The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1933-03-16
PLANT CHINOOK SALMON
IN GARRETT COUNTY LAKE
Bureau of Fisheries To Expert
ment With Western Fish

A news article which has gained
some publicity throughout the east
ern section of the country concerning
the planting of Chinook salmon in
Deep Creek Lake in Garrett county
has brought a smile to those who are
acquainted with the topography Of
the country in which this body of
water is situated, the manner of its
waters finding an outlet and the i'm
possibility of the fish finding their
way back in the spring after an abb
1asence of four years when they
spawn.
The article, which is published here
with, states that the waters Of the
lake empty into the upper Potomac,
whereas they find their way into the
Ohio. The only method by which the
water from the lake is expelled is
through the massive turbines at the
power house of the Youghiogheny-
Hydro Electric Company. The fish
that have gone through these tur-
bines are expelled in pieces as large
as ones hand, and this is also the only
entrance afforded from live water,
hence salmon returning after the
lapse of four years (if any do return)
will find their way barred at the
power, house. If it were possible for
the experiment to be made success
full by the Department of Fisheries
it would indeed be boon to Garrett
county, but in the face of the obsta-
cles enumerated above it would be a
physical impossibility.
The article referred to is dated at
Washington, D. c., and reads as fol-
lows:
Residents of States along the At
lantic seaboard are interested in an
experiment about to be made by the
United States Bureau of Fisheries and
the Maryland Conservatism Commits
sion.
"Some 1000 Chinook salmon from
the Columbia River, 1890 miles to the
northwest, which were Matched in the
aquarium of Washington's new De-
partment of Commerce building, will
be placed in Deep Creek Lake, Mary
land, whose waters drain into the up
per Potomac River. The fish are be-
ing planted with the hope that they
will find their way to salt water and
return, in four years, to spawn
"The Great Falls of the Potomac
above Washington will probably offer
no barrier to the returning fish, and
will give residents of the East a
chance to see one of the most spec
taculer acrobatic feats in Nature if
the salmon attempt to hurdle it as
they do waterfalls in Pacific coast
streams.
Five Distinct Pacific Species
"The Pacific salmons are the most
valuable fishes not only of the United
States, but also of the entire Western
Hemisphere, and, with the single eX-
ception of the sea behring's, are COM
mercially the leading fishes of the
world" says bulletin from the Wash
ington, D. c., headquarters of the
National Geographic Society.
"The Pacific salmons constitute
distinct group, closely resembling the
-o1,1,O,o l,,+ conaratnH hv
marked peculiarities. There are five
distinct species of the Pacific salmon
which differ strikingly in size, color,
habits, distribution, food value, and
economic importance. All of the spe
cies occur on the California coast,
ranging from San Francisco Bay Tor
little farther SOUTH to Alaska, cross
ing to Siberia and reaching south
ward into Kamchatka, while three of
them extend to Japan.
"The largest of the genus, and the
most magnificent of all salmons, is the
Chinook, also known as the Quinnat,
King, Spring, or Tyee salmon. 1t has
an average weight of nearly 25
pounds in the Columbia, and is often
caught weighing 40 to 60 pounds. Oc-
casional examples of over 100 pounds
are taken. While found from Cali
fornia to China, it attains its greatest
abundance in the Sacramento, Column
bia, Yukon and other large North
American streams.
SOckeye in Demand for Canning
"The species called Blueback salmon
on the Columbia, Sockeye on Puget
Sound, and Reddish or Red salmon i'll
Alaska, averages only five pounds in
weight and never exceeds II. 1t at
tains greatest abundance in the Co.
lumbia, the Fraser, and in various
streams throughout Alaska. Its meat
is rich in quality and deep red in color,
and the fish is therefore in great de-
mand for canning.
"The Silver or Coho salmon, gen.
orally found in coastal streams, av-
erages six pounds in weight and rare
ly exceeds 25 or 80. The smallest
species is the Humpback, so called
from the well-marked nuchal hump