S TRIMA RY OF RECO4?4Ni)1T IOfl
Mthods of incrain the production of
anrdroous fishes in the Oregon
tributaries of the Coiuibia nnd 5mo Rivers above and including the Uti1ia
River have bzon rccornendcd under ech river cytsm in the preceding sections
of this report. The following lint swnrnarizos the rccormndcd projects ss
outlined in the variowi coctiono of this report in what i considered to be
the order of importance.
Provide fish pago at }thnm Falle (WaN-i) and the rernnant splash
darn (WaM-2) on the Mins
River,
Investigate all unocroenod diversion ditchon (Wa-i) on the Wallowa
River below Joseph (to Dry Creek) to determine fish loss, and
screen where necessary.
Attempt to establish fall chinook salmon in designated areas of
the Waliowa, lower Lostins, and lower Imnaha Rivers.
Conduct study program for rocetabliehing blueback salmon in
Wallowa Lako as roco ended on page A-65 of
Acquire Sanderuon's Springs area on Spring Creek (tributary to
Willow Crook of Upper Grando Rondo River) for fish-cultural
pu.rposes.
Provide transplantation flo
Wallowa River below Joseph,
in low flow area (Wa-4) of the
Cons ider development of off-channel ipoundents on the Imrrnha
River and off-channel or in-.chrnne].
bpoundents on Lick Creek
(Big Sheep Creek tributary) for euppl entalrearing purposce.
ConsIder dovelopnsnt
of off.channel impoundments on Walicra,
Lost ins, and Ninam Rivers for suppleisntal roaring purposes.
Investigate all
issned diversion ditches (u-li. through TJ-25)
on the flt.tlla Rlvsr whIch take water before the end of June
for fish loss, and screen where
ceary. The Mewell and West
Extension diversions are co idared to be in definite need of
creonIng.
Investigate all
unscresned diversion ditches (WW-1, WW-2, WW-Sf-1,
and WJ-Nf-1) on the giin eila Wcila Rivor and its North and South
Forks to detornine fish ices, an1 screen where necessary.
Pro;ide functional fish passage facilities at the LostIn water
eupply din (WaL-2) and Sheep Ridge diversion dam (WaL-3).
Consider dcveloprsnt of off-channel inpoundments and/or a hatchery
on the Lookingglacs Crcez systcn.
Attenpt to establish fall chinook and silver salmon In designated
areas of the Wenaha River drainage.
Attept to establish fall chinook &thion in designated areas of
the Ninam and loier Grande Roads Rivers.
15. Attempt to ostabthth tall chinook and/or silver salmon in
areas of lower Big Sbecp and Joseph Crocks.
36.
designated
Assure fish passage at two dosignated low dame (I.-13s-2) on Big Sheep
Creek if introduction of fall chinook and/or silver salmon is attempted.
Assure fish passage at designated
(LGR-J-1) if introduëtion of fall
attempted.
diversion dams on Jooph Creek
chinook and/or silver salmon is
Consider use of sill logs to improve spawning and rearing environment
in designated areas on the Walla Wal]a end Minam R1ver and on Big
Sheep, Little Sheep, Horse, Lightning, Big Canyon, and Bear Creeks.
If natural increase does not occur, promote an increase in size of
populations by suggoted methods in order
that sufficient donor stocks will
provided for other parts of the
Waflowa River silver salmon
area.
Undertake the exporimnta). transplantation of the last portion of the
or fry from these fish) from Oxbow Dam to
Pine Creek and provide increased flows for fish life, if poiblo.
fall chinook run (or egg3
Consider impervious low flow channel in dry section (w..4) of Wulla
Walla River, or diversion of fish through Little W'll Walls River,
to provide tranportaton flows for spring chinook salm.'n.
Attempt to introduce spring chinook i1n into South Fork Walla Walla
River by suggested methods if transportation flows are obtained.
23,
Provide fish passage facilities at the Hudson Bay (WW-5), Centennial
Mill Dam (WW.-7), and Little Wallu Walla (WW-6) Irrig'tion Company
on the Walia Walla River.
dair
Provide improved fIsh passage couditlons at the Three-M]e (U2),
Pacific Power and Light Company (W-3), and Cold Springe (U7) di'rrs ion
dams on the Umatilla River.
Provide increased fall and winter flowz on the Umtilia Rlvor below
Pendleton to create spawning :&reas for fall chinook salmon as possible
compensation for loss of Columbia RIvr :ipaming grounds in the area
of the John Day Dtn pool.
Cons ider deveiopient of offci'uinne1 iinpounthnerits on Catherine Creek
for supplemontal rearing purpouGs.
Investigate all unscreened diversion ditches (P_4, P..C-2, and P-EP4)
on the Pine Crock drainage to detrmine fish loss, and screen where
necessary.
Attenpt to establish spring chInook in Wct Eagle Crook and supplement
spring chinook production in upper maIn Esgie Creek following suggested
methods.
Consider use of impoundment areas and establishment of a
drip incubator station.
Remove designated log jams (Po-F1, 3, and 4; and Po-EWE.-2--4) on Eagle
Creek drainage
-426--
Investigate all unscrooned diverion ditchoo (WaL-4, WaB-2, WaH-1,
WoBi-1, and WaP-l) on the Loctino River and Boor, Hurricane, Big Canyon, and the lower 2 miles of Prairie Creek to doternine fish 1os,
and screen whore necessary.
Investigate all unecreoned diversion ditches (I-S-i, I-C1, I-BS..l,
and I-BSLS-l) on Sumxnit and Cow Creeks (Imnaha drainage), Big Sheep
Crook, and Little Sheep Crook to determine fish loss, and screen
where necessary.
Attempt to establish fafl chinook salmon in designated areas of the
upper Grando Rondo River.
Consider stream shading in designated areas of the upper Grande Rondo
River by use of bank plantings to reduco summer temperatures.
Consider development of off-channel
for supplemental rearing purposes.
spowidmsnta on Big Sheep Creek
Remove log and debris jams (I-BSC-l) and (I-BSLS-2) on Big Sheep
Creek drainage.
Investigate all unseroened diversion ditches (LGR-J-2) on Joseph
creek to determine fish loss, and screen whore necessary.
RemoVe designated debris jams and beaver dams in the upper Grande
Rondo drainage on Fly Creek (UGR-F-i and TJGR-F-2), Indian Crock
(UGR-I-],), Phillips Crook (uGt-P-l), Gordon Crook (UGR..G-l), Cabin
Creek (uGR-cb.1 and UGR-Cb-2), and, under specified conditions,
Spring Crook.
3. Consider the ostabliabrnt of silver sabon in Hurricane, Boar, Big.
Canyon, aiid lower Prairie Creeks of the Wa].lo'aa River sytom; Little
Sheep, Camp, Horse, and Lightning Creeks of the Innaha River system;
and Spring, Indian, awl Clark Creeks of the uppsr Grands Rondo drainage fol1oiing suggsstd othode.
Assure fish passage at tro designated lou' dams (WaH-4) on Hurricane
Crook if introduction of sth'or salmon is attempted.
Investigate all un oroenod diversion ditches (Po-EK-]., Po-EEE-1, and
Po-EWE-5), on Eajle Coek to determine fish lose, and screen whore
necessary.
4].,
Assure fish passage at Phillips ditch dam (Po-EWE-l) on West Eagle
Creek.
Invcstigato unscroened diversion ditches (UGR-Ca5 and UGR-Ca6) on
Catherine Creek to dot
ilno fish loss, and screen whore necessary.
Screen opn ditches (Wa-5) on the Wallou'a River between Wallowa Lake
and Joseph if lntk'cduction of blurbacic and/or silver salmon is
successful.
Invoetigito uwcreenod diverulori ditchc,s (UGFtP-3, UGrt-.I-3, UGFt-G-2,
UGR-Cb-4, and UGR-WS-3) on PhUh1p, Indirin, Gordon, Cabin, and Spring
Creeks on the upper Grande Ronde River to determine fish 1oi3, and
ecroon where necessary.
Looaon streambod rriterial
by mechanical moans to remove silt and
increase percolation in a designated area of Big Sheep Crook.
Consider the dovolopinernt of off-channel impoundment o.rea on Little
Sheep and Camp Crocks if the introduction of silver salxnon is attempted.
Assure fish passage at designated dams (UGR-2 and UGR-3) on the upper
Grando Ronde River dra.inag.
ConsIder stream shading in designated areas of Catherine Crook by use
of 8treaxnbank plantings.
Remove designated debris jzrs (LGR$S-l) on Swamp Crook.
Remove designated dobris jams (LGa-WI-1) on Wildcat Crook in the lower
Grando Rondo River drainage, on the Wonaha River drainage (LGR-WNF-1
and LGR-W14-1), and on upper Lookingglass Creek (UGR-L-2 and UGR-L-3).
Inostigato unsereoned diversion
ditches (Po-l) on the lower Powder
River to doterine fish loss, and screen whore necessary.
52,
InvestIgate Eagle Falls (Po-2) on Eagle creek to determine If a
partial barrier exists,
Install dcflaetore on the lower Wonaha River on an experimental basis
to create additional pool area.
Consider Inestigntion on upper Bear Creek for hoadwator storage to
obtain water spcifieally far fish life by alleviating low flow
conditIon..
ConsIder the establishment of steeihoad on upper Prairie Crook
following suggos ted methods.
If introduction of stecihoad
i
attempted, Inveotiato unscreenod
diversion ditches (WaP-2) on upper Prairie Creek to determine fish
1os, and screen where nssary.
ACKNCILEDGMENTS
Acknow1edgcnt is extended to prsonno]. of the U. S. Geological Survey,
at La Grando, Oregon, for their a istanoc in furnishing
infornation concerning streane In the study area. Acknowlcdgnent is also made
to personae]. of the Oregon Geo Coniesion, eepecially those of Region 4, for
providing information coniorning the fish populatione and stre
of Eastern
Surface Water Branch
Oregon.
The authors wish to thank Mrs. Joanne Ainec, and Messrs. Roger Slaby and
Dolbert Ranks for Inking the nurous graphs and naps and Mrs Pauline Prickott
for typing approximately 1,200 pages of text and tables for the rough drafts and
final copy of this report, The planning and early phases of the progran were
under the direction and supervision of Dr. George Y. Harry, Jr. and Mr. Robert
W. Schoning, then Director and A-sistant Director of Research, and Mr. Ernest R,
Jeffrics, then project lender for the Co1wbia River Fifrry Dcve1opmnt Progran.
Mr. Rziyiond A, WilliS bae project leader in October 1958 and roviecd the
rough drafte, ron dyed editorial cc'ents, end supervised the coepilatlon of the
final manuscript. Appreciation is extended to Musars. SIgrd J. W trhe'isi and
Jack N. Van HynlrAg, Director and Assistant Director of Research,
respectively,
for reviewing and editing the final report.
LITERP.TUiIE CI1
Brett, J. R.
Temperature tolerance in young Pacific salnion, genus
Jour. Fish. Roe, Bd. Can., Vo].. 9, No. 6, pp. 265-323.
1952,
Bryan, K.
1929.
Geology of reservoir and darn sites with a report on the Owyhee
irrigation project, Oregon. U. S. Geol. Surv., Water Supply Paper
597-A, 92 pp.
Burner, Clifford 3.
1951.
Chwactoristics of spaming nest8 of Co].uinbia River salmon.
Fish and Wildlife Serv,, Fish, Bull. No. 6]., 110 pp.
U. S.
Columbia Basin Inter-Agency Committee
1957.
Part II. Inventory of streane and proposed improvements for
development of the fishery resources of the upper Columbia River
basin. Fisheries Steering Coin. CBIAC, 100 pp.
French, Robert R. and Roy 3, Wahie
1959.
Biology of chinook and bluhek s1non and stecihead in the
Wanatchoc River system. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Serv., Spec.
Sd, Rep.: Fish, No, 301+, 17 pp.
Gangerk, Harold A, and R. D
1956.
Further observations on strasni survival of king a1mon spWn,
Calif. Fih and Game, Vol. 42, No. 1, pp. 37-49.
Gangmark, Herold A, and Bakkale
1958,
Plastic standpipo for sampling strcambed envfronxnent of sa1non
spnm. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Sort., Spec. Sd, Rep.: Fish.
No. 261, 20 pp.
Hogonson, G. 11.
1957.
Golog. and ground water resources of the Umati11a River basin
area, Oregon. U. S. Geol. Surv., Open File Rep., 100 pp.
Newoomb, R, C.
1951.
Preliminary report on the ground water resources of the Walla Ualla
U. S. Gaol, 3urv., Unpub. report.
bamn, Washingon ntd Oregon.
Nielson, Reed S.
1950.
Survey of the Columbia River and its tributaries, Part V.
Fish and Wildlife Serv., Spec. Sd. Rep.: Fish. No. 3, 41
U, S.
pp.
Literature Cited (continued)
Pardoe, J. I. and D. F. Hewitt
1914.
Oreg.
Geology and mineral resources of the Sumpter quzLdrangle.
Bur. of Mines and Geol., Mm. Res. of Crag., Vol. 3, No, 6.
Parkhurst, Zdll B,
1950a. Survey of the Columbia River and it& tributaries. Part VI.
Fish and Wildlife Serv., Spec. Sd. Rep.: Fish. No. 39, 58
U. S.
pp.
1950b. Survey of the Columbia River and its tributaries. Part VII. U. S.
Fish. No. 40, 95 pp.
Fish and Wildlife Serv., Spec. Sci. Rep.
195Cc. Survey of the Columbia River and its tributaries. Part VIII. U. S.
Fish and Wildlife Serv., Spec. Sd. Rep.: Fish. No. 57, 19 pp.
Rulifeon, R. L. and E. R. Joffrioc
1953.
Unpublished notes.
Fish Comm. Orog. Rea.Diviion.
Stout, Wendell H.
195?.
Stream surveys and fish relocation feasibility studios, Mountain
Sheep and Pleacant Valley Dams. Oreg. State Game Comm., 125 pp.
Thompson, Robert N., Janes B. Huas, Lawrence
1958.
M. Woodall, and
Edwin K. Holmberg
Results of a tagging proram to enunorate the numbers and to determine
the seasontl occurenco of anadromous fish in the Snake River and 1t
tributaries. Finh Comm, Oreg., Dittoed rep, 202 pp.
U. S. Hureau of Recleiat1on
1947.
Tho Columbia River, 399 pp.
U. S. Departncnt of Commerce
1957.
C1inrtic
nry of the United States.
1952. U. S. Weather Bureau, 70 pp.
Supplesient for 1933. through
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1957.
A detailed report on fish and wildlife resources affected by the
proposed upper Owyhee project, Duncan Ferry and Jordan creek
developments. Bur. of Sport Fish. and Wildlife, 20 pp.
1958a. A proess report on air and water temperature studios, 1954-56,
Middle Snake River drainage, 100 pp.
1958b. A progress report on air and water teperaturo studies for 1957,
Middle Snake drainage. 120 pp.
Literature Cited (continued)
U. S. Geological Survey
1956.
Compilation of records of surface waters of the United States
through September 1950, Part 13, Snake River basin. U. S. Geol.
Surv., Water Supply Paper 1317, 566 pp.
1943-1959.
Surface
water supply of the United States,
Snake River basin.
1957,
Pert 13,
U, S. Gaol. Surv., Water Supply Papers, Nos.
983, 1043, 1063, 1093, 1123, 1153, 1183, 1217, 1247, 1287, 1347,
1397, 1447, 1517, 1567.
APPENDiX A
A STUDY OF SOME OF THE FACTORS ASSOCIATED
WITH THE REESTABLISHMENT OF BLUEBACK SALMON
(Oncorhynchus nerka) INTO THE UPPER WALLOWA
RIVER SYSTEM
1/
Richard C. Toner
March 1960
/ Now with the Bureau of Conmeroia1 Fisheries, Massachusetts.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION
A-?
SURVEY OF LITERATURE AND UNPUBLISHED INFOF(MTION
ON WALLOWA LAKE BLUEBACK SALMON
A-S
PHYSICAL SURVEY OF STUDY AREA
A-iC)
Physical
Description of Wallowa Lake
A.40
Storage Capacity and Lake Fluctuations
Al2
Spawning Area in Lake
Physical Description., of the Wallowa
River Above
A15
and Below the Lake
River Above
River
the Lake
A15
Below the Lake
A-iS
Darn to the Wilson Ditch
A.48
Wilson Ditch to Ruesol iano
A18
Russel Lane to Dorrance Lane
Dorrance
A18
"Market
"Market Road" to Enterprise
A..l8
Enterprise to Rock
A18
Water Teznpratures in Study Area
A...18
Water Flow in Study Area
A26
Irrigation Diversions in
Barriers in
A-30
Study Area
Study Area
Wallowa Lake Darn
A-30
,
A30
Consolidated Ditch Darn
A33
Low Flow Area and Possible Pollution Below
Miller Pond Ditch Darn
A33
Log and Debris Jaxns
A-33
TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
Page
WATER RIGHTS IN STUDY AREA
A-33
Wallowa River Water Rights From the Dam
to Hurricane Creek
TRAPPING DOWNSTREAM MIGRANTS
A-39
Description and Function of Fish Traps
A-40
Fish Catch
A-40
FEASIBILITY OF REESTABLISHING BLUEBACK SALMON
IN WALl/idA LAKE
A-43
Successful Donor Stock
A-
Screen Diversion Ditches
A-44
gment Summer Stream Flows
A-
Ladder Diversion Dame
A-44
Egg-Taking and Incubation
A-44
Surmnarv
A-45
RECOMMENDED PROGRAM
A-45
LITERATURE CITED
A-46
LIST OF APPENDIX FIGURES
Page
Appendix
Figure
Wallows Lake Looking South from Hill at Lower End
A-il
Wallows Lake Dam and Forebay
A-li
Yearly Maximum Wallows Lake Gauge Readings, 1937-59
£43
Topographic Map of Wallows Lake
6
Key Map of Study Area, Wallows River Above
Wallows Lake to the Mouth of Rock Creek
A-16
Map of Area South of Wallows Lake
A-i?
Map of Wallows River Fiton Lake to 3 Miles
Below Enterprise
.... A49
Map of Wallows River From 4,5 Miles Above
Lostine to 0.25 Mile Above Wallows
A.20
Map of Wallows River 025 Mile Above Wallows
to 75 Miles Below Wallows
A21
Biweekly Observations of Maximum, Minimum, and Mean
Wallows River Temperatures Taken 0.75 Mile Above
Wallows Lake, June Through September 1959
A23
Biweekly Observations of Maximum, Minimum, and Mean
Wallows Lake Temperatures, Taken 1.5 Feet Below
Forebay Level at Wallows Lake Dam, June Through.
September 1959.
A-24
Biweekly Observations of Maximiun, Minimum and Mean
Wallows River Temperatures Taken Near Enterprise,
June Through September 1959.
A..25
Daily Discharge in Cubic Feet per Secod from
Wallows Lake into Wallows River During the
Irrigation Season, May Through September 1959
A-27
Monthly Discharge in Acre-feet in the Wallows River
and Silver Lake, Farmers, and Consolidated Ditches
During the Irrigation Season, May Through September 1959
A-28
Daily Discharge in Cubic Feet per Second from Wallows
Lake Into Consolidated, Farmers, and Silver Lake Ditches
During the Irrigation Season, May - September 1959
A-29
Silver Lake Ditch Flume on Left With Wallows
River on Right and Dam in Background
A32
A-4
LIST OF APPENDIX FIGURES (continued)
AipetdI,t
Page
Figure
17.
Farmers Ditch Intake on Right and Wallowa River
on Left
1. Wallowa River in Foreground Entering Consolidated
Ditch on Right Side of Photograph
Cross Valley Canal Near Lostine, Oregon..........,........,....
A-32
A-32
A-32
W11owa River Below the Miller Pond Ditch Dam
on August 17, 1959. At Left is Miller Pond
Ditch Wooden Flume
1.4afer Returning to the Wallowa River in Foreground
From the Mt. Emily Lumber Company Log Pond in Background
A-34
Top View of Trap Showing Trap Box, Apron, and Wing
A-41
Side View of Trap Showing Wing, Trap Box, and
A-41
Trap in Farmers Ditch Flume
A41
Lcngth-Frequency Distribution of Mackinaw and Rainbow
Trout Trapped in Farmers and Silver Lake Ditches, MayAugust, 1959
A-42
S
LIST OF' APPENDIX TABLES
Appendix
Table
Page
Spot-Temperature Data for the Wallowa River Between
l4allowa Lake and Enterprise for August, 1959
A-22
List of Unscreened Diversions in Wallowa River System
Between Wallowa Lake and Rock Creek as of the Summer
of 1959
A-31
The Wallowa River Water Rights of Companies and
Individuals From the Wallowa Lake Darn to Hurricane Creek
A-35
The Combined Catches for the Silver Lake and Farmers
Ditch Traps From May- 25 to August 31, 1959....................... A-43
INTRODUCTION
S
Eastern Oregon historical notes pertaining to the turn of the 19th century
refor to Wallowa Lake as the favorite spawning ground for the Columbia River
nerka) in Oregon. With the pioneering of white
blueback salmon
settlers to this area around 1875, and the utilizatIon of the Wa].lowr River for
irrigation purposes, the species declined in abundance due to unscreened diversions which trapped large numbers of juvenile migrants. Later, development of
the agricultural economy necessitated Impoundment of storage water in Wal1ow
Lake and a darn constructed in 1916 for this purpose completely blocked the blueback from their spawning grounds and exterminated the rmnaInIng portions of the
runs.
The Fish Commission of Oregon has seriously considered the possibility of
reestablishing the blueback run in the Wallowa System for a number of years, and
since 1955 several preliminary investigations and brief reports have been coinpleted. The present study was Initiated in May of 1959 and, although only designed to utilize the services of one biologist for a six month period, marked
the first time that more than a very brief investigation was made. The study
extended from Nay through September of 1959 and was directed toward the following objectives:
1.
Survey of literature and unpublished information concerning past
productivity and future salmon-rearing potential of Waliowa Lake.
2.
Physical Survey of study area.
a.
Physical Description of Waflowa Lake.
b
Physical Description of the Wailowa River above and
below the lake.
Water temperatures.
Water flows.
Irrigation diversions.
River
barriers.
3.
To determine water rights (amounts of water for withdrawal) in the
study area.
4.
irrigation
To trap downstream migrants immediately below the dam in
reLative
abundance.
ditches and to determine species and
5.
in
To explore the feasibility of reestab1ihing blueback salmon
Wallowa Lake.
6.
deemed feasible, for reestablishing
To recommend a program,
blueback salmon in Wallowa Lake.
if
SURVEY OF LITERATURE AND UNPUBLISHED INFORMATION
ON WALLOWA LAKE BLUEI3ACKS
Some people remain in the Wallowa Valley who can recall the past great runs
of the bluoback salmon; i.e. people who entered the valley prior to 1900. Among
these are Mr. and Mrs. Jay Dobbins, Mr. Max Wilson, Mr. Wilbur Roman and Mr.
Jasper Prout, all of whom provided first hand accounts of the early runs.
Duo to its seclusion and isolation the Wallowa Valley was relatively late in
developing into a cattle and sheep range.
The Nez Perce Indians were the first to exploit the bluebacks and other salmon
in the Wallowa River (in fact, the word "Wallowa" means "fish trap" in the Indian
language), Mr. Nib Murray of Enterprise states that the Indians caught salmon
in large numbers, dried them on the shore of Wallowa Lake, and buried them in
the fall to be dug up in early spring when the Indians returned to this area and
were short of food.
Mr. Jay Dobbin was one of the early settlers in the valley, arriving in 1892
and establishing permanent residence in 1894. He remembers James McCall, who
established a cannery at the head of Waliowa Lake prior to 1894. This cannery
was in operation for 4 or 5 years. Mr. McCall salted the salmon and packed them
in barrels for sale in eastern Oregon towns.
With the use of the Wallowa River for irrigation, young salmon migrants were
diverted into farmers' fields by the unscreened irrigation ditches, The first
information pertaining to unscreoned ditches appears on page 21 of the 1890
report of the State Board of Fish Commissioners:
"Another complaint was made by the people in that part of the State,
and we find it general where irrigating ditches are in use, that during
April and May, when the streams are full of water, a great many young fish
of all species, as they are descending the stream, are run into these ditches
and carried out on the farms and left to perish. A law should be enacted
requiring the owners of all ditches, both for mining and irrigating purposes,
to put a screen of fine wire netting across the mouth of all such ditches
where water is taken from a stream inhabited by fish, and to keep it there
during the months of April, May and Juno. This will not be a hardship to
anyone, as but little water is used during these months, and the screens can
be arranged as to interfere very little with the flow of water."
Hollister' D. McGuire, Protector (this title .tas later changed to Master Fish
Warden), supplies informaUon on past blueback runs on page 53 of his Annual
Report of 1895 in commenting on the need for screens in irrigation ditches:
"I earnestly recommend that provision be made in our fish laws
requiring all persons and corporations owning in whole, or in part, any
mill race, irrigating ditch, or canal, taking or receiving its waters from
any river, creek, stream, or lake in which food fish exist, to provide and
maintain over the inlet of such streams, a wire screen of such construction,
firmness, strength, and quality, as shall prevent fish from entering such
canal or mill race, when required to do so by the fish and game protector.
My attention wa called to the necesity of such a law through a letter from
Professor Gilbart of Stanford University some two years ago. There is no
doubt that many thousand chinook and blueback salmon are annually destroyed
in this state by being carried out into unscreened irrigating ditches;
especially Is this true of Wellowa River and Lake. These waters are natural
spawnIng grounds for the chinook and the only stream in Oregon to which the
blueback resort for spawning. Through personal investIg tion of this matter,
I am satisfied that Professor Gilbert's statement that 'Many thousand young
fish annually perish by passing out into the irrigating fields,' is a conservative statement of the loss sustained by the fshories because of the
neglect of the state to provide a screen law. I append Professor Gilbert's
letter:'ZOOLOGICAL LABRATORY, LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY, STANFORD
UNIVERSITY, CALIFORNIA, March 23, 1895.
Mr. H. D. l4cGuIre, Portland, Oregon-U-
I have just read with much interest your report to the governor
Dear Sir:
and venture to call your attention to a very important violation of the law
not there discussed. I refer to the failure on the part of ditch owners to
provide suitable screens for the head of the ditch. I found last summer that
the Wallowa River is the most important natural spawning ground for chinooks
which I have yet examined. It is also the only stream In Oregon affording
spawning beds (Wallowa Lake and Tributaries) for the blueback. Yet the
ditches are for the most part unscreened, and many thousand young fish
annually perish by passing out into the irrigated fields.
Yours truly,
C. H. GILBERT' "
Finally, H. G. VanDusen, Master Fish Warden, in commenting on habits of
salmon on page 13? and 133 of a 1904 report furnishes his observe tions on the
demise of the bluebacks due to unscreened ditches.
"It is plain that salmon are very peculiar in regard to certain
in a great measure, for
streams, and that each particuler species
spawning purposes, the waters of its infancy
The Blueback salmon of the Cclumbia are also very peculiar in this
respect and each particular tribe seeks the waters of its nativity to spawn,
and when once that particular tribe becomes extinct their old familiar
spawning grounds become forsaken. In this State we have had this demonstrated
very clearly at Waliowa Lake which in the early days, with its vast body
of clear, cold water and extensive spawning grounds at the head of the lake,
was sought after every year by these little salmon in innumerable ninbors
for spawning purposes, while now that distinct family has become almost
extinct, owing principally to the destruction of the young salmon in being
led off into the fields through the irrigattng ditches while on their way
to the sea, and the lake has become completely depleted."
It is interesting to note that this is the first instance in which an authority speaks of the blueback salmon being almost extinct In this state and Wallowa
small fracticn
Lake being completely depleted. The run that remained was a very
not
quite
the
case
as
first hand
of past runs, but "completely depleted" was
secretary
of
an irrigation
ax
Wilson,
(a
accounts from resIdents indicate. Nr.
Game
Commissioner),
recalls
sightings
of individcompany - also an Oregon State
River, approxibuilt
across
the
Wallowa
ual bluehacks until 1905 when a dam was
1905 and
inatelv 0,75 mile below the town of Minam. The darn was constructed in
of
Fisheries
as
a
part
of early
enlarged in 1906 by the Oregon State Departirent
A-9
artificial propagation activities. Prior activities were conducted in 1901 and
1902 in the Grande Ronde and Wenaha Rivers near Troy, Oregon. Detailed aCcounts
of the early operations are discussed in early Annual Reports of the Department
of Fisheries of the State of Oregon. Mr. Dave Rich (a long-time resident),
remembers 1917 as the year he saw a small school of adult bluebacks migrating
upriver near Enterprise.
Mrs. Dobbins remembers the year 1920 as the last time juveniles showed up in
It was the year she was the president of a women's club
the irrigation ditches.
and at a meeting at her house she promised the ladies a trout dinner. Unable to
get anyone to catch trout, she obtained 500 or so migrating blueback salmon, up
to 7 inches long, in her irrigation ditch for the dinner. She remembers these
as difficult to obtain even at that time. She recalls seeing very few after 1920.
Although the blueback salmon stocks were practically eliminated as early as
1905 by the white man's irrigation and dam building practices, it is believed
that small numbers of adults frequented the Wallowa Lake spawning ground up
until 1916. Since that time, no investigations into the possibility of a restoration program were known of until recent years when several preliminary
surveys were made by the Research Division of the Oregon Fish Commission. The
reports, all unpublished resulting from these surveys are listed as follows:
Wallowa Lake Survey (1955).
Wal].àwa River Survey (1955).
Preliminary Report. Wallowa Lake Blueback Salmon
Rehabilitation Project (1957).
Preliminary Report No. 2 Wallowa Lake I3lueback
Salmon Rehabilitation Project (1958).
While the above reports are of a cursory nature they primarily identified
certain problems concerned with an attempt to reestablish the former blueback
runs into the Wallowa system and information hasbeen used from the above
reports.
PHYSICAL SURVEY OF STUDY AREA
The survey area consisted primarily of Wallowa Lake and 31 miles of the
Wallowa River from the dam at the lake's outlet downstream to Rock Creek, below
considered in the
the town of Waflowa. The river and forks above the lake were
survey area because of their potential value as spawning grounds for salmon.
Physical Description of Wa iowa Lake
Wallowa Lake (Figure 1) was formed by a damming action of a glacial drift,
approximately one million years ago. The easterly and westerly shores are
examples of lateral moraines and the northern boundary of the lake, a terminal
to a maximum of 1,200 feet
moraine. The east and west literal moraines eitend
is 283 feet and was
The
maximum
known
lake
depth
from lake bottom to crest.
The
recorded by Professor W. D. Smith of the University of Oregon in 1927.
at full
surface area of the lake is approximately 1,600 acres and the elevation
outlake level is 4,382 feet above sea level. Below the terminal moraine, an
wash plain extends beyond the town of Joseph to the north.
Storage Capacity and Lake Fluctuations
outlet of
The concrete dam constructed in 1916 and rebuilt in 1929 at the
Wallowa Lake (Figure 2) has made the lake a storage reservoir with a capacity
A-lO
FIgure 1. Wallowa Lake Looking
South from Hill at Lower End.
Figure 2. Wallowa Lake Darn
and Forebay.
Ali
of 42,750 acre-feet4/ Previous records show a low point at 3.4 feet gauge height
in the outlet channel 100 yards above the dam. However, measurezrents made in
the sumaer of 1959 show a 4.0 foot differential. Therefore, 6,187 acts-feet of
water cannot be removed fron the lake unless the channel is dredged. This leaves
36,563 acre-feet of water which can be removed from the lake.
The most significant fact concerning the yearly maximum gauge readings (Figure
3) is the number of times the lake has spilled over the dam since 1956 when the
Pacific Power and Light Company generating station in Joseph became permanently
inactive in July 1956 after having been struck by lightning. Thompson (1958)
points out that the probability for a full reservoir every year is now greatly
increased. The records during the storage season (October to April) for the
period from October 1950 to April 1954 show that the power plant used an average
of approximately 15,000 acre-feet per storage season. This is 35% of the total
storage capacity of the lake and 41% of the present usable storage. The overflow
in the 3 years since 1956 is indicative of the greatly increased probability for
filling the reservoir each year.
With the melting of snow in the mountains, storage water accumulates in May
June, and July. Maximum gauge reading at the dam from 1937 to 1959 show that
50 per cent of these readings occurred in the month of July. It should be noted
that the farmers cut hay about July 1, which results in limited irrigation and
may influence the number of high readings in July. Gauge readings for the three
years since the deactivation of the Pacific Power and Light Coirpany's generating
plant in Joseph, show that maximum storage capacity was obtained in Nay and June
during the years 1956-59.
More pronounced over the past 23 years is that 60 per cent of the low readings
Twenty-two per cent of the
occurred between September 25 and October
readings occurred in late August and September. Minimum lake levels have ranged
(21,880
between 11.85 gauge height (18,460 acre-feet) and 14.00 gauge height
acre-feet) since the deactivation of tl-e Pacific Power and Light Company's
generating plent in Joseph. The major portion of the agricultural irrigation
season is between May 1 and October 1.
2. 2/
Spawning Area in Lake
Only limited spawning area in the lake is believed available due to the
gravel.
extremely steep banks of the moraines (Figure 4) and silting of the
reported
a few
Fish Coinniission personnel in making observations in January 1958
Obsershoal areas, but they contained unsuitable gravel and were silt covered.
A volunteer
vations during the present survey concur with those made in 1958.
in the southand
18,
1959,
15
underwater diver took bottom samples on October
south of the
eastern area of the lake and on Conley's Bar approximately 1 mile
10, 20, 30, and 70
dam on the east side of the lake. The samples were taken at
It is reported that one
heavily
silted.
feet and all samples were found to be
by
section in the northwest corner of the lake was utilized as a spawning area
fall
of
kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka kennerivi, landlocked blueback) during the
A sport fishery exist for this species in Wallowa Lake.
1958.
The first dam to be
/ Capaclty Table from State Engineers Office (1934).
Lake
was
built
in
1905 but was reported
constructed at the outlet of Wallowa
to have been passable to blueback salmon.
2/
and blueback spawning
These dates roughly coincide with the peaks of chinook
1900's.
in the lower Wallowa River as recorded in the early
A-l2