The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1904-02-24
TURNING SALMON LOOSE


TURNING SALMON LOOSE
From Elk River Hatchery = Nearly
Pour Million TO set Adrift.
{ Along the line of the C & E.
railroad west of Corvallis, they are
turning adrift now, millions of
baby salmon that are being hatch
ed in the Elk River hatchery, near
Elk City, Lincoln County In all,
nearly four million of the little fish,
will be turned loose during the
season In four years, the mites,
which meantime will have gone to
sea and grown into big salmon, are
expected to return to the waters of
the Yapuina aud Elk Rivers to
spawn, and die. Science has it that
each fish as a result of instinct, re-
turns invariably to the place of
birth to spawn, and that then hav-
ing accomplished so much in the
way of reproducing its species it
gives up the ghost and dies. The
period usually ascribed between the
birth and death of this greatest of
all fish, is four years, though some
hold that in instances they are known
to have come back from the sea
within three years from the time of
birth.
At the Elk River hatchery, 1oca-
ted two and half miles up Elk
River from Elk City, operations
have been attended with very good
results this season. A temporary
hatchery, built there as an expert
ment year ago last summer. was
unfortunate in its operations by
reasons of freshets which carried
away the plant. A large number
of salmon were in the pens, and
| many eggs were in, the Matching
troughs when the floods came and
enough information was gained by
the experiment to lead to the erect
ion of permanent works, and last
summer a permanent building and
appliances were Constructed. Dur
ing the salmon run that followed
something over 400 female fish were
taken and the work of Matching has
now been reached where the little
fish are fast maturing to the point
when it is necessary to turn then
adrift in the waters of the vicinity,
and it is on this work the hatchery
fir ce is now buisly engaged.
When set adritt, the little fist
are about an inch in length. They
are hatched in troughs, in which
the eggs are placed in wire baskets
The water from spring with {
temperature of As degrees, flow:
through the troughs and over the
eggs, and is the meaus by which
the Matching is effected. The pro
cess of Matching requires fifty day'
at As degrees temperature. a
the end Of that time miniature
tail prctrudes from the egg. ant
the thing begins to swim around
Afterward little head appears OF
the other side Of the egg, and The
thing begins to take on the appear
ance of a fish. The egg globule re
mains a part OF the embryo thin.
: of life however, for a considera bl
period, and sustains life At tn
end of about seventy days, howev
err the little fellow begins to feed
He must then be turned loos, or h
will eat the egg glcbules on hi
smaller companions i'll the trough
and that of course will kill the lat
ter.
1t is in the tributaries of tn
i. Yaquina and Elk Rivers that tn
little salmon are turned adrift. Th
smaller streams are selected, and a
many different ones of them ar
used as possible, in order to max
sure that the little fish have fresl
feeding grounds and every oppor
tunity to survive. They are haules
from the hatchery to the stream
lin big milk cans, and while tn
conveyance is in motion they ar
active and thrifty. AS soon how
ever, as the vehicle stops and tn
water in the cans becomes inactiv
and still, the little fellows becom
faint, and if allowed to SO remain
for considerable time, they perish
The movement of the water seem
to be necessary in order to affort
them sufficient oxygen.
; Two and half millions of egg
were secured at Elk River hatceer,
this year. In addition a millio1
eggs taken at the Clackamas hatch
cry have been shipped and hatched
making an aggregate of three ant
: a half million little salmon that ar
to beset adrift in neighboring stream
The per cent of eggs that ar
thus artifcia1ly hatched is abou
! ninety. By the natural method i,