Biological Survey — Erie-Niagara Watershed 211 



Following- are listed the regions where carp are very abundant 

 (see map) : 



Vicinity of highway bridge, New London. 



Mouth of Fish creek, near Sjdvan Beach. 



Entrance to canal, Brewerton. 



Inlet of Oneida river, west of Lock 23. 



Shallows west of stone cut. Oak Orchard. 



Wide water one-half mile east of Belgium. 



South side of canal at Great Bear spring. 



Foul one mile east of Fulton. 



Vicinity of Mud Lock and Long Branch. 



Shallows west of Baldwinsville. 



Wide water one mile west of Maloney island. 



Vicinity of Bonte's bridge. 



Wide waters and old channel west of Mosquito point. 



Wide waters and flood channels in the Montezuma marsh. 



Old Erie canal in vicinity of Canastota. 



In contradiction of the popular belief that carp inhabit by pref- 

 erence polluted water, is the fact that very few carp live near the 

 inlets of Wood and Owasco creeks, the two streams most badly 

 polluted by city sewage encountered in the present survey 

 (Wagner).^ Industrial wastes entering the canal at such places as 

 Rome, Fulton and Onondaga lake do not seem to effect the distri- 

 bution of this fish. 



Canal carp live in small schools, thirty individuals forming the 

 largest school observed as compared with a school of nine hundred 

 fish taken at Fisher's bay in Oneida lake. This is due to the 

 absence of extensive feeding grounds in the canal and the frequent 

 disturbing of fish by passing boats. That it is not an inherent 

 characteristic is shown by the fact that carp assemble in large 

 numbers, during the spring, in creeks and flood waters covering 

 the marsh lands which border the canal. 



The portion of the old Erie canal between New London and Can- 

 astota harbors many carp. The fish have free access to the barge 

 canal through a flood channel at New London, but it is doubtful 

 if carp use this passage since the old canal possesses natural con- 

 ditions favorable to carp. A similar region is found in the old 

 Oswego canal extending for five miles from Walter's island to 

 ■Morseman's lock. The old canal connects with the new channel at 

 frequent intervals, thus making the former easily accessible for 

 spaAvning and feeding grounds. 



Breeding Habits. — The first spawning of carp was observed 

 by Mr. R. Landgraff- at Billington's bay on May 14. From this 

 date until the 7th of July breeding carp were seen in this bay, 

 at Upper South bay and at many dift'erent locations in the Erie 

 and Oswego canals. They were also found spawning as late as 



1 Wagner, F. E. Chemical Investigations of tho Oswego Watershed. [In Oswego 

 Survey Rept. N. Y. Conservation Department. I 928.] 

 ^Carp seiner in field unit. 



