f_,9IS9,i92e1fr- OREGON STATE GAMECOMMISSION FISHERY DIVISION 1955 ANNUAL REPORT FISHFRT DIVISI4 1955 H. J. Rayner, Editor OREGCt STATE GAME CSSION P. W, Schneider Director Ju11, 1956 INTRODUCTION It was found to be advantageous to treat chemically several large lakes, reservoirs, and their tributaries in order to remove undesirable fish populations. Approximately loS tons of 5 per cent rotenone powder and 1,000 gallons of liquid rotenone were used in control work during the 1955 season. A Canadian strain of rainbow trout planted in Diamond Lake, the 3,000-acre body of water chemically treated in l951, has shown excellent growth, averaging better than one inch per month since they were released in July. Much effort has been devoted to improvement of habitat for anadrcnous game species. A falls on the south Umpqua River, which partially blocked spawning runs of salmon and stesihead, has been the site of recent stream improvement activities. A ladder eight feet in width was completed around the fafls to permit the free pas- sage of salmon and steelhead at all water stages. The project, cost-ing approximately $38,000, was completed with the aid of Dingell-Johnson funis. Most of the streams in the state having runs of anadroinous game fish have now been cleared 'of brush and debris which had accumulated from early logging operations. Screening continues to be an important adjunct to the management of anadrQnous game species, Recently approved, was a plan for the installation of a louver type fish screen at the Gold Hill hydroelectric power dam on the Rogue River. If suc- cessful, the Gold Hill project may set a precedent and result in the screening of a number of diversions which have been destroying countless numbers of seaward migrant stee].head and salmon. We are encouraged by the continued upward trend of the spring chinook salmon runs in the Unipqua River. The 1955 run was the fifth consecutive year in which the progeny exceeded the parent run. It now seems apparent that through rigid protection of the remnant of this once-famous salmon run, there is a good pos- sibility of spring chinook becoming re-established in the Uinpqua River in sane semblance of its former magnitude. The warm-water game fish program, designed to improve the fishery and to promote angling for these species, continues to be expanded.Movements of the channel catfish are being studied in the Snake and Columbia rivers. Because the channel catfish has become established in the lower Columbia River, it is being considered as a game species suitable for introduction into the Willamette River.A farm pondanual has been published to aid landowners in the construction and management of small impoundments in Oregon. In lieu of a warm-water game fish hatchery cooperative agreements have been made with pond owners to use private ponds for rearing fish. In cooperative farm ponds, the Commission receives the use of the impoundment for one or more years for which it in turn provides stock for the pond owner at the conclusion of the project. Overpopulation of warm-water game fish continues to be a vexing problem. The research division is undertaking several long-range projects such as the life history study of the steelhead trout. In cooperation with the U. S. Forest Service they are attempting to learn the effect that various logging practices have on trout stream ecology. Acquisition of lands for public access to fishing areas continues to be an important project. Although the state is fortunate in having so much public land, portions of a number of important streams have been withdrawn from angler use because of private ownership. Emphasis is being placed on securing strategic property sites on such famous streams as the Rogue, McKenzie, and Deschutes rivers. The offshore sport salmon fishery, which has grown tremendously in recent years, is being stidied intensively at numerous Oregonports. The offshore sport troll for salmon is expected to become one of the state's outstanding fisheries, and a backlog of statistical and biological data is needed to formu].ate future regulations. The popularity of the fishery will undoubtedly be increaed as the result of a special one-dollar-per-day salmon license authorized by recent legislation. The River Basin Division has paid close attention to the construction or planned construction of a number of dams affecting the state, among which are eleven major hydroelectric projects.Fornidable engineering-biological problems are posed by projects under construction or pending. All of dams or proposed dams have required expenditure of effort on the part of the department; first, to determine what fishery probl8ns willbe presented by them; and second what measures may be taken to reduce or toprevent losses resulting fran them.An active part has been taken in local and regional policy discussions concerning water-use and development. Introduced golden trout and Atlantic salmon appear to have fared well in Oregon waters during the past year. Eggs have been obtained from mature Atlantic salmon reared from fry at a Game Commission hatchery.Golden trout planted in chemically treated lakes in the high Wallowa Mountains as fingerlingshave shown favorable growth rates. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Umpqua River Studies . , . , 1 Rogue River and South Coastal Streams. 21 Upper Willamette . 37 Central Wi].lamette . , , , . , , , 51 Lower Wi].lamette . , . , . , 62 Northeastern Oregon. 73 Southest Oregon . 8I. Central Oregon Columbia District. 99 Deachutes River. , . 115 B end District. .. e . 135 Kiamath District , . 160 JohnDay . 168 NorthCoastDistrjct... ..... .. ..... 178 Tillamook. 190 Lincoln District .' . , , 201 C oceCoquille District . .. 210 Fish Propagation . 219 Angling Regulations. 220 WarinwaterGame Fish. ....... 222 FishResech. ...o . 235 Stream Improvement . 239 Salmon and Steelhead SportFishery . 2l2 FishStking........ 1I . 214i Contributing Personnel,. 2148 Game CcuuissionHatcheries . 1 . ...... 2149 UNPQUA RIVER STUDIES W. E. Pitney and W. 0. Saltzman Fishery resource inventories Winchester Darn counts November,1955,completed the first decade of fish counting activities on the North Umpqua River.On the whole, the period has been one of greatly improved sal- mon runs, slight but erratic increases in the numbers of coastal cutthroat, and a variable population condition displayed by the steelhead.Rough fish populations have fluctuated widely for unknown reasons. The phenomenal increase in the maguitude of the spring chinook salmon runwas of dominant interest. The1955count showed a229per cent gain over the1950par- ent year.The total included995marked fish of hatchery origin, the increase in wild fish beingi86per cent.Of particular interest was the number of fresh chi- nook that passed the counting station practically all summer.Comparisons of semi- monthly counts with those of previous runs show a substantial gain in the numbers of "summer salmon".Fall chinook appeared in greater quantities than had beenpre- viously experienced,692fish being counted in 1955.The figure represented656 adults and thirty-six jacks.The1953tally of eighty-six adults and two jacks had been the former high.The poor count of195)1was the direct result of low water throughout the migration period.No autumn freshets occurred and the water did not rise much above the summer low level until late December, well afterthe fall salmon migration period had passed.The1955silver salmon tally of2,697fish was second only to the1952 areit run.The lack of autumn freshets in195)1had a. very depress- ing effect on the number of silvers passing the countingstation at Winchester Dam, but they were present in goodly numbers inareas where counts were made along the main river and on lower tributary spawning grounds. The195)1-55migration of winter steelhead was the second poorest ofrecord. Not only did it get off to a bad startas a result of low water flows, but it was generally slow throughout most of theseason.The smallest winter run occurred in 1950-51,which produced most of the fish tallied in the winter of195)1-55. A 1)1 per cent increase over the "parent run" is indicated.The summer steelhead count in 1955was normal. The3,)130fish exceeded the1951count by only seventy fish, and was 130 above the ten year average.Coastal cutthroat fared badly in195)1because of the low autumn water flows.The summer segment of the run was strong, but the usual later fish failed to materialize.The good success enjoyed by downstreamang- lers indicated that the fish were in the river, but didnot migrate as far upstream as Winchester Dam during the summer period.The1955run of960was approximately normal, although only about one-half of the highrecorded in1953. Rough fish numbers emphasized the variations inintra-streain movements previously displayed. The count of squawfish dropped from the all-timehigh of2,109in195)1 to29)1fish in1955. The lowest count was150 in 1953. Suckers again appeared in 2,750 large numbers, the 11,750 being only Jesthan the record high in195)1. Weather and water conditions undoubtedly greatlyinfluence the intra-stream spawningmove- ments of the rough fish, as there isno reason to believe that the populations fluctuate in proportion to the countsthat have been obtained. Data were examined from the records ofthe first nine years of counting inorder to deterniine if it would be feasibleto operate the station part time andto estimate total numbers.Various errors became apparent in thesampling, and it was not suited 1 Winchester Dam Tablefish counts, 19116-1955 19146 19147 19118 19149 1950 1951 1952 1953 19514j 1955 Spring chinook, adultstotaljacks 1,9Th2,507533 3,8112,9914817 2,L1.932,21152118 2,5932,10914814 2,3212,01411277 3,6172,9140677 I,7025,261559 14,83114,310521 6,6138,189l576 6,2661,3787,61114 Fall chinook, jacksadults --13 --22 --13 --12 88862 --1 69265636 Silver salmon, adultstotaljacks 1,38058 1,01028 73753 1,3301382 1,281491 2,09816113 2,76130512 1,6527014 325614 2,1475222 Summer steelheadtotal 3,3611,1438 5,1131,038 2,762790 1,14121,672 2,8351,375 3,3612,259 14,141433,066 2,814142,356 3,117389 3,14302,697 WinterCoastal steelhead cutthroat 1,1386,563 11,220791i.