Fishes of Moses Lake Washington

029/3

Walla Walla College Publications of the DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES and the BIOLOGICAL STATION

Vtme 1, Number 1, pp. 1-22 October 29, 1951

—BY— KENNETH ELLISON GROVES

Walla Walla College Department of Biological Sciences College Place, Washington 1951 FISHES OF MOSES LAKE 1

Acknowledgements

It would be impossible to mention all who gave assistance in this study. To do so would be to name scores of fishermen and many local residents. To teachers, especially Drs. E. S. Booth, L. M. Ashley, and B. W. Hal- stead the writer is indebted for guidance and counsel. To early residents: R. P. Penhallurick and wife, William Killian, I. N. McGrath, Walter Schneirla and especially George Hockstatter credit is given for valuable information. The last three named were associated with the carp industry formerly operating at Moses Lake. Mrs. Margaret Harris, Frank Lees and K. I. Goodrich of Moses Lake, Washington furnished data on flood control and irrigation. A. H. Cruikshank, President of the local Sportsmen's Association and J. H. Laney, Washington State Game Protector, assisted in work relating to fish problems. Miscellaneous courtesies were extended by Doctor and Mrs. Richard Penhallurick and Dr. and Mrs. Harold J. Reith. E. P. Vance, Officer of Soil Conservation, permitted the copying of the aerial composite photograph of Moses Lake. Letters from many scien- tists and technicians were invaluable, and the Bureau of Reclamation furnished information and a project map. 2 FISHES OF MOSES LAKE

Introduction Since Moses Lake is situated in the heart of the Columbia Basin Project (see map on page 5) which soon will bring irrigation to over 1,000,000 acres of waste land, much attention is at present centered on this lake, which heretofore has excited little notice or interest in its development. A survey of its fishes was suggested, therefore, since in the consummation of the plans of the Bureau of Reclamation this lake will be altered. The presence of carp in the lake has been its dominating feature since the day in 1904 when its flood waters rolled down to the Columbia River, allowing the carp to enter. The planting of spiny-rayed fishes through the years, has been gradually achieving some control of the carp population in the lake The attempt to poison carp in Moses Lake has been given up by the State Game Department after several experiments in the shallow lake arms. Some controversy exists as to whether carp are actually obnoxious. Lately a marked increase in aquatic vegetation, especially tules (Scir- pus validus), seems to indicate that there are fewer carp, since these fish are chiefly vegetarian and feed heavily on the plant life. Catch records indicate a numerically high game fish population. Many of these specimens are large for their species. The peculiarly small number of yearling and two-year old carp taken by seining at various points of the lake re- veals a high mortality rate for carp. In the planning of this study it was deemed desirable to limit its scope to tracing a partial history of fish fauna in the lake and to tabulating those species found at present. Because fish life in a lake is determined by conditions found therein and affected by such external influences as surrounding country, weather, and similar factors some data on these topics are included. Physical Features Location. The Columbia Basin, ranging in elevation from 500 to 2,000 feet is composed of 2,500,000 acres of sagebrush flats and scabland. Ridges, extending east and west through it, have been cut through by streams. Some of the coulees still hold chains of lakes. 0 Moses Lake, N. latitude 47 06', W. longitude 119° 19', is in the heart of the Columbia Basin, in the eastern part of Washington state on Spokane- Seattle Highway No. 10. The Milwaukee Railway runs to it. Its elevation is 1,046 feet above sea level. The town of Moses Lake (formerly known as Neppel), with a population of about 3,000, is located on the east shore. Size. Moses Lake, third largest lake in the state, is approximately six- teen miles long with an average width of one-half mile. Its area is about 8,000 acres, with nearly 120 miles of shore-line. An Indian legend persists to the effect that Moses Lake was once dry land, and according to Dr. George Beck, geologist of Central Washington College of Education, that concept could harmonize with the geological theory of the area. Crab Creek originates near Spokane and flows south toward the lake, suddenly disappearing. A little farther south a considerable number of springs arise and feed into the lake through Rocky Ford Creek. To Dr. Beck it seems obvious that Moses Lake is merly Crab Creek Aerial Photograph of MOSES LAKE Washington

Courtesy U. S. Soil Conservation Commission 4 FISHES OF MOSES LAKE

dammed up by the shifting sands at the foot of the lake area. Since no one has determined whether or not the springs actually come from crab Creek, the drainage area of the lake is uncertain; but should this be the case, this lake would possess the greatest drainage area of all Washington lakes. According to observations by Evermann and Nichols (1909), Crab Creek disappeared into porous ground in the area north of Moses Lake and reappeared farther south. They recorded that under high water conditions this creek empties into Moses Lake. Scheffer (1950) writes that an explorer of 1853 described the lake as being six miles long. Whether he did not see the northern end of the lake or whether it was actually only that size at that date is not known. There is evidence, however, that the lake enlarged in years past. Old timers relate that the early wagon trains went up the east bank of the lake and found little obstacle in Parker Horn, but that later wagons were forced north around the dunes by the rising lake. Dr. Beck relates that his father saw old wagon ruts in 1901 under the water. The R. P. Penhallurick family, which has lived on Parker Horn for forty-two years, has seen the constant extension of the horn which used to terminate south of the present air base railway bridge. George Hochstatter affirms that sand dunes drifted inward a half mile and covered the old White Bluff wagon trail that came through from Rocky Coulee. This drifting is witnessed at the present time, particularly in the pothole area at the south and southwest end of Moses Lake. Many potholes appear and disappear with the shifting of the dunes and the creek outlet from the lake. Only at this site of Moses Lake have the dunes• interfered with natural drainage sufficiently to back up water and form a lake. Currents of cold water seem to indicate that the lake is also fed by underground springs. Another contributing factor to the rise of the lake is the increasing cultivation of the vast drainage area above. Great sections of sage brush land that formed a natural water shed have been turned into farms, thus removing that control against flooding. Form. Moses Lake lies in a north and south direction and is shaped like a pipe with a long curved stem. Local residents have named its ex- tensions as "horns" (see map on page 11). The lake was named for Chief Moses, head of a Colville tribe of Indians. At the northern end of the lake a great rock was the rendezvous of the Moses band of Indians. It is now known as Rocky Ford. Chief Moses Trail led to it from the northeast, forking at the lake, one branch heading for Moses Coulee and the other southward Surrounding country. Geologically this area consists of basins of rich soil left by the settlings from great glacial rivers and unique scablands marked by thousands of eroded channels. These high-walled valleys are often called coulees. Bretz (1932) has made a study of the geology of this country, and most of this section of this paper represents his interpreta- tions and findings. Loessial deposits vary in depth from top soil deposits of two feet to deposits of 200 feet. Some of the scablands have not accum- ulated even a mantle of residual soil; yet in these lands entire hills of loessial soil may be found. Deposits consist of gravel, sand, and basalt. The bluffs at the edge of Moses Lake are identified by Beck, geologist of Central Washington College, as "White Bluffs" similar to those opposite Hanford, Washington, but masked by a thin veneer of glacial matter. FISHES OF MOSES LAKE 5

The floor around Moses Lake is not scabland. Too low to experience extensive erosion it belongs to the glacial drainage plexus. Fossil horses, identified as Pliohippus, were found under the ice at the foot of Moses Lake by Wesley Kerving, an amateur fossil collector. He also unearthed mastodon remains on the sides of Weber Coulee (not far from Moses Lake) 50 feet above the coulee floor. Adam East, who has a private museum in Wenatchee, Washington, once owned a farm at Moses Lake and has collected mammoth specimens in this area. Soil. According to Mangum (1912) the Moses Lake area presents a mixture of soils of two types: (1) sandy and fine sandy b arns two to six feet deep over limestone over basalt; and (2) stony and gravelly soils underlain by compact deposits of gravel and rounded boulders. These soils also contain volcanic ash which is very productive to crops, and which provides natural drainage for the local orchards. Rough, stony land fringes the valley. The land is quite free from alkali except for small areas in the Crab Creek Valley. Benson's (1912) chemical analysis revealed a soil generally low in nitrogen. Tributary streams. There are only two inlets to Moses Lake. These have already been mentioned briefly. Crab Creek, originating near Spo- kane over one hundred miles northeast of Moses Lake, flows toward the lake only to disappear into the ground. Water reappears at two points farther south; and in seasons of exceptionally high water, the thread of Crab Creek has been reported intact to the entrance of Parker Horn. Or- dinarily many shallow pools are found a few miles above Parker Horn with a small stream flowing into the horn. This is correctly called Crab Creek, through mistakenly labeled Willow Creek on some maps. Water pouring through here in the spring of 1950 very nearly reached flood proportions. The other point at which water appears below the sunken Crab Creek is at Rocky Ford Spring. Twenty-two springs emerge from the earth six miles above Moses Lake. The major orifice and several minor ones discharge a maximum flow of 30,000 gallons per minute. The temperature remains constant at 50° F. the year around. This water flows into the top of the "stem" of Moses Lake as Rocky Ford Creek. The Bureau of Reclamation states that ground water flows probably emerge below the lake surface. Outlet. The only definitive outlet is lower Crab Creek, which serves that purpose only when the impounding gates of the darn are opened. This creek is located on the southwest end of the lake. The writer encountered quicksands in following the creek bed and its ramifications. The area south and southwest of the lake is composed of sand dunes and potholes. Lower Crab Creek wanders southwest forty-nine and four- tenths miles to the Columbia River. Shore and beach. The greater part of the shoreline of Moses Lake has no well-developed beach; the banks rise steeply to benches twenty to one hundred fifty feet above the lake level. Farms, irrigated by pumping from the lake or by shallow wells, are situated on some of the lower benches. Flattish, muddy shores are found at other points. There is a well-developed sandy beach at the south end of the lake, and sand dunes slope directly Ma. OAS. 040.41•NIII.a tRRIOATION srtrevis FISHES OF MOSES LAKE 7 into the water on the southwest shore. On the west side of the lake the shore line is composed of coarse gravel and boulders; hence, when the natural seal around the shore line is broken, water seeps and disappears quite readily. Some breaks were created by farmers who depended on underground water to fill their wells. In the spring of 1948, when water was receding rapidly, the directors of the Irrigation District dumped clay along the shore to restore the seal. A few permanent draw offs were left; so that a small show of water runs down through the potholes, following the thread of Lower Crab Creek. Occasional clumps of small willows (Salix sp.) grow along the shore line and numerous marsh sections of tules (Scirpus validus), rushes (Juncus sp.), and cat-tails (Typha latifolia) flourish around the horns and shallows. Dam. With the shifting of the sand dunes around Moses Lake, the disappearance of natural water controls above the lake as settlers cultivat- ed more land, and the inevitable gradual rising of the lake, there was the danger that sooner or later during a flood season the water would rise above the dune levels and flow down the valley toward the Columbia River. As the maintenance of a consistent water level is important to life in and around a lake, there has been a continued struggle to achieve control of Moses Lake. In the spring of 1904 a disastrous flood occurred in which water from the lake flowed down to the Columbia River. According to early residents' reports, the lake was lowered eight feet. The necessity for a dam was evident. In 1911 the Pettigrew dam of wood was constructed at the lake's outlet. In February of 1925 this dam broke, and a 150 foot channel opened up. Frank Lees reports that during a period of twenty-four hours a bank of 12,000 sacks of sand was built, and it stayed the flood. In 1928 the Moses Lake Irrigation District was organized, and a dam was constructed in the winter of 1929. The spillway has a top level of 1,047 feet above sea level. The gates are set in a concrete base and opened only when surplus waters occur. Most of the year all gates remain closed. It is believed that not many fishes escape through these six unscreened gates. However, when the gates are closed after high water fish are left to die in the sands. The writer found several hundred dead and dying black crappies ( Pomoxis nigro-maculatus), yellow perch (Perca flavescens), and carp (Cyprinus carpio) on March 31, 1950. Unidentified fish skeletons left by predatory birds and mammals were also found. In June 1938 the dam partially washed out because of the burrowing of rodents. The damaged area was replaced entirely by sand. There is always about a week's warning of flood conditions, and the gates have thus far handled the situation. Many private pumps owned by farmers, orchardists and truck gardeners for irrigation purposes help to regulate a heavy flow. Hydrography Moses Lake is shallow, believed to be not deeper than forty feet. The Bureau of Reclamation knows of no hydrographic survey of the lake. The assumption of its shallowness is based on the fact that during the days when the carp industry flourished, nets thirty feet in depth dragged the bottom practically all over the lake. According to Walter Schneirla, an early resident who participated in the carp industry, the carp hibernated in the deeper channels of the lake, but when he and his brother detected carp and attempted to seine them through the ice, 8 FISHES OF MOSES LAKE they were unsuccessful, not because the fish couldn't be reached by the seine, but because the brothers had not mastered the art of seining in this way. The bottom of the lake is mucky, generally speaking, with rocks in many areas. The south and southwest shores, however, have sandy bottoms. The writer seined at numerous points around the lake and found that from March until August the lake water is roiled by spawning and feeding carp, causing a high sediment suspension. High winds and their subsequent wave action contribute to the muddy condition of the water. During the summer months the algal "blooms" cause a muddy appearance in large areas. A quantity of waste water from irrigation of sizeable acreages adjacent to the lake is poured back into the lake, carrying its heavy sediment. Underground springs, believed to exist, would further stir up the lake. During the spring months much sediment pours through Parker Horn. Hydrogen ion concentration. Rawson (1939) states that the trend of opinion in recent years is that the pH of aquatic environment is of less importance as a limiting factor for life than formerly believed. Most organisms are able to tolerate wider ranges of pH than the average three points found both in seasonal and depth changes. This fluctua- tion figure is based on the lakes of northeastern Wisconsin as worked out by Juday et al (1935). Surface pH tests at different points on Moses Lake during July of 1950 reveal a reading of 7.0. Water Level. The level of the lake is maintained at approximately 1,046 feet above sea level. The top of the headgates is 1,047 feet. The Columbia Basin Project envisions a future when the Potholes Reservoir (24,000 acres of sand dunes below Moses Lake) will be operated so that water elevation in the upper area (Moses Lake) will be a maximum of 1,052 feet as against its present maximum of 1,046 feet. This ultimate goal is dependent upon the return of land on the Wahluke Slope now restricted from irrigation development by the Atomic Energy Commission. Thus for an indefinite number of years the present water elevations will remain in Moses Lake.

Water-stage recordings.0 A water-stage recorder for Moses Lake is located at latitude 47 06', longitude 119° 20' in northeast quarter section 32, T 19 N., R. 28 E at the crossing of highway 18, 11/2 miles upstream from the outlet and three miles southwest of the town of Moses Lake. Datum of the gauge is mean sea level. Records in U. S. bulletin (1946) are available for the following periods: June, 1909, to September, 1914 October, 1912, to September 1914 November, 1936, to September, 1946 (fragments) The maximum water level during these periods was 1,047.83 feet, recorded April 18, 1941. The minimum, 1,038.17 feet, was recorded on August 27, 1910, a difference of almost ten feet in Lake level. During the period from October, 1945 to September, 1946 the maximum elevation 1,046.96 feet occurred on March 30, and the minimum 1,045.12 feet, on October 1. Elevations are now controlled by the dam, and diver- sions occur for irrigation. For0 the year just quoted readings were taken in Crab Creek at latitude 47 11' 25", longitude 119° 16' 00", three miles upstream from Parker Horn and four miles north of Moses Lake. The maximum discharge, 420 second feet, was on March 2, 1946. The gauge FISHES OF MOSES LAKE 9

height is 3.47 feet. No flow occurred during several months. Some diver- sions for irrigation in upper Crab Creek Basin occurs, but most of the flow from the upper basin passes this station under ground. No regulation is made. The Moses Lake Irrigation District report is available from April 8, 1947 to May 7, 1950. The highest water level reached during this period was from March 1 to 10, 1950, when it was 1,048.30 feet at 6 p.m., March 10 and had been rising three to four inches every 24 hours with all six gates of the dam open. A particularly high flow was coming through Parker Horn. Meteorology. The chart below shows an annual climatic summary com- piled at the Moses Lake weather station by the Columbia Basin Project.

Station Temperature—Degrees F. Precipitation—Inches

G G 0 $.• 1-4 1.0 t7) s-, t as1 a .0 1= o. ) o o t 3 0 a) u

29 27 19 1948 47.0 — 99.0 June -12.0 Dec. 12.99 — 1.07 May 9.0 July 31 25 24 1949 47.7 — 99.0 Aug.i, 2 -22.0 Jan. 4.80 — 0.46 Nov. 9.8

2 29 5 1950 47.14 -2.45 101. Sept. -30 Jan. 10.22 .90 Oct.

Frost Wind Sky Free Remarks Movement Condition Period

/-1

0 0, tX0 .. 0 'a; Cil 0 a ■—■ 0 C. ..., 0 E as 4-. 0 1ci2 -0 IS:S R0 W > 0u a 4. :-' C. cis o S": o Ell r...U.ti > a co --, ca ° ai ms 41 4 c.. ) A u u 14,683 SW 41.198 145 112 107 144 12,476 SW 57.437 130 110 124 150 20,598 SW 52.51 97 85 136 126

Water surface temperatures. Water surface temperatures were taken from March until July, 1950, showing a rise from 42° to 72.5°. The recordings were taken at a depth of one foot at locations (see page 9) 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. A daily variation reached 10° on April 21, when recordings were taken at 2 p.m. and 11 p.m. 10 FISHES OF MOSES LAKE

Biology Introduction. During this investigation most attention was given to discovering the number of species of fishes and their prevalence in the lake. The history of carp in the lake was given chief consideration since they are the predominant fish in number and size. They are threatening the ruin of the lake from a scenic and recreational (other than fishing) viewpoint. Angling, the writer believes, is improving in that the game fishes feed heavily on developing carp whereas carp feed largely on vegetation. Methods of collecting. Seine collecting was most frequently used and yielded the best results as to number of fishes collected. A 75-foot close- meshed bag seine and a 25-foot and a 10-foot seine were used. Adult and young carp, common and mirror, (Cyprinus carpio), bluegills ( Lepomis macrochirus), black crappie (Pomoxis nigro-maculatus), yellow perch ( Perca flavescens), brown bullhead ( Ameiurus nebulosus), small-scale sucker (Catostomus syncheilus), largemouth black bass ( Micropterus salmoides), and prickly bullhead (Cottus asper) were collected by seine. A gill net was used as a floating net in open water and also as a fixed net across channels. The floating gill net caught only carp (Cyprinus carpio), mostly two-year olds. The fixed gill net caught Columbia River roach (Siphatales bicolor columbianus), adult carp, black crappies ( Pomox- is nigro-maculatus), and a water bird, the Western grebe ( Aechmophorus occidentalis). Tests were made with set-lines in a few places. Only catfish Ameiurus nebulosus) was taken in this manner. Carp were also taken by dip net. Most of the dead fishes found floating on the lake surface proved to be yellow perch. Favorable conditions. The original inhabitants, according to early residents and the State Game Department, were squawfish, probably Ptychocheilus ore gonensis, suckers (redhorse), probably Catostomus syncheilus, and tiny bullheads, probably Cottus asper. Soon after the great flood of 1904 when the Moses Lake overflow reached the Columbia River, carp were noticed. Moses Lake is peculiarly fitted for carp because of its abundant tules, cattails, and other aquatic plants, its numerous shallow spawning areas, suitable hibernating channels, and two fresh water creeks. Predatory game fishes were not planted to any extent until 1929 (see table p. 20). The variety in shore and bottom, from clean sand, gravel, and rock to a soft mucky ooze, lends itself to the spawning and feeding require- ments of various fishes. The plant life of Moses Lake at the present time is abundant in ,ipite of the recognized losses from the feeding and breeding habits of the carp. The writer has found floating bits of tule (Scirpus validus) and cattail ( Typha latifolia) on the lake on many occasions. These young plants are pulled up by carp. Notwithstanding, large areas of these plants are developing, especially in the southeast section and in the numerous arms of the lake. Early residents agree that these beds are spreading. These beds have not reached the proportions, however, of the pre-carp days. Beavers, muskrats, and waterfowl also have a part in the depletion of vegetation. Sub-dominant plants found here are: rushes (Juncus sp.), bur-reed (Spar- FISHES OF MOSES LAKE 11

1. Retention pond 2. Lower bridge, highway 10 3. Lower railroad fill 4. Marina 5. Hub Cafe 6. Ephrata fill 7. Air Base railroad trestle 8. Air Base Beach 9. Rocky Ford Creek 10. Crab Creek (Willow) 11. Moses Lake Dam 12. Lower Crab Creek 13. Potholes 14. Parker Horn 15. Pelican Horn 16. Lewis Horn 17. Swimming Beach 18. Town of Moses Lake /3

Outline map of Moses Lake, showing localities. 12 FISHES OF MOSES LAKE ganium sp.), pondweed ( Potamogeton sp.), sedge (Cares sp.), duckweed (Lemna sp.) and willows (Salix sp.). These plants are very important to carp for food and for attachments for their adhesive eggs. Plants also provide protection for the larval game fishes especially for the young of large-mouth and small-mouth bass. A body of water without adequate cover cannot long contain both developing and mature bass. Algal life is heavy during the summer months causing extensive "blooms" to form on the water. These die on very hot days in areas where they are blown by the wind and cause an objectionable odor. These mic- roscopic organisms furnish food for carp. This forage fish serves as food for the other game fishes. The areas of vegetation are helpful to developing fish. As game fishes were planted, carp eggs and young carp, pro- duced over a long spawning period of six months, provided excellent food. The State Game Department has shown a willingness to destroy the carp by rotenone poisoning. A test poisoning of two acres was carried out by Robert Rennie, game department biologist, in June of 1950 in a section of the lake reputedly poor for game fishing. As a result, 5,000 game fishes were poisoned but only 100 carp; hence, all plans for poisoning were can- celed. The ratio might have been higher in other parts of the lake. Be- cause of the inlets and ramifications of the lake, poisoning would be im- practical and expensive. Several factors make the lake unsuitable for trout—its warmth primar- ily, and the high sediment suspension largely due to the ceaseless grubbing of the carp. The hatchery at Rocky Ford Springs just above the Lake, on the other hand, is able to utilize a constant flow of clear water at 50 degree temperature the year around to raise trout successfully. Fishes planted and fish protection. Through the years it appears that little attention has been paid to the fishing potentialities of Moses Lake. It was under state control until 1915 and then was under county control until 1933. In that year the state resumed control under the present plan of administration. J. C. Burlingame was interviewed and recalled to the best of his ability some early plantings which he fostered: Bass (first in lake) 1908 (did not prosper) Trout 1916 or 1917 Catfish 1922 Bass 1923 (eight 10 gal. cream cans) Bluegills, Crappies 1924 Bass 1928 The Fish and Wildlife Service of the United States Department of the Interior has records of plantings in the years 1929 to 1940: Species Year of delivery Number Blackspotted Trout 1929 28,000 Blue catfish 1934 1,250 Crappie, bass & Misc. 1934 3,000 32 43,148 Large-mouth black bass 3,200 Sunfish 22,150 Yellow perch 1935 8,516 FISHES 03' MOSES LAKE 13

Black bass 1935 18,620 Crappie 8,400 Black bass 1938 27,000 Bream 91 1,280 Crappie 1,600 Sunfish 1939 13,000 Crappie 7,200 Large-mouth black bass 1940 1,825 The statistician of the Washington State Game Department has no record of plantings except that 3,200 1" to 11/4" bass were transferred from the Snake River, September 14, 1935. From 1940 to 1950 spot checks of fishing were made by game protectors (see table No. 1, page 14). In the summer of 1950 for the first time a game protector, J. H. Laney, made day checks of fishermen from April to August 18. In January of 1951 the writer corresponded with Eugene Maxwell, district supervisor of the newly created Columbia Basin District of the State Game Department with headquarters at Moses Lake. The presence of a game protector and organization of a game district will be of value to the lake as increased population turns new interest in its direction. Commercial fishing. In an interview with Walter Schneirla the writer learned that early in the year 1916 Clarence and Walter Schneirla sensed that there might be commercial possibilities in the carp that were so abundant in Moses Lake. Carp were in demand in large Jewish centers in the East for food, especially for certain religious festivals. Arrange- ments were made with Jewish brokers to handle the selling, and the Schneirla brothers proceeded to cut and store ice that winter. As spring approached and the carp emerged from hibernation, they commenced seining operations with a motor boat and a net forty by one thousand feet. Five refrigerated carloads were sent to New York and Philadelphia that first season. Walter Schneirla affirms that he and his brother grossed $29,000 one season, yet in 1920 they quit their enterprise. In the beginning the average carp taken weighed around twelve pounds, but as the years went on the average dropped to almost half that much. Those caught under five pounds, designated as No. 2's, generally were thrown back. Mr. Schneirla has a deep respect for what he terms the intelligence of the carp, and cited instances of their reaction to the sound impulse of distantly approaching motor boats and their ability to evade capture. I. N. McGrath, owner of the Ninnewash Fish Company, and George Hockstatter, his employee at that time, were also interviewed. This company operated from 1918-'28, shipping a total of eighty carloads of carp to Eastern markets. This company had three motor launches and crews fishing some of the time, using nets fifteen by fifteen hundred feet. Surplus fish were stored in retention ponds situated in various arms of the lake and maintained in good flesh for marketing. They were fed tons of shelled corn, wheat, chopped carrots, and potatoes. Eventually, as sources nearer the East opened up and shipping became more expensive, this business was abandoned and carp once more were virtually unmolested in Moses Lake. Al Warsinski operated a reduction plant for a short time within the TABLE NO. 1 Grant County, Moses Lake Results of Game Protectors Spot Checks of Fishermen Throughout the Season.

No. Fishermen Rainbow Perch Sunfish Catfish Bass Crappie TOTAL Catch Checked Bluegill per man 1940 81 23 5 288 316 3.9 1942 88 12 212 224 2.6 1943 139 28 11 22 29 174 264 1.9 1944 11 59 2 7 68 6.2 1945 12 14 14 1.2 1946 82 185 84 4 170 443 5.4 1947 334 30 531 51 41 295 948 2.8 1948 280 1 33 467 31 12 116 660 2.4 1949 188 45 213 7 18 60 343 1.8 1950** Apr. 111 5 204 8 1 218 1.9 May 801 532 394 55 55 1,056 2,092 2.6 June 544 316 812 231 215 346 1,920 3.5 July 365 65 678 92 117 289 1,241 3.4 Aug. 1-18 165 1 64 120 58 2 245 1.5

1950 TOTAL 1,986 5 1,118 1,956 498 446 1,693 5,716 2.9 Percenta ge of each sp ecies taken: Apr. 2.29% 93.58% 3.67% 0.46% May 25.43% 18.83% 2.63% 2.63% 50.48% June 16.46% 42.29% 12.03% 11.20% 18.02% July 5.24% 54.63% 7.41% 9.43% 23.29% Aug. 0.41% 26.12% 48.98% 23.68% 0.82%

TOTAL 0.09% 19.56% 34.22% 8.71% 7.80% 29.69%

**The information for the current season is based upon the day to day checks by Mr. J. H. Laney. FISHES OF MOSES LAKE 15

past few years, utilizing carp in the production of fish food. This business continued for only a few months. One other commercial enterprise, a trout hatchery, has been associated with Moses Lake (indirectly in that it is located on the tributary stream, Rocky Ford Creek). Trout escapes from this hatchery are found in the lake, but because of conditions discussed previously no great number sur- vive. McCleary, manager of the Troutlodge Hatchery, reports taking 2,500,000 eggs in the year 1950-'51 and raising about 1,000,000 fish. Annotated List of Species of Fishes 1. Rainbow Trout Salmo gairdnerii (Richardson) J. H. Laney, Washington state game protector, who was stationed at Moses Lake during the summer months of 1950, reports checking five specimens of this trout for the month of April. One was spot checked during the fishing season of 1948. A few of these fishes were reported by local fishermen, in addition to the above, as having been taken during the same time, and several were reportedly caught from the Highway No. 10 bridge on hook and line. The writer found one largely decomposed 20- inch trout floating on the lake near this bridge. These few fishes are all believed to have escaped from the Troutlodge Hatchery located at the headwaters of Rocky Ford Creek. Other trouts may be found in Moses Lake, such as Eastern brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalus), and Mackinaw trout (Cristivomer namaycush), as the above species are now propagated at this hatchery as well. In past years Black- spotted trout (Salmo clarkii lewisii), Kamloops trout (Salmo gairdnerii kamloops), and Loch Leven (Salmo levenensis) were propagated in this hatchery. 2. Small scale Sucker Catostomus syncheilus (Hubbs and Schultz) This is an abundant fish found in the Columbia River of eastern Wash- ington, Oregon, and Idaho. On May 12, 1950, one 11-inch specimen was taken by seine from the old carp feeding pond. Repeated seine hauls failed to catch others. Numerous fishermen reported having caught this fish many years ago. This is a bottom feeder, non-game, and is very bony. Young suckers have been found in the dietary of sunfish and bullheads. 3. Carp Cyprinus carpio (Linnaeus) This fish is found everywhere in the lake. Carp prefer moderately warm water with plenty of aquatic vegetation. They can live almost any- where and can withstand extremes in temperature. In winter they remain semi-torpid in cold water taking little or no food. Forbes and Richardson (1920) point out that carp are very prolific, a 4-5 pound female producing 400,000 to 500,000 eggs in one season. Spawn- ing is done mostly in the early morning and covers a period of about six months of the year. By May even the floating tumbleweeds on the lake are covered with eggs resembling tapioca. Three to five males usually accompany a female and 400 to 600 eggs are laid at one time with a great deal of splashing done by both sexes. The males aid in the extrusion of the eggs by pushing the female's abdomen with their snouts. The eggs 16 FISHES OF MOSES LAKE

Carp malformations adhere to roots and stems of plants and hatch in about twelve days. The young carp grow to about four to six inches the first summer and weigh about one pound when one year old. The parents do not care for the eggs nor the young. Carp reach sexual maturity at the age of three years. The flesh of this fish is a cheap food. Many efforts have been made to prepare carp in a simple and acceptable way but in this area only a few people were found who use it as food. The carp has both friends and enemies. It is charged with eating young game fishes and fish eggs but stomach analyses do not substantiate this. It is certain that the carp does not seek these young fishes. Statistical analysis of the Illinois River fisheries by Forbes and Richardson (1920), revealed that during the five years between 1894 and 1899, when the carp catch increased from 500,000 to 8,300,000 pounds, the black bass, instead of decreasing, increased from 70,000 to 102,000 pounds. It was shown that catfish, crappie, and sunfish also increased during this time of carp increase. It appears possible that carp have a favorable effect on the mul- tiplication of game fishes. This is because the young carp offer an almost inexhaustible supply of food. From 1899 to 1903 black bass decreased to 45,000 pounds and carp showed a corresponding decrease to 6,000,000 pounds. The carp causes a muddy condition of the water through its breeding and eating activities. The carp takes a hook occasionally, but the fishermen lose interest in the battle when the catch is discovered to be a carp, even though this fish is a good fighter. The writer first began his study of Moses Lake in March of 1950 when the surface temperature of the lake was 42° F. Theoretically, the spawning season of the carp had not begun; but following up Rocky Ford Creek FISHES OF MOSES LAKE 17 where temperature readings were 49° F. to about one mile below the trout hatchery, he observed carp on March 24 actively spawning in the foot- deep shallows along the creek margins. It was a warm, sunny day and seven fishes were netted, including one 10.4 inch mirror carp and six common carp, two of the latter weighing approximately 15 pounds each. On May 12 the writer went with J. H. Laney, Washington game pro - tec...tor, to the region of Moses Lake formerly used as carp feeding ponds (see map page 11), where, among other fishes, 67 breeding carp were seined. In this group was one male with a curvature of the spine (see photograph page 23). He was in the shallows and as evidenced by well- developed milt sacs was normally involved in reproduction. Later that day, s-eining this time across from the Marina (see map page 11), we found another abnormally formed carp in the shallows with the breeders. These males were in good flesh but were about one pound lighter than the average carp caught. Of the 111 carp seined, two were affected by spinal curvature. On the shore line near human habitation the carp cause an annoying disturbance in the early morning hours. This occurs as part of the spawning behaviour for nearly six months of each year. Mr. George Hochstatter and Mr. Walter Schneirla both attest to the fact that a carp weighing 42 pounds was caught in Moses Lake and was on display at a local fair in 1923. As far as is known this is the local record. 4. Columbia River Roach Siphateles bicolor columbianus (Snyder) This is the common roach of the Columbia River System. The six specimens collected from Moses Lake were 12 to 14 inches in length. This fish is not now abundant in the lake, though a few years ago it was caught by anglers in considerable numbers, according to local fishermen. It is bony and is not classed as a game fish. A few of these fishes are taken by hook and line fishing during the late summer months. 5. Squawfish Ptychocheilus ore gonensis (Richardson) The writer was unable to collect any specimens of this fish, nor did J. H. Laney discover them in the seasonal day check for 1950, which involved 5,716 fishes. However, this fish in former years was reported in the lake by many residents who have fished. Bill Killian maintains he caught one in the summer of 1950. 6. Common Bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus (La Sueur) This fish is also called the horned pout and catfish and is a bottom feeder. Evermann and Clark (1920) report one gorged with water lily seeds and another containing a beach flea. It is generally spoken of as an eater of fish eggs. This fish has no scales but is covered with a tough skin. It is only fairly common and several specimens, ranging from 13 to 15 inches, were taken by hook and line and by seine. The catfish is a game fish of quite some importance here. George Hochstatter affirms that this fish was first caught in Moses Lake in the year 1925. Catfish prefer muddy bottoms and move about slowly spreading their barbels wide apart looking for any kind of food. It appeals to many fishermen even though it seldom takes a hook without swallowing it. The Catfish spawns in the spring and the adults lead great schools of 18 FISHES OF MOSES LAKE young fish about in the shallows. It builds nests and lays its eggs in masses much like frog eggs. Males assist in caring for the young. 7. Yellow Perch Perca flavescens (Mitchill) This is an outstanding fish of the lake. It is wholly carnivorous and does eat some other fishes. It is abundant and is easily caught from the shore line, piers, and bridges. Because it has a diversified dietary it can be caught on cut bait, worms, grasshoppers, spinners and artificial flies. Its fighting spirit makes it a favorite with anglers. The yellow perch here is of a good average size although seldom is it taken over 13 inches in length or weighing over two pounds. It schools considerably in shallow 0 water. It spawns in early spring in shallow water over beds of pebbles or sand. The eggs expand a great deal when they contact water and are united in strings several feet in length. It is very prolific. It is one of the best fishes for pan frying, the flesh being firm and white, and it has an excellent flavor. Day to day check-ups (see page 14) of fishermen made by J. H. Laney show that for April, 93.58 per cent of fishes checked were yellow perch. For the total seasonal check of game fishes yellow perch constituted 19.56 per cent of all fishes. 8. Small-mouth Black Bass Micro pterus dolomieu (Lacepede) Ordinarily this fish is found in colder lakes and in rivers, but apparent- ly it is prospering in Moses Lake. It is sought after by local and transient fishermen because of its sporting qualities, and excellent flesh. This bass is fairly common in the lake and weighs up to 2% pounds. Many fishermen cannot tell it from the large-mouth. It is distinguished by the shorter maxillary which never extends in the adult fish to a vertical from the back of the orbit. It also has smaller scales than the large-mouth and has a gradual merging of the first dorsal into the second dorsal fin whereas it is more abrupt in the adult large-mouth bass. The small-mouth prefers a sandy and rocky bottom and builds a nest in shallow water. The nest is built by the male and consists of a hollow in the sand about three inches deep scooped out by the caudal fin. Eggs are laid in successive ovipositions and the male guards the nest. He also guards the larval fishes until they are well grown. The female produces 2,000 to 10,000 eggs per season. All reported specimens of this fish were checked carefully. This bass is taken on strip bait, worms, mice and many artificial lures. 9. Large-mouth Black Bass Micro pterus salmoides (Lacepede) This is the bass generally found in abundance in lakes and bayous where warmer water is encountered. The report of the game protector, J. H. Laney (see page 14), for the summer of 1950 shows 446 bass checked. These were not checked as to large-mouth and small-mouth. Probably the greater percentage was large-mouth bass. Several reports of 5-pound individuals were given, though the writer did not take or see any so large. A muskrat kit was reported in the stomachs of two mature large-mouth bass taken during the fishing season of 1950. Bill Killian reported fishermen using fledgling English sparrows as baid with good success. This fish FISHES OF MOSES LAKE 19

has a varied appetite and feeds heavily on carp eggs and young carp as revealed by the stomachs inspected. The large-mouth is not so active as the above fish (small-mouth) but is very popular with fishermen. It will leap out of the water to avoid a seine. Its breeding habits are much the same as those of the small-mouth. The nests usually utilize plant fibers. The young remain in schools. 10. Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus (Linnaeus) This is a sunfish generally reported to have been fairly common in Moses Lake. The writer had numerous reports of their being caught, but these were all found to be immature bluegills. Two specimens were taken near the headgates by hook and line using earthworms for bait. This species has a jet-black opercle edged with blood-red. None of these small sunfishes was taken by seining operations. The breeding habits of the pumpkinseed involves a nest built in shallow water. Plants are cleared away and the male scoops out a hole about three inches deep. The male cares for the young and fights off intruders by puffing out the gill covers and the ear flaps. It is a hardy fish and seldom grows to be more than eight inches in length. 11. Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus (Rafinesque) The bluegill is an excellent food fish and quite abundant in the lake. It is the best known and most important of all the true sunfishes. It constituted more than one-third of the checked game fishes taken during the April-August day checking program (see page 14). The largest catches were made in May, June, and July. On August 27, 1950, the writer talked with four boys fishing from the bridge on Highway No. 10. They had a combined bag of 22 large bluegills. Earthworms were used for bait although they are taken on spinners, artificial flies, and strip bait. They do eat some aquatic plants. The bluegill here is generally large, many being a foot or slightly more in length and heavy. Fishermen from other areas are impressd by both its size and weight. The bluegill is a hard fighter. 12. Black Crappie Pomoxis nigro-maculatus (Le Sueur) This species is commonly called the calico bass, but in this area they are called crappies. The crappie is wholly carnivorous and the black crappie feeds more heavily on fishes than does the white crappie. This is an excellent food fish and is abundant. Excellent catches occurred in 1Vlay, 1950, with 1,056 fish checked by J. H. Laney (see page 14). It is much compressed in shape and, as the bluegill, is exceptionally large in this lake. Its flesh is firm but somewhat coarser than that of the bluegill. It is a good fighter and its mouth is easily torn by fishhooks. The writer on two different locations and dates widely separated caught the legal limit of 15 crappies. These were all caught near the shore with strips of carp meat for bait. A strip was cast a short distance and jerk-retrieved slowly. 13. Prickly Bullhead Cottus asper (Richardson) This is a common bullhead found from Alaska to Ventura County, California. This bullhead is found in a few shore line areas on Parker TABLE NO. 2 Analysis of Moses Lake Fish Fauna U—introduced Abbreviations: E—endemic; I—introduced and extant; unsuccessfully; H—hatchery escapes; R—reported but not found.

Rainb ow trout • Sal [ mo gairdernii Black spotted trout Sal tmo clarkii lewisii Easte -n brook trout Sal tvelinus fontinalis Little pi kerel —0 Es Dx vermiculatus Small scale sucker Ca tostomus sync heilus Carp Cy -,-;rinus carpi° Too L • TI 2 ca tinca Chise l[ mouth • Ac rocheilus alutaceus Colu abia River roach • Si )hateles bicolor columbianus Gold fitsh --• Carassius auratus Colu abia River chub —II ilocheilus caurinus Squa vfish —0 Pt ychocheilus ore gonensis Redsi ded bream --• Ri chardsonius balteatus Spec :led dace --• A )ocope oscula carringtonii Brow n bullhead A neiurus nebulosus Blue catfish lc ,alurus furcatus Yello w perch Pe rca flavescens Smal l[- mouth Black Bass Mi,cropterus dolomieu Larg et -mouth Black Bass Mi;cropterus salmoides Pum )kinseed sunfish Le pomis gibbosus Blue ;ills Le pomis macrochirus Whit / crappies —0 Pcmoxis annular-is Blac k. crappies Pa, moxis nigro-maculatus Prick ley bullhead • Cctaus asper Smooth bullhead • CcIttus beldingii Whit ?fish —0 Pr osonium sp. FISHES OF MOSES LAKE 21

Horn but was not noticed in abundance. One fish 2.8 inches in length was seined March 12, 1950, in the old carp feeding pond. It is a nongame fish and disliked by fishermen. It is a bait stealer and is hard to disengage from hooks when caught. It is a scaleless fish. Its dietary is varied and game fish eggs and young fish are eaten by this bullhead. Reports Eleven additional fishes have been reported in Moses Lake, (see page 20, column R). The writer was unable to obtain any of these nor was he able to learn of recent catches made involving any of the listed species. Summary Fish Census. The investigation of the species content of Moses Lake was carried on during the months from March to August, 1950. The officers of Washington State Game Department gave valuable assistance in this work. Local fishermen co-operated also. Collections were made in different sectors of the lake (see map page 11) at various seasons. Both diurnal and nocturnal fishing were employed. Specimens were taken by seining, gill-netting, by set lines, and by hook and line fishing. Daily spot checks on fishermen during this period provided data as to species and involved 5,716 fishes. The collections show at least 12 species of fishes present (and one more probably). Of these the Yellow perch, bluegill, large-mouth bass, small- mouth bass, and black crappie are flourishing, although the carp population is largest. Stomach analyses show that these game fishes are profit- ing from carp eggs and young carp. The game fish here are large and are found to be excellent in condition. Carp domination. The investigation of Moses Lake was undertaken partly to determine the extent of carp domination. This involved the macroscopic aquatic flora of the lake because the carp is largely herbivor- ous in its feeding habits. The present flora was studied with reference to the flora of former years. The aquatic vegetation, especially the cat-tails and the tules, are increasing according to findings from early residents contacts. This would indicate that the carp are not now depleting the vegetation to the extent of former years. The seining operations failed to show the presence of expected large amounts of two-year old specimens. This indicates that games fishes are feeding heavily upon carp eggs and the larval carp. This writer does not believe the carp are ruining the game fish population nor the sport fishing in Moses Lake but agrees that the carp are a nuisance and spoil the lake from all other recreational aspects and from an esthetic standpoint. Fishing pressure is increasing so that re-stocking of the game fishes in the near future is advised. This would further serve as a carp control. Because of the size of the lake and of its supply streams, rotenone poisoning would be costly and ineffective in destroying the carp population. Ecological balance. It is regretted that the master plan for the development of the Basin area involves the final raising of water level of Moses Lake to the height of 1,052 feet above sea level, a change in the present level of about six feet. This will have a detrimental effect on shore life and kill large amounts of aquatic flora thereby upsetting the ecological balance of the lake'.

11t has recently been announced that the present level of Moses Lake is to remain unchanged. 22 FISHES OF MOSES LAKE

Bibliography

BRETZ, J. H. 1923. The channeled scablands of the Columbia Plateau. Chicago: University of Chicago, the journal of Geology, 31 (8): p. 617-649. EVERMANN, B. W. and CLARK, H. W. 1920. Lake Maxinkuckee, a physical and biological survey: Department of Conservation, state of Indiana, Volume I: p. 660. EVERMANN, B. W. and NICHOLS, J. T. 1909. Notes on the fishes of Crab Creek, Washington, with description of a new species of trout. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 22: p. 91-94. FORBES, A. F. and RICHARDSON, R. E. 1920. The fishes of Illinois. Springfield: Illinois Nat. History Survey Division p. 1-340. GILBERT, C. H. and EVERMANN, B. W. 1894. Bulletin of the U. S. Fish Commission, 14: p. 169-207.

JUDAY, C. et. al. 1935. The carbon dioxide and hydrogen ion content of the lake waters of northeastern Wisconsin, Trans. Wis. Acad. Sci., 29. LANDES, H., MANGOM, A. W., BENSON, H. K., SAUNDERS, E. J. and JACOBS, J. 1912. A preliminary report on the quincy valley irrigation project: Washington Geological Survey Bulletin, No. 14, p. 49. MOULTON, F. R. 1939. Problems of lake biology. Some physical and chemical factors in the metabolism of lakes. D. S. Rawson. Publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science No. 10, p. 142. SCHEFFER, T. H. 1950. Magazine Section. Spokesman-Review, May 14. SCHULTZ, L. P. 1929. Checklist of the fresh-water fishes of Oregon and Washington. University of Washington Press. U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 1946. U. S. Geological Survey Water Supply Paper: 1062 Chief Hydrau- lic Engineer, Washington, D. C.