Propagation of salmon on the Pacific Coast

In 1871, Congress organized the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries to study the fishery decline and restore food fish stocks. During the early 1800s, concerns about over-fishing along the Columbia River led to the establishment of salmon-breeding stations to supplement the declining salmon returns by artificial propagation. Commercial fishing and canneries flourished.

In an attempt to appease salmon eaters around the world, these industries worked zealously. In 1883, when the Columbia River chinook catch peaked at 43 million pounds, 55 canneries packed 629,400 cases of salmon.

In the spring of 1883, Mr. George B. Williams, Jr., proceeded to Oregon to carry out the instructions of the Commissioner of the United States Fish Commission to secure for the United States the salmon-breeding station on the Clackamas River, Ore.

This station, built for the Oregon and Washington Fish Propagating Company (cannery owners on the Columbia) in 1877, was still owned by them, but had been leased to the State of Oregon. The transfer of ownership of the Clackamas Station was made in July 1, 1888, to the United States Fish Commission.

Initially the Clackamas Station was considered a premier salmon-breeding plant for the Pacific Northwest; but its time as a suitable egg collecting site was short.

Unfavorable river conditions had already set in and seriously interfered with the operations of the station. When it first passed into the hands of the United States Fish Commission it yielded 5,000,000 salmon eggs a year.

Gradually, mills and dams, timber cutting on the upper waters of the Clackamas, logging in the river, coupled with other adverse influences so crippled its efficiency that it was given up as a collecting-point for salmon eggs, but continued as a rearing site for eggs brought in from elsewhere. It was obvious additional egg collecting sites needed to be developed.

In 1896, eggs collection was authorized at both the Little White Salmon and Big White Salmon River sites.