Bibliography Background About KRIS
Information on Humboldt Bay Tributaries from California Department of Fish and Game, Eureka
Freshwater Creek
1) Stocking Records
1930: 25,000 steelhead
1932: 15,000 rainbow trout 1933: 7,550 steelhead
1955 5,000 steelhead
1965 600 cutthroat (Prairie Creek hatchery)
1966: 1,028 cutthroat (Prairie Creek hatchery) 1966: 501 cutthroat (Prairie Creek hatchery)
1969: 10,010 silver salmon (Darrah Springs hatchery)
1972 65,000 silver salmon, Alcea, (Cochran ponds)
1972: 200 silver salmon, Alcea, (Cochran ponds)
1972: 34,000 king salmon (Cochran ponds)
1973: 21,050 silver salmon (Cochran ponds)
1973: 48,798 silver salmon (Mad River hatchery)
1973: 89,828 silver salmon (Mad River hatchery)
1975: 150,900 king salmon, Klamath River, (Prairie Creek)
1975: 8,890 king salmon, Klamath River, (Prairie Creek)
1975: 49,060 king salmon (Prairie Creek hatchery) etc. continued stocking throughout 1970s and 1980s of silver and king salmon
2) Stream Survey, no date, Earl Caldwell, probably 1930s.
"Past stocking of steelhead, good; rainbow were planted in 1932 with no reported results. Natural propagation good, probably sufficient to keep stream stocked."
3) Stream Survey 23 Dec. 1952: swimming pool upstream 2 miles, 41 silvers. 30 March 1953: 13 steelhead
4) Stream Investigation, 1 July 1953, from 1 1/2 mile above mouth of South Fork to 2 1/2 miles below South Fork, plus 1/4 mile of South Fork, Floyd Anders, Jr. "The stream appears to be an excellent small stream for migratory fish. Seining was done above log jams and salmonid fry were recovered, thus assuring that the jams were not barriers. Many sig8lver salmon fry were seen and recovered...steelhead use this stream also, and some yearlings were noted...During the 1952-53 carcass cutting season, 9 silver salmon carcasses were recovered near the juction of the main stream and the south fork."
5) Stream Survey, 11 June 1963, from 2 1/4 miles upstream from Eureka Slough to headwaters. "An abundance of salmonids were observed in this creek, ranging from 1 to 6 inches in size. The majority of the fish were 1 to 3 inches in length. Trout and silver salmon were identified. Sticklebacks were also observed."
6) Field Note, 4 Jan. 1971, from county park to 1 mile. "No carcasses were seen in the area surveyed. Four live silver salmon were observed."
7) Stream Survey, May and June 1972, main channel, Little Freshwater Creek, Cloney Gulch,
Graham Gulch and South Fork. Species observed were silver salmon and steelhead. No fry or fingerlings were observed beyond obstruction #28 (9 miles from mouth). Approximately 25, eight-inch salmonids were seen above the obstruction. Silver salmon fry and fingerlings and steelhead fry were observed throughout the entire stream below obstruction #28. One adult steelhead was seen." "Silver salmon fry and fingerlings were observed throughout the section surveyed" in Little Freshwater, Cloney Gulch, Falls Gulch, Graham Gulch and South Fork.
8) Field Note, 11 Sept. 1974, Phil Grunert, surveyed below barrier 1 1/2 miles above confluence with South Fork. "Many fish were sighted below the blockage, 200/100 feet of stream, identified as silver salmon and steelhead young-of-the-year."
9) Stream Survey, 19 Oct. 1978, HSU student, South Fork from 3/4 mile up from confluence with North Fork. "Young-of-the=-year steelhead and silver salmon were plentiful in the pools with an approximate density of 80 fish per 100 feet of stream. One long-time local resident testified, 'I don't see many large fish in the stream, but there's always plenty of small ones.'"
Salmon Creek
1) Test Seining 2 June 1953, 1 1/2 miles below old logging camp, 4 hauls resulted in 39 SH (1.0-5.2 inches) 4 June 1953, old logging camp to 1/2 mile above camp, 12 hauls resulted in 10 SH (3.9-5.3 inches) 4 June 1953, below falls, 4 hauls resulted in 9 SH (1.0-4.5 inches)
2) Stream Survey, 16 July 1964, from mouth upstream 12 miles. "Near the mouth to 4 1/2 miles upstream from Salmon Creek Redwood Co., numerous salmonids ranging from fingerling stage to 6 inches in total length were observed."
3) Electrofishing, 3 July 1984, 800-foot reach above the farthest upstream bridge on PL road. "Cutthroat trout (60-250 mm.) were the only fish observed. Abundance was low (1-2 fish per pool). The fish appeared to be in excellent condition. There was no evidence of fishing pressure."
4) Field Note, 17 Dec. 1987, spawning survey from Walch property bridge to F1400 road. "A 91 cm. female and half of another chinook were observed. One 87 cm. coho salmon was also found...This is the first recent record of chinook salmon spawning in Salmon Creek."
5) Field Note, 18 Aug. 1988, from PALCO bridge downstream to 1/2 mile above Tompkins Hill Road. "Approximately 62 old salmon redds were observed during the three mile walk. Coho YOY were abundant from 1/2 mile above Walsh's bridge to Tompkins Hill Road...Fewer coho YOY were seen above Walsh's bridge because of barriers upstream of this site."
6) Field Note, 24 Jan. 1989, from road F1400 to 1/2 mile above Tompkins Hill Road, 1 possible redd.
7) Field Note, 7 June 1989, David McLeod and Larry Preston, electrofished 200 feet of stream above F1400 road. Length-frequency graph approximates: 25 steelhead between 25 and 50 mm. and 12 steelhead between 95 and 125 mm.
8) Salmon Creek Fish Trapping Results, Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
| coho | chinook | steelhead | |
| Dec. 1990-March 1991: | 23 | 17 | 41 |
| Jan. 1992-March 1992 | 1 | 1 | 17 |
| Dec. 1992-March 1993 | 15 | 1 | 17 |
| Dec. 1993-March 1994 | 6 | 1 | 19 |
| Nov. 1994-March 1995 | 11 | 5 | 20 |
9) Electrofishing Survey, 30 May 1996.
base of slide: four steelhead, 94, 118, 127, and 132 mm.
eight coho, 45, 50, 52, 54, 57, 59, 60, 64 mm.
"Many YOY SH" middle of slide: two steelhead, 110, 115 mm.
four coho, 57, 58, 64, 66 mm.
"Many YOY SH" above slide: two steelhead, 123, 141 mm.
three coho, 57, 61, 61 mm.
"Many YOY SH" at F1400: five steelhead, 93, 102, 108, 112, 115 mm.
eight coho, 49, 51, 53, 57, 58, 58, 59, 63 mm.
Above Walsh bridge: seven coho, 47, 54, 55, 55, 57, 65, 65 mm.
"No YOY SH"
200 ft. above Walsh bridge: three steelhead, 105, 124, 141 mm.
600 ft. above Walsh bridge: three coho, 44, 47, 47 mm.
"No YOY SH"
1100 ft. above Walsh bridge: nine steelhead, 63, 85, 97, 106,
108, 120, 124, 139, 150 mm.
one coho, 63 mm.
"Several YOY SH" 200 ft. above 1994 left bank clearcut: one coho, 60 mm.
Lower end of 1995 right bank clearcut: four steelhead, 89, 97, 102, 135 mm.
"Several YOY SH" at top of 1995 CC, 5200 ft. above Walsh bridge: one coho, 40 mm.
Information from California Fish and Game Publications.
Twenty-Third Biennial Report for 1912-1914.
Following is a list of surveys which have been made for fish ladders to be installed over dams in California up to July 1, 1914:...Redwood Mill and Lumber Co., Humboldt Co., Little River, ladder installed; Elk River Lumber Co., Humboldt County, Elk River, ladder installed.
[Regarding the fall 1912 chinook egg collection effort of the Price Creek hatchery on Eel River]...Before the freshet caused the river to rise, a number of mature fish were taken and 472,250 eggs were collected; these, with 3,611,000 eggs shipped from Mill Creek station, were successfully hatched and the fry liberated in Mad River, Elk River, Jacoby Creek, Freshwater Creek, Eel River and Price Creek...
Price Creek Hatchery, Fish Distribution, Season of 1914.
Quinnat Salmon, 3,948,000 total, including:
March 31, Freshwater Creek, 37,500, Harbor Commission
March 31, Jacoby Creek, 37,500, Eureka Chamber of Commerce
April 10, Elk River, 75,000, Eureka Chamber of Commerce
Steelhead, 406,000 total, including:
April 29, Jacoby Creek, 37,500, Harbor Commission
April 29, Freshwater Creek, 37,500, Harbor Commission
April 30, Elk River, 75,000, Harbor Commission
Price Creek Hatchery, Fish Distribution, Season of 1915.
Quinnat Salmon, 2,968,150 total, including:
April 1, Freshwater Creek, 70,000, Humboldt Chamber of Commerce
April 4, Jacoby Creek, 70,000, Eureka Chamber of Commerce
April 6, Elk River, 70,000, Eureka Chamber of Commerce
April 8, Elk River, 70,000, Eureka Chamber of Commerce
April 10, Freshwater Creek, 70,000, Humboldt Chamber of Commerce
April 13, Jacoby Creek, 70,000, Humboldt Chamber of Commerce
April 14, Elk River, 70,000, Humboldt Chamber of Commerce
Steelhead, 847,000 total, including:
April 1, Jacoby Creek, 70,000, Humboldt Chamber of Commerce
April 3, Elk River, 30,000, Eureka Chamber of Commerce
April 4, Elk River, South Fork, Little S.F., 40,000, Eureka
Chamber of Commerce
April 5, Freshwater Creek, 70,000, Fish and Game Commission
April 6, Elk River, 70,000, Eureka Chamber of Commerce
April 7, Freshwater Creek, 70,000, Arcata Chamber of Commerce
April 8, Elk River, 70,000, Eureka Chamber of Commerce
Hallock, Richard, George Warner and Donald H. Fry, Jr. 1952.
Salmon Fingerling Marking Program. Calif. Fish and Game
38(3):301-332.
This was a mark and release investigation, which included capturing fingerling coho. Of interest are the streams seined and numbers of coho captured.
Silver Salmon Seined and Released in the Streams of Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, May-July, 1951.
Del Norte County 1949 year 1950 year
Salmon Taken
| Stream | yearling | fish of the year |
| High Prairie Creek | 166 | 3,371 |
| Hunter Creekk | 35 | 500 |
| Iaqua Creek | 25 | |
| Jordan Creek | 200 | |
| McGarvey Creek | 200 | |
| Mill Creekk | 7 | 60,531 |
| Turwar Creek | 5 | 3,000 |
| Wilson Creek | 83 | 10,531 |
| Humboldt County | 240 | |
| Boyes Creek | 3,000 | |
| Bull Creek | 200 | |
| Camp Bauer Creek | 500 | |
| Chadd Creek | 216 | |
| Cooper Mill Creek | 2 | |
| Cummings Creek | 500 | |
| Elk River | 17,671 | |
| Fielder Creek | 2,100 | |
| Freshwater Creek | 8,640 | |
| Grassy Creek | 4 | 11,158 |
| Grizzly Creek | 500 | |
| Hely Creek | 200 | |
| Jacoby Creek | 2 | 14,223 |
| Jordan Creek | 500 | |
| Lindsey Creek | 8 | 10,583 |
| Little Lost Man Creek | 189 | |
| Little Rive | 813 | |
| Lost Man Creek | 2 | 1,500 |
| May Creek | 300 | |
| Noisey Creek | 500 | |
| Palmer Creek | 956 | |
| Prairie Creek | 43 | 6,931 |
| Redwood Creek | -- | -- |
| Squaw Creek | 1 | 6,800 |
"Little River and Redwood Creek are both excellent silver salmon streams, but were not seined extensively because in the few places where they could be reached by road, the pools were so deep as to make netting impractical."
California Fish and Game 1(3):127 (April 1915). Hatchery and Fishery Notes...At the Price Creek Hatchery 3,000,000 salmon eggs are now hatching. The fry obtained from this hatch will be distributed in Mad River and the streams flowing into Humboldt Bay, as well as in the lower reaches of Eel River...
California Fish and Game 5(1):37 (Jan. 1919) Hatchery Notes--The streams of Humboldt and Trinity counties were stocked with rainbow and steelhead trout fry to the number of 200,000 and 1,000,000, respectively from Fort Seward Hatchery this season. Mad River, tributaries to Humboldt Bay, and Eel River and tributaries received most of the fish.
