Biological Survey — Erie-Xiagara Watershed 29 



be learned very few if any have been taken. Brown trout have 

 been reported by a number of fishermen. Temperatures talven 

 between 2:30 and 3 p. m., on August 8 ran as follows: 



Station 1. Just below the mouth of Murder creek, air = 82; water = 76 



Station 2. One mile above the mouth of Murder creek, air = 84; water = 68 



Station 3. Just below tributary 2, air = 85; water = 65 . 5 



Station 4. Just above tributary 2, air = 85 ; water == 80 



The w^ater temperature may be considered suitable for brook 

 trout beginning a little above the mouth of Murder creek and 

 extending upstream within two miles of source. 



Attention is called to the drop in temperature between Stations 

 4 and 3. This w^as due to an inflowing cold stream, tributary 2*. 

 It was found that much if not all of this water comes from pumps 

 located at the gypsum mines. It was stated that while these 

 pumps are running almost all of the time, they are occasionally 

 stopped. Two things might then happen which would disturb the 

 conditions we found in the main stream and in tributary 2. If 

 the pumps were stopped on a hot summer day, the stream would 

 change very quickly from a cold to a warm stream and tributary 2 

 would become very nearly dry. 



Hankinson records brook trout, rock bass and small-mouthed 

 bass among others and says that in the headwaters the stream is 

 suitable for brook trout. He also indicates that the water farther 

 dow^n probably becomes too warm for brook trout and under 

 present conditions recommends browns. 



In order to find out more about conditions in this stream Doctor 

 Wagner analyzed the water at approximately the places indicated 

 above with the following results, Table 6 : 



Table 6. 



Analysis of the Water in Ledge Creek ^ The Centigrade Degrees 

 Have Been Changed to Fahr. 



Since we have found brook trout in water containing as little 

 as 4 p.p.m. of oxygen, it is evident that the content in this gas 

 given at every station above is sufficient. The water is very hard 

 but not more so than certain other trout waters which have been 



* See Map IB. 



^ Data furnished by Dr. F. E. Wagner. 

 2 Station 1 located at first bridge above Murder creek, 

 referred to in text. 



All others the same as 



