatment since the two drainages were connected by a diversion canal completed as part of the new Bully Creek project, Figure 2.
The objective was to eliminate completely the carp populations from above a barrier in the Malheur River and to temporarily delay the reinfestation of Bully Creek Reservoir with other species of trash fish which are abundant throughout the entire Malheur River drainage.
A second objective was to establish a game fish population in a large portion of the Malheur River that in recent years has only supported undesirable fish.
The project was centered in Juntura in Malheur County, Oregon.
The work area included the Malheur River from Riverside down to the Harper Southdide
Diversion Dam, the lower sections of the three main tributaries (South Fork,
Middle Fork and North Fork), and the diversion canal from the Harper Diversion
Dam to Bully Creek Reservoir.
The river system was treated with a 2 to 3 ppm concentration of liquid synergized rotenone (Pro-Noxfish).
The treatment work began in July and was completed in October, 1963.
No estimate of the total fish kill was obtained, however,it would exceed several million fish.
The fish population in the main stem of the Malheur
River was represented by the following species and percentages: redside shiners, 34 percent; chiselmbuth 18 percent; speckled dace 19 percent; longnose dace, 8 percent; coarsescale suckers, 8 percent; bridgelip suckers,
7 percent; cottids, 3 percent; carp, 1 percent; squawfish, 1 percent;

with rainbow, brown bullhead, yellow perch, and channel catfish contributing
1 percent.
Fish populations in the tributaries varied somewhat from that found in the main river.
Toxicity in the river was of short duration.
An initial stocking of the area with 23,190 rainbow fingerling averaging 23.2 per pound was completed on October 26, 1963.
LOCATION AND PAST HISTORY
The Malheur River segment of the Bully Creek project was centered at
Juntura, Malheur County, Oregon, T 21 S, R 38 E, Sec. 16.
From this point, the project area extended downstream to the Harper Southside Diversion Dam
(T 20 S, R 41 E, Sec. 13, Milepost 59.25).
The upper limits of the project were Beulah Dam on the Malheur River, North Fork; Warm Springs Dam on the
Malheur River, Middle Fork; and, the mouth of Swamp Creek on the Malheur
River, South Fork.
Also included in the project was the diversion canal from the Harper
Diversion Dam, T 20 S, R 41 E, Sec. 31 to Bully Creek Reservoir.
Prior to the construction of Warm Springs Reservoir in 1919, the Malheur
River drainage supported a large valuable run of spring chinook salmon and a good population of native trout.
It is not definitely known whether anadromous steelhead trout and coho salmon inhabited the Malheur River.
Between the time when Warm Springs Reservoir was constructed and the construction of Beulah Reservoir (1919 to 1935), the salmon run to the North
Fork disappeared.
The loss of the salmon runs was believed to have resulted from irrigation practices in the lower Malheur River valley.
Complete dewatering of the stream in the North and Middle Forks during the irrigation
- 21 -

storage season undoubtedly had its effect upon the trout and salmon populations.
For some time after the construction of the dams, trout angling existed in the main stem of the Malheur River below the mouth of the North
Fork and attracted considerable numbers of local anglers.
In recent years, the fishery had declined to the point where fish populations were almost entirely of rough fish and seldom was an angler observed on the river below Riverside or Juntura.
In the past, little management or habitat improvement work has been done on any of the river system included in this project.
Most of the lands bordering the North Fork and the:South Fork are in private ownership and public access is limited or nonexistent.
Access, to the Malheur River from Riverside to Juntura is diffidult because the stream flows through deep inaccessible canyons.
The entire Malheur River from Juntura to the Harper Southside
Diversion Dam has excellent access from U. S. Highway No, 20 which parallels the river throughput much of that distance.
PREPARATION
The watershed within the project area is composed of open, rolling sagebrush and juniper-covered hills interspersed with long stretches of cultivated or irrigated valley bottom lands, Few live streams, with the exception of the main tributaries mentioned earlier, enter the drainage in the project area.
Many of the headwater tributaries of the North Fork and Middle Fork lie within the boundaries of the Malheur National Forest.
Headwater streams of the South Fork and lesser tributaries lie in open rolling semidesert country.
Much of the lower drainage below the project area is irrigated valley bottom land.

Preliminary survey work consisted of sampling the fishery to determine the upstream limits of carp and the extent of the channel catfish or rainbow populations within the project area.
Much of the survey work was done
December 13, 1962 to April 11, 1963 by use of gill nets, electric shocker, and spot treatment with liquid rotenone.
Through extensive sampling, it was determined that game fish were very scarce throughout the entire project area except immediately below Beulah and Warm Springs Dams, and in the spring area in the South Fork below the mouth of Swamp Creek.
Carp are not present in the river systems above the dams on the North and Middle Forks nor above the head of live water in the
South Fork.
Results of individual population samples taken in the Malheur River,
North Fork, are presented in Table 10.

r.)
-P.
Station
Table 10: Results of Trash Fish Investigations in the Malheur River, North Fork from Juntura to Beulah Dam - April 9-11, 19630
S ecies
0Date Method
Pool below Beulah Dam
Pool 200 ft. long six miles below dam and at head of canyon
100 ft. pool 1/4 mile below second station
April 9 Gill net
April 11 Rotenone
April 11 Rotenone
WF
BrB
Clm
Sq
CSu
BSu
CSu
BSu
RsS
S dace
2
13
1
7
27
1
1
*
*
Abundant
Abundant
2
* Common
* Common
4
3
2
1
3
1
3
8 1
1 1
700 ft. of riffles and pools to 2 ft. deep93/4 mile below Station 2
Steel bridge just above
Juntura 600-foot section
April 11 Rotenone
April 11 Rotenone
S dace
LN
CSu
BSu
RsS
RsS
CSu
BSu
Clm
S dace
Sq
4
1
19
43
1
261
10
6 5
83 109 62
5
2 2 4
2
3
5
2
1
3 3
1
20
LI Species abbreviation: WF - whitefish, BrB - brown bullhead, Clm chiselmouth, Sq Squawfish, CSu coarsescale sucker, BSu a bridgelip sucker, RsS redside shiner, S Dace - speckled dace and LN Dace longnose dace.
CSu
BSu
Sq
Clm
RsS
16
3
10
3
5
3
7
27
1
1
19
43
1
261
13
37
259
5
14
4
1
2
4

A summary of the population samples is listed in Table 11.
Table 11: Summary of Trash Fish Investigations in the Malheur River,
North Fork, from Juntura to Beulah Reservoir
April 9-11, 1963
Species
Chiselmouth
Redside shiner
Bridgelip suckers
Coarsescale suckers
Squawfish
Whitefish
Speckled dace
Brown bullhead
Longnose dace
Totals
Number
273
263
110
44
19
16
10
3
1
739
Percent of Total
36.9
35.6
14.9
6.0
2.6
2.2
1.3
0.4
0.1
100.0
A sample count of fish by species killed at the time of treatment in three oxbows totaling 250 feet in length and located on the Holiday Ranch bordering the North Fork, Malheur River, is denoted in Table 12.
Table 12: A Sample Count of Fish Killed by Rotenone in Three Oxbows
Adjacent to the Holiday Ranch, Malheur River, North Fork
September 19-20, 1963
Species Number
Carp
Redside shiner *
357
322
Black bullhead
Chiselmouth *
Squawfish *
Largemouth bass
174
103
Bridgelip sucker 81
Coarsescale sucker * 80
53
--1_
Totals 1,173
Size range (inches)
2 to 15
2 to
3
2 to 8
2 to 8
2 to
5
6 to 9
2 to 6
3
Percent of total
30.4
27.5
14.8
8.8
6.9
6.8
4.5
0.3
100.0
* Many small fish less than two inches in length were too numerous to count and identify.
Results of gill net catch in the Middle Fork of the Malheur River, are presented in Table 13.
- 25 -

Table 13: Catch by Gill Nets Set in the Malheur River, Middle Fork, Below
Warm Springs Dam, April 7, 1963
Station S.ecies
Size Groups in Inches iFark Length)
6
7
8 10 11 12 13 over N
.
taken
Pool immediately below dam, (depth 12 feet)
1 gill net
Iv
0,
Pool 1/2 mile below dam
(depth 5 feet)
2 gill nets
CC
BrB
Rb
Bg
Clm
CSu
LB
BSu
Rb
B1B
Sq
Clm
CSu
BSu
1
2
4
1 13
3
4
2
3
1
3
1
1
2
4
4
3
2
1
3
7
11
1
1
10
8
7
1
21
2
1
3
4
5
16
4
2
3
3
4
8
9
6
2
8
1
1
10
9
8
2
6
29
1
Li Species abbreviation:
Clm
CC - channel catfish, BrB - brown bullhead, Rb - rainbow, Bg bluegill sunfish, chiselmouth, CSu coarsescale sucker, LB - largemouth bass, BSu bridgelip sucker, B1B - black
17
1
2
3
6
69
1
35
5
1
1
2
16
75
39 bullhead, YP - yellow perch, Sq - squawfish.

A summary of the population sample taken in the Middle Fork is tabulated in Table 14.
Table 14: Summary of Gill Net Catch in Malheur River, Middle Fork,
Below Warm Springs Dam - April 7, 1963
Species *
Coarsescale sucker
Bridgelip sucker
Chiselmouth
Channel Catfish
Rainbow
Brown bullhead
Squawfish
Bluegill sunfish
Largemouth bass
Black bullhead
Yellow perch
Totals
Number
144
74
18
17
11
1
1
1
1
3
2
273
Percent of Total
52.7
27.1
6.6
6.2
4.0
1.1
0.7
0.4
0.4
0.4
100.0
* Shiners and dace were present but too small to be taken by gill net.
Results of the population samples obtained by gill nets in the main
Malheur River from Riverside downstream to the Harper Southside Diversion
Dam are presented in Table 15.

Date
Feb.
26, 1963 Setline 1
3 to 4
Feb.
27, 1963
Table 15: Catch by Gill Nets and Setline in the Malheur River, Riverside to Harper
Method
Feb.
25, 1963 Gill net 1
Gill net 2
Gill net 3
Gill net 4
Gill net 5
Gill net 6
Depth of Set (Feet) Species
2i to 5i
3 to 4
3
4 to 5
4
2 to 10
Sq
Clm
Su
Cp
Clm
Sq
Su
CSu
Rb
CSu
Su
RsS
Clm
CSu
Su
Clm
Sq
Rb
CSu
Clm
Su
None
CSu
Clm
Sq
BSu
No. Fish
Taken
2
6
6
Size Range of Fish (Inches)
6
5
6
- 15
- 11
- 12
Location of Set
Just above first railroad bridge about
2 mi. above Juntura
Pool - 400 ft. by 100 ft. by 3i- ft.
deep
1
15
1
8
1
13
5
9
8
- 11
- 14
9
* mile above net No. 1
1
5
8
1
22
14
6
6
- 12
- 12
4
6 - 11
About 300 ft. below second railroad bridge two miles below Riverside
Pool - 300 ft.-by 100 ft. by 3 ft. in depth
2
12
8
1
2
4
3
17
None
10
8
5
12
- 12
- 14
- 9
13 - 14
7
- 15
7
- 10
8 - 13
Just below second railroad bridge two miles below Riverside
Pool - 300 ft. by 100 ft. by 5 ft.
deep
One mile below second railroad bridge at three miles below Riverside
10
7
1
4
10 - 15
6 - 11
7
9
- 12 mile below second railroad bridge below Riverside
About one mile below junction of South
Fork and Middle Fork
Large pool - 350 ft. by 75 ft. by 14 ft.

Table 15 (continued) l\.)
\ID
1
Date Method
Feb.
27, 1963 Gill net 7
Depth No. Fish
/1
6 to 9
Gill net 8
3 to 14
BSu
Clm
Clm
BSu
Sq
Rb
8
51
61
5
1
1
Size Range of Fish (Inches)
8
12
5
8
6
5
- 13
- 8
- 9
- 13
Location of Set
Same as No. 6
Same as No. 6 and 7
Feb.
27, 1963 Setline 2 10 None None -
Feb.
28, 1963 Gill net 9
3
Gill net 10 3 to 5
Gill net 11 3 to 4
CSu
BSu
Cim
BSu
CSu
Clm
2
1
4
3
10 - 18
11 - 12
7
10
- 10
12
6
- 16
- 10
Same as gill net No. 6, 7 and 8
About four miles above Juntura
About i mile above gill net No. 9
About i mile below gill net No. 9
Mar.
1, 1963 Gill net 12
3 to 5
Gill net 13 3 to 6
Gill net 14 12
Clm
Sq
CSu
BSu
BSu
CSu
Sq
Clm
Clm
Sq
CSu
BSu
18
14
6
63
47
8
4
12
8
2
1
1
4
3
5
7
8
9
-
- 6
8
5
6
7
6
5
9
8
8 - 16
--10
- 11
-
8
-
8
- 11
- 12
- 14
Just above Harper Diversion Dam
Just below Harper Diversion Dam
Pool - 150 ft. by 75 ft. by 6 ft.
deep
Just above railroad crossing downstream from Harper Diversion Dam
Setline 3 6 None None -
Below Harper Diversion Dam

Date
Mar.
2, 1963
Method
Gill net 15
Gill net 16
Depth
4 to 5
5 to 6
CSu
BSu
Sq
Clm
CSu
BSu
Clm
Table 15 (continued)
3
1
2
3
3
1
2
No. Fish
Taken
Size Range of Fish Inches
13 - 14
13 - 14
10
7
12
14
6
Location of Set
Just below bridge five miles downstream from Harper Diversion
Dam
Same as gill net No. 15
JJ
0
Sq - squawfish, Clm - chiselmouth, BSu - bridgelip sucker, Cp - carp, CSu coarsescale sucker, Rb - rainbow, RsS - redside shiner.

The fish population in the Malheur River canyon approximately 9 miles below Riverside was sampled with rotenone.
A section of river 300 yards long was treated and the fish collected by net.
The sample is enumerated in Table
16.
Table 164 A Sample of Fish Taken by Rotenone from a Three Hundred Yard
Section of the Malheur River, Nine Miles Below Riverside
March 8, 1963
Species
Redside shiners
Speckled dace
Longnose dace
Chiselmouth
Cottids
Coarsescale suckers
Bridgelip suckers
Yellow perch
Totals
Number
775
332
165
149
75
58
23
1
1,578
Percent of total
49.1
21.0
10.5
9.4
4.8
3.6
1.5
0.1
100.0
After completion of the Bully Creek Dam, the upper Malheur River system was connected to the Bully Creek drainage bya canal to permit the diversion of excess irrigation water released from the Beulah and Warm
Springs impoundments into Bully Creek Reservoir for future use.
In the past, the excess irrigation water was diverted into the Snake River.
By means of the diversion canal, rough fish in the Malheur River drainage are free to emigrate into Bully Creek Reservoir making it difficult to permanently eradicate the undesirable fish from the impoundment.
By treating a large section of the Malheur River drainage above the barrier located 7 miles downstream from the intake diversion canal, reinfestation of Bully Creek Reservoir with rough fish will be prolonged.
- 31 -

Game fish could be re-established into the Malheur River where in recent years only rough fish populations existed.
Chemical treatment of the main portion of the project was necessarily delayed until demands for irrigation water declined and stream flows decreased to a lower volume.
Desirable stream flows were not obtained until just prior to the completion of the irrigation season occurring on October 13, 1963.
Also, treatment had to be delayed until the Bully Creek siphon could be closed and the toxic water flowing down the diversion canal could be diverted into Bully
Creek Reservoir.
Toxic water escaping through the siphon could have found its way into a number of private fish ponds.
Since the main flow of water in the Malheur River is determined by the demand of irrigation water from Beulah and Warm Springs Reservoirs, close coordination with the Vale Irrigation District was necessary.
Further cooperation on the project was required as irrigation withdrawals were made by the numerous ranchers throughout the rehabilitation area. All parties concerned were very cooperative.
In preparing for the project, all landowners were contacted prior to the start of the treatment and before entering private lands during the treatment.
Necessary equipment and rotenone were assembled.
Maps covering the work area were prepared and the required labor force was scheduled.
A chemical analysis of waters to be chemically treated was secured.
The water analysis data is presented in Table 17.

Table 17: Analysis of Water Samples Obtained from the Malheur River Drainage, 1963
Sample Number
Item
Date Collected
Location
January 9, 1963
Malheur River,
100 yds. above mouth of North Fork
January 9, 1963 January 9, 1963
Malheur River at Malheur River,
Harpers Diversion Middle Fork at
Dam U. S. Highway 30 bridge
315
17
245
0
145
0
January 9, 1963
Malheur River,
North Fork, one mile above mouth at Beulah Road bridge
310
0
Dissolved solids
PPm
Alkalinity as CaCo3
Carbonate, ppm
Bi-carbonate, ppm
Conductivity
Micromhos/cm
P h
Value
144
400
8.25
142
315
8.05
79
160
7.65
218
420
8.00

Water temperature and flow data were obtained at various stations throughout the project area.
The resulting information is contained in Table 18.
Table 18: Temperature and Stream Flow Data, Malheur River, 1963
Stream and
Station Site
Station No. 4
Middle Fork Malheur
River, 200 yards above confluence of
South Fork
Date
Station No. 1
South Fork Malheur
River at County Road crossing below Venator
April 7, 1963
June 5, 1963
July 15, 1963
August 2, 1963
August 22, 1963
Station No. 2
South Fork Malheur
River, head of canyon above mouth of
Granite Creek
April 7, 1963
June 5, 1963
July 15, 1963
August 2, 1963
August 22, 1963
Station No. 3
South Fork Malheur
River mile above confluence of Middle
Fork
April 7, 1963
June 5, 1963
July 15, 1963
August 2, 1963
August 22, 1963
April 7, 1963
June 5, 1963
July 15, 1963
August 2, 1963
August 22, 1963
Temperature
Air
51
57
7o
86
67
60
78
88
69
48
6o
78
82
69
45
6o
75
85
72
Water
44
56
68
64
62
49
62
84
73
7o
46
57
76
66
67
57
61
67
69
Time
9:45 a.m.
11:58 a.m.
11:58 a.m.
12:45 p.m.
12:30 p.m.
10:15 a.m.
12:30 p.m.
1:30 p.m.
1:15 p.m.
1:00 p.m.
10:45 a.m.
1:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
1:30 p.m.
1:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
3:30 p.m.
1:40 p.m.
Flow
8.3 cfs
1.5 cfs
6.0 cfs
3.3 cfs
10.0 cfs
2.0 cfs
6.10 cfs
3.5 cfs
25-30 gpm
10-15 gpm
3-4 gpm
No flow
100+
200+
300+
300+
-34-

Table 18 (continued)
Stream and
Station Site
Station No. 5
Malheur River below Riverside at second railroad trestle
Date
June 5, 1963
July 15, 1963
August 2, 1963
August 22, 1963
Station No. 6
Malheur River, above
Juntura at end of road
July 15, 1963
August 2, 1963
August 22, 1963
Station No. 7
Malheur River, 100 yards above mouth of
North Fork
June 5, 1963
July 15, 1963
August 2, 1963
August 22, 1963
Station No. 8
Malheur River, first railroad underpass below Juntura
June 5, 1963
July 15, 1963
August 2, 1963
August 22, 1963
Station No. 9
Malheur River second railroad underpass below
Juntura
June 5, 1963
July 15, 1963
August 2, 1963
August 22, 1963
Temperature
Air Water Time
60
78
85
77
57
65
70
70
81
86
76
67
70
67
55
78
85
72
58
66
68
68
57
81
80
72
57
67
69
68
56
78
82
70
56
67
69
69
1:00 p.m.
2:30 p.m.
3:45 p.m.
2:10 p.m.
3:30 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
3:00 p.m.
2:15 p.m.
3:45 p.m.
5:00 p.m.
3:30 p.m.
2:30 p.m.
4:00 p.m.
5:10 p.m.
3:45 p.m.
2:45 p.m.
4:10 p.m.
5:25 p.m.
4:00 p.m.
Flow in c.f.s.
100+
200+
300+
300+
200+
200+
300+
100+
200+
300+
300+
100+
200+
300+
300+
100+
200+
300+
300+
35

Table 18 (continued)
Stream and
Station Site
Station No. 10
Malheur River, mouth of Gold Creek
Date
June 5, 1963
July 15, 1963
August 2, 1965
August 22, 1963
Station No. 11
Malheur River above Harper Diversion
Dam
June 5, 1963
July 15, 1963
August 2, 1963
August 22, 1963
Temperature
Air Water
56
78
87
78
59
68
70
69
57
82
84
80
60
70
71
70
Time
3:00 p.m.
4:20 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
4:10 p.m.
3:15 p.m.
5:00 p.m.
5:40 p.m.
4:20 p.m.
Flow in c.f.s.
100+
200+
300+
300+
100+
200+
300+
300+
Rotenone dispensing stations were to be used wherever possible in the treatment project.
A 200-gallon portable John Bean spray rig equipped with 200 feet of high pressure hose and mounted in a 3/4-ton four-wheel-drive pickup was to be used.
A follow-up check of all stream sections treated by rotenone stations was to be made by one or more persons equipped with back-pack pump cans.
Their purpose was to check for isolated potholes, springs, or side pockets where fish might remain alive.

Chemical Treatment - Tributaries
The miles of stream and irrigation diversions chemically treated, in the
Malheur River segment, including liquid rotenone disbursement and man power requirements are listed in Table 19.
Area
Malheur River
South Fork
Table 19: Malheur River Segment, Miles Treated, Chemical and Man Power
Re uirements 1 63
Personnel Requirements
Miles of Gallons (Man Days)
Miles of Irrigation Rotenone Personnel Preliminary Actual
Stream Laterals Used Used
Post
Investigation Treatment Treatment
18.75
0 220
5 4.5
43
5
Malheur River
North Fork 16.0
14 742 5 to 7 7.0
69
2
Malheur River
Middle Fork ji 4.0
0 220
Malheur River 56.0
43 550 8 to 12 25.0
67 2
Total
94.75
57 1,732 5 - 12 36.5
179
9
Personnel requirements combined with main Malheur River data.
Malheur River, South Fork
Chemical treatment of the Malheur River project began in July on the South
Fork of the Malheur River.
The South Fork above Swamp Creek generally goes dry each summer because of irrigation withdrawals.
The stream flow below Swamp Creek varied from an estimated 1 to 2 cfs at the spring to 5 to 7 cfs at the mouth of the South Fork dependent upon whether the water was being removed for irrigation purposes.
After irrigation had ceased in late September, the stream flow at the mouth of the South Fork increased to an estimated 10 cfs.
- 37 -

During the application of rotenone much of the South Fork maintained a small flow of water.
The small flow combined with numerous large pools ranging from 100 feet to 4 mile in length and from 2 to 6 feet in depth rendered the use of "dripper" stations ineffective.
A portable spray tank mounted on a 3/4-ton four-wheel-drive pickup proved invaluable and was used continuously on the entire South Fork below the county road crossing.
The equipment was driven along the stream banks and with the extension hose, pools were waded and chemically treated with the high pressure spray.
Water temperatures ranging from 68° to 73°F. and extensive areas of aquatic vegetation made it necessary to use a strong concentration of chemical throughout the South Fork to obtain a good fish kill.
A temporary barrier was installed to block upstream fish passage mile above the mouth until the remainder of the South Fork could be treated in conjunction with the main river at a later date.
The fish kill was estimated to exceed several million fish, the majority of which were less than 8 inches in length.
An estimate of the population killed by species included redside shiners - 70 percent, coarsescale suckers - 11 percent, bridgelip suckers - 10 percent, chiselmouth - 7 percent, speckled dace - 1 percent; squawfish, rainbow, carp, largemouth bass, yellow perch, cottids and brown bullheads contributed 1 percent.

North Fork, Malheur River, above Juntura, indicating magnitude of slough areas contained in the dense growth of willow.
- 39 -

South Fork, Malheur River below Riverside, typical open sagebrush country,
- 40 -

Trout were only found in the spring area below the mouth of Swamp
Creek and in the vicinity of Crane Creek.
The first carp (one fish) was observed approximately one mile below the starting point.
No additional carp were found until the small diversion dam just below the mouth of
Crane Creek was reached.
From Crane Creek, downstream to the main river carp were numerous.
An estimated total of 800 large carp 12 to 30 inches in length were killed.
Three largemouth bass in the 8- to 12-inch size range were located in a large pool 9 miles above the mouth.
Small numbers of bass fingerling were observed in the large pools within 2 miles of the mouth of the river.
Undesirable species of fish were abundant throughout the entire area.
A number of tests were made to check the completeness of kill.
Gill nets were set in several large pools with no fish caught.
Spot checks with rotenone also produced negative results.
Malheur River, North Fork
Preliminary investigations indicated carp were not present in the North
Fork of the Malheur River above Beulah Reservoir.
The river below the dam contained carp and was scheduled for treatment.
The decision was made to treat a 10-mile section of the North Fork from the dam down to a temporary barrier whenever the stream flow was reduced to near 75 cfs by the irrigation district, to enable the completion of as nx.ch tributary stream treatment as possible prior to the time when flows in the main stem Malheur River were reduced to the state where chemical treatment became practical.
Chemical treatment of the North Fork began September 9 on a 3-mile area approximately 9 miles below the dam where numerous oxbow sloughs, potholes and ditches existed.
When the Irrigation District office in Vale
- 41 -

indicated that the stream flow was approaching the desired level for treatment, oxbows connected to the main channel were treated just prior to the introduction of the chemical in the main stream.
On September 20, the flow in the North Fork had been reduced to 84 cfs.
Rotenone distribution devices immediately below the dam were placed in operation and a concentration of 3 ppm rotenone was introduced into the stream for a 24-hour period.
The following day the 10-mile section was walked to check for isolated pockets, springs, and other areas where fish might still remain alive.
A barrier was installed at the lower end of the section to block the upstream movement of fish.
A considerable number of old stream channels, potholes and irrigation ditches that were isolated from the main river were then treated with the spray equipment completing the first 10-mile section.
At this point, field operations were moved to the Malheur River,
Middle Fork, below Warm Springs Dam and are discussed under the Malheur
River:subheading.
On September 24, the field crew returned to the North Fork in the vicinity of Juntura where treatment work was initiated on a vast expanse of oxbows, cattail sloughs, large potholes and numerous ditches all intermixed within heavy thickets of willows.
This area was approximately 4 miles in length and required considerable time and rotenone to treat.
The John Bean sprayer employing 400 feet of high pressure hose proved to be invaluable in treating these areas.
All waters isolated from the main channel received the rotenone.
Sloughs connected to the main channel were left to be covered at a later date in conjunction with the remainder of the North Fork system.
42

On October 10, the Vale Irrigation District office indicated that the irrigation season was completed and flows below Warm Springs and Beulah Dams were reduced to 25'cfs as requested earlier to continue treatment of the main stem of the Malheur River and the stream section in the North Fork below the temporary barriers.
On October 13, the remainder of the North Fork was treated for 24 hours at a concentration of 2 ppm.
The following day, the river and all remaining oxbows and ditches connected to the main channel were walked and chemically treated.
No estimate on the total fish kill in the North Fork was obtained, however, it appeared to be less than the observed kill in the South Fork.
A small population of trout existed in the upper 10 miles of the stream.
Carp were not abundant in the river but were very plentiful in the oxbows and potholes.
Roach were killed in one large pothole just above Juntura, however, they were not observed in any of the remaining potholes nor are they known to exist anywhere else in the Malheur drainage.
An extensive rechecking of the area for completeness of kill was not accomplished becauSe of insufficient time and man power.
The areas that were resampled failed to yield additional fish.
Malheur River, Middle Fork and Malheur River
Preliminary investigations indicated carp were not present above Warm
Springs Dam, however, they did inhabit the river below.
Because of the possibility that all the Malheur River, the Middle Fork and the North Fork might be ready to treat at the same time, it was decided to treat a large section of the main river from the dam downstream to a temporary barrier

located approximately 3miles above Juntura whenever the stream flow was reduced to approximately 75 cfs.
A large part of the work could be completed leaving additional time to the treatment of the river below Juntura whenever the appropriate stream flows were attained in that area.
It was extremely desirable to introduce the chemical to this section of the river while sufficient flow existed to carry the rotenone through to the downstream barrier since much of the river was in a deep canyon accessible only by railroad.
By September 20, the flow from Warm Springs Dam had been reduced to 110 cfs.
The Vale Irrigation District office indicated that under the prevailing weather conditions a reduction in flow would not likely occur but the outlet gates would soon be closed completely since the demand for irrigation water was rapidly diminishing.
As a result, it was decided to commence treatment with the flow at 110 cfs.
On September 22, two rotenone distribution stations were placed in operation.
One station was located below Warm Springs Dam and the second station was approximately 10 miles downstream.
A concentration of 3 ppm was used extending over a period of 24 hours.
Some difficulty was en-, countered in keeping the dispensers operating at an even flow.
They were checked once every hour to maintain an even concentration of rotenone in the river.
The following day the river from the dam down to the barrier was checked for springs and potholes containing live fish.
Treatment of the last quarter mile of the South Fork from the barrier down to the mouth was completed.
A temporary barrier was installed in the
Malheur River just above Juntura.
- 44 -

Irrigated hay and pasture lands bordering Middle Fork of Malheur
River near the confluence of the South Fork.
-45-

w.
-*
.
..
.*:,>';'
4-' el.,4 4.
- '
,
.
..
.ft
7- .
,01,''....1
,z, ',..
6., , 4.:-...i fr -
:pi,
.
-....:,. -;"
"3.
.
..:d
....et
.
.
c,,, 2,14,
....k
,e, . r.-
'....:7' ''',.i, -0'4
-
..:,
.,..
,.
k.
Alt.
i ,-*
. 4
...-
.41,07k.,44
-
.
. "'";
Malheur River, Middle Fork, typical stream section,site two miles below Warm Springs Dam.
- 46 -

At this point, project operations were returned to the North Fork above Juntura.
The Vale Irrigation District office on October 10 reported the flow below Beulah dam had been reduced to 25 cfs and that the flow from Warm Springs
Dam had been reduced on October 9 to the 25 cfs flow requested by the field crew.
By October 13, the stream flow in the Malheur River below the mouth of the North Fork had decreased to the desired flow of approximately 60 cfs including the inflow of the South Fork.
Rotenone stations at the North Fork barrier and on the Malheur River above Juntura were placed in operation.
A concentration of 2 ppm was used.
After 24 hours of operation, the head of the rotenone concentration had only advanced downriver approximately 4 miles. The reduced flow required a longer period of time for the rotenone to disburse downstream through the numerous large pools.
Because of this, additional stations were put into operation at 5-mile intervals down to the Harper Diversion Dam.
Hourly checking of the rotenone stations was required to keep them operating -at the desired flow.
By October 15, the entire river section was toxic and the checking of potholes and remaining pockets of live fish was completed to the Harper
Diversion Dam.
At this point a rotenone station was established at the head of the
Harper Diversion Canal.
The Bully Creek siphon and all lateral head gates leading off the main canal were closed, and the toxic water flowing through the canal was diverted into Bully Creek Reservoir.
It was necessary to operate five rotenone distribution stations on the 37 miles of diversion canal before a satisfactory kill was obtained.
-47-

Treatment of the remainder of the Malheur River from the Harper Diversion
Dam down to the Harper Southside Diversion Dam was completed on October 17.
The numbers of fish killed were not tabulated, however, it was estimated to have exceeded many millions.
A fair population of channel catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill, and a few rainbow trout were observed in the stilling basin below Warm Springs Dam.
FEW game fish were observed in the entire
Malheur River from Riverside down to the Harper Southside Diversion Dam.
Carp were not abundant in the main river, however, other species of trash fish were present by the thousands.
The initial charge of rotenone introduced at 3 ppm below Warm Springs
Dam at a flow of 110 cfs on September 23 and below Beulah Dam with a flow of
84 cfs on September 20 killed fish a considerable distance downstream.
Two days after the introduction of the rotenone, fish were still dying in the vicinity of the Harper Diversion Dam, approximately 49 miles below Warm Springs
Dam.
At this point, the toxicity had deteriorated to the point where only small fish were affected.
A limited amount of rechecking for completeness of kill was accomplished on the Malheur. River by spot treating with rotenone.
No live fish were found.
The equipment employed in the rehabilitation of the Malheur River and tributaries is contained in Table 20.
- 48 -

Typical section of Malheur River, below Juntura on U. S. Highway 20.
-49-

'-71114111IN
Harper Southside Diversion Dam, lower limit of project area on
Malheur River, barrier to carp migrating upriver in spring months.
- 50 -

7
4
10
7
1
2
Number
1
Table 20: Equipment Used in Chemical Treatment of the Malheur River and Tributaries, 1963
Unit
200-gallon
3/4-ton
1/2-ton
50-gallon
30-gallon
5-gallon
1- to 5-gallon
Item
Portable Bean Spray'unit with
400 feet of pressure hose.
Four-wheel drive pickup truck
Pickup trucks
Rotenone dispensers
Rotenone dispensers
Back-pack cans
Rotenone containers
The outlet of Jones pond, a 3-acre impoundment flows into the Malheur River,
10 miles below Juntura.
The pond was chemically treated July 29.
In the past, the pond had produced excellent bass angling but the fishery had deteriorated to a population of carp, stunted bluegill, and bullhead catfish.
The composition of the fish populations removed from the pond are represented by the following species and percentages: blueeill, 65 percent; black bullhead, 15; carp, 10; largemouth bass, 4; yellow perch, 3; coarsescale suckers, 2; redside shiners and squawfish, 1.
Restocking
Restocking of the waters treated in the Malheur River project was initiated in November 1963.
Table 21 contains the rainbow trout distribution data for
November 1963, and March and April 1964.
- 51 -

Stream
Table 21: Rainbow Trout Stocking - Malheur River System
November 1963, March and April 1964
Malheur River
Malheur River
South Fork
Malheur River
North Fork
Date
Stocked
Number
Stocked
November 20, 1963 19,362
November 22, 1963 2,620
March 13, 1964
March 19, 1964
April 11, 1964
180,000
95,275
101,500
November 20, 1963
March 19, 1964
April 11, 1964
3,828
5,550
11,600
Pounds
835
100
45
515
35
165
30
4
Size in
Inches
4.75
4.5
1.0
2.0
1.0
4.75
2.0
1.0
Total
419,735 1,729
Angler Use
The initial angler use recorded on the Malheur River rehabilitated area was observed the first week of June 1964.
Angler effort steadily increased as word of the trout fishery spread.
By early July many of the rainbow were of legal length with most of the angling pressure exerted on the river section between the Harper Diversion
Dam and the Harper SouthsXleDiversion Dam.
Rainbow fingerling released in the
Malheur River near Juntura in November 1963 were averging from 7 to 9 inches in length by early July 1964.
A check of 34 anglers revealed a catch of 115 trout at the rate of 1.58 fish per hour and 3.38 fish per angler.
- 52 -

Financial
The U. S. Bureau of Reclamation appropriated $15,000 to the U. S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, of which $14,000 was received by the Oregon
State Game Commission for chemical rehabilitation of Bully Creek Reservoir, its tributaries, and a large segment of the Malheur River system.
Project expenditures excluding the cost of trout restocking is tabulated in Table
22.
Table 22: Rehabilitation of Bully Creek Reservoir and Segments of the Malheur River System - Project Expenditures, 1963
Item
Salaries and Wages
Traveling Expenses
Equipment Purchase
Rentals
Materials and Supplies including rotenone at $3.20 per gallon
Other expenses
Total
Expenditures
$ 6,264.00
1,000.00
150.00
1,140.00
14,463.00
445.00
$ 23,462.00
Future Work
Game Commission employees will evaluate the results of chemical treatment by recording angler use and catch through creel census activities, and conducting fish population inventories.
The work will be performed as part of the general fishery management program of the Southeast Region.
- 53 -

Approved byi obert L. Borovicka
Coordinating Biologist
Submitted by:
Lawrence . Bisbee
Fishery Biologist
Mo ty L. JMontgo ry
Liaison Biologist

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10
I..- re./ 047 OF vvra,r
MAX. W.S. EL 252.3.0
3
ID
LEVEL AT TREAT
EL E4'15.0±
MAX. W.5. EL 2523
12
6
Al
4.
rc
ARIA-CAPACITY TABLE
ELEVATION
FEET
2573.0
AREA
AcIZE5
CAPACITY
ACRE-FEET
38,100 -
2520.0
/033
53,600
2516.0
2515.0
97 1
.
31,40o
30, too
Mfalt.W.5.
TOP, JOINT USE POOL
2510.0
2505.0
887 a t 7
26,000
21,700
17,800 2300.0
2491 0
753
657 14,400
2490.0
2485.0
560
440
350
/1,400
8,920
24130.0
2475,0
2470.0
2445.0
310
243
200
I 52
6,940
5,290
5,9 I o
2,800
_ 2460.0
2454.58
2453.0
/50
1,920
1,40o
1,2e0
2450.0
24410 i 00
4 r
640
290
/40 2440.0
20
2455.0
14
24300
24250
3
0
CREST OF DAM EL 2529.0
50
7
14
I5
LEVEL AT TREATMENT EL 2413?
OCT. so. 19 403
67557.0% 4500 4.4.77
MIN. W.5.
LEGEND
®
LIVE 150XES
OUTLET
77171.1GTUILL
05.251 50T TOM FOOD 5AmPLES
Emu GILLMUT 5E75
TREATMENT AREAS t,00 L450
CREST OF t7/1.1.8
641LLy
1.
01 1 rr
10.00
r
0
"Sc.ALE IN FEET
Is la
7
7 IB s
OREGON STATE GAME COMMISSION
PORTLAND, OREGON
B U LLY C [2_.E
14_ laLSE_12..VOIP_
VALE PROJECT
11,1117.1111.1
OF RECLAMATION
DEL. '61
LUAU 61 27..CL41470%
126 -462 tranfrZ.
g.7.4wN
t.MJ
DRAWING NO.
SHEET OF
SHEETS
REV/S/ON BY