The Ketchikan miner., 1915-01-28
[ FROM SATURDAYS DAILY
Closing Streams To
 Commercial Fishing

Owing to the ever increasing de-
 mand on nearly all waters of Alaska for almost their entire supply of salmon it seems absolutely necessary in the interests of the future of the | fishery to make further closures of streams to all commercial fishing. A number of waters have already been closed by order of the Secretary of Commerce, and it is recommended that six other waters be similarly closed as enumerated.
 First: The present fishing at tho mouth and delta of Copper River Is all the stream ought to stand, aud to insure certain number of salmon reaching their swawning grounds it ! is advisable to close this stream above the data to all kinds of fishing ex- | cept for domestic purposes. and al low no fish to be shipped out in any shape or form.
 Second. The Ankow River near Yakutat should be protected against all commercial fishing. This might result in some hardship for the Indians who rely on this stream for their winter supply of fish,but such fishing might be allowed with re- strictions and without any of tho catch being utilized for commercial purposes.
 Third. At Lake Bay the waters | above the entrance to Barnes Lake 1 should be closed to all commercial | fishing These waters embrace Gold and Galligan Lagoons, Sweet Lake, Lyman Creek. and Lester River. Lyman Creek is sockeyc stream and Lester River is silver and hump. back stream. They are worthy of every protection that can be afforded them.
 Fourth In Whale Passage Lagoon, at Thorn Arm. near Lake Bay. there sholud be no commercial fishing. At the present time two traps are To- cated there, and to a great extent they prevent many of the fish from ascending to the spawning grounds. Fifth. Mink Arm, one of the trib. rtaries of Boca de Quadra. should be closed to all fishing. Under present conditions this water seems highly valuable for salmon breeding and for hatchery work.
 Sixth. Hetta River and Lagoon and Klawak Inlet, both on the West coast of Prnce of Wales Island, should be closed, to afford better protection to the hatcheries drawing their supply of brood salmon from these waters If Congress passes law prohibit ing all fishing within half mile of stream mouths as suggested in this report. it may not be necessary to havespecial closing orders for all of the waters named above.
 ObStructon In StreamS
 While the everlasting in Alaska waters which has had much to dc with the waning supply in some sections, necessitates an imperative curtailment in the methods and ex' tent of fishing operations. there arc other ways of benefiting the future supply, the responsibility for which rests entirely with the Government Tn many good streams in Alaska there are Instructions which, to * great extent. prevent the salmon from ascending to their spawning grounds. These Instructions arr either of the nature of natural fall or of barriers formed by jams wind-fallen trees. Some of the fall gre so high that it is impossible flo the salmon to ascend in any season There are others of lesser neigh which at certain stages of the wate may be ascended by the salmon, buf with more or less difficulty. l person ally investigated number of streams in which obstacles to the ascent O salmor exist. and while not every thing along this line canbe done a once there are six streams where recommend that early action be tax en to correct the existing conditions These streams are as follows: Ketchikan Creek.-This creek which has always been famous as {; humpback stream. has three ohstrnc lions today. Thereare two falls O IS feet and p feet each in height and a long. high. log jam which is in creasing in size each year, and yer! few salmon can get over or under it The partial removal of this log jar would cost very little The remova of the two falls is impracticable, bu fish ladders could be erected at q cos of about xl BOO