The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1902-09-03
HABITS OF THE SALMON
Artificial Propagation Described-The
Elk River Hatchery.

Artificial Propagation Described-The
Elk River Hatchery.
Three miles up the river from
Elk City, a salmon hatchery ISL pro-
cess of construction 1t is on the Elk
fork Of the Yaquina river and con,
struction is under direction of dep
uty game warden w A Smith oi
Clyde, Douglas County. Up to last
Sunday only dozen big Chinooks
were all that had entered the pen
OF basin in which they are kept
until spawning time, but their
movements as they glide about in
only three feet of water were inter
esting to see. No fish more shape1y
or handsome is known and none
has a movement more graceful.
The expense of constructing and
maintaining the hatchery is borne
out of the funds provided by appro-
priations by the state legislature.
Construction has been in progress
since the first of August. Across
the Elk river, just above the head
of tide a fence Or rack made OF
pickets set upright, has been built.
The pickets are nailed so closely
that salmon cannot pass between
them. Two hundred and fifty feet
above similar fence Ga rack cross
the river. The sectian of river be-
tween is a flat gravel bar on which
the water is three feet deep and
forty to sixty fe t wi de.
It is in this section of the river that
the salomn are kept until they are
ripe for spawning as the operat-
ors Of the hatchery term it. The
of the present hatchery is
1000 salmon at one time. The
spawning by Chinooks usually be-
gins about the fifteenth of Septem-
Der.
An interesting fact is the method
by which the salmon enter the
basin that is both prison and death
to them, for the handsome fish that
enter the pen never leave it alive.
In the lower fence near the middle
of the stream are two small open
ings near together. Each is six or
eight inches wide and twelve or
high. They recalled
chutes and through these the
fish enter. Through these aper-
lures in the fence they could pass
out as easy as they passed in, but
they never do it. The instinct for
Of young salmon is SO
strong in the parents of either sex,
that they press steadily onward up
stream and never turn back. It is
on gravel bars in the upper waters
of fresh streams that they spawn
and with the time for dropping
their eggs approaching, their noses
are pressed steadily against the
current.
When, for instance, they encoun-
ter the lower fences at the hatchery
they try to pass through the open
ings first at one place and then at
another. They keep on, until ulti-
nate1y they find one or the other
Of the chutes, and enter their doom.
The noses of the salmon now in the
Elk river hatchery are white from
heir efforts to find an opening in
he upper fence, but not one of
hem has tried or ever will try to
ind again the holes in which they
enter,
Below the upper fence few feet
1 walk crosses the stream. Stand
ng on this walk, the visitor can
zee the handsome Chinook working
in their constant hunt to
ind a way for further progress up
stream. 1t is the same restless
that is seen in the cap
i've tiger behind the bars of his
age. 1t is an interesting but pitt
u1 sight, and one that moves the
Observers sympathy. To prevent
he fish from undermining the up:
Der rack of the fence, the founda-
ions OF the renee are SET IN SOl1d
bed rock. The salmon are great
ourrowers and we're the fence not
liked in solid rock they would bur
'ow under it and escape up stream.
When the fish are ripe, that is
eady to spawn, they are caught
md the eggs are taken from them.
Sometimes they are caught with
zines, but mostly they are driven
nto pens, five. feet wide and eight
eet long, in the stream, entrance TO
vhichis effected by holes similar
o those in the fence at the lower
nd of the main basin, If when
.aught the fish are not ripe they
re put in other pens for the pur-
,ose until the spawn are ready for
emova1. The removal of the
pawn is accomplished with ease, a