68 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Spearfish Station, South Dakota (D. C. Booth, Superintendent). 



During the year the station grounds were materially improved by 

 the construction of a stone bulkhead 82 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 6 

 feet high across the canyon outlet, and a channel, in places 6 feet deep 

 and 8 feet wide, was cut through the upper grounds to connect with 

 the storm channel constructed last year. Although still incomplete, 

 the channel is sufficiently large to care for sudden accumulations of 

 water from the canyon during ordinar}^ rains, and has during the past 

 year carried off the surface water, thus preventing the pollution of 

 the water supply to the hatchery, and as a consequence the percent- 

 age of eggs hatched was higher than heretofore. During the summer 

 much trouble was experienced owing to a decrease in the volume of . 

 the spring-water supply, which is the main source of supply for the 

 hatchery and ponds. From time to time, as the regular force could 

 be spared from the fish-cultural work, and with some temporary 

 assistance, the sources of the springs rising on the reservation in the 

 canyon were developed with gratifying results, and it is believed that 

 by continuing this work the present volume of water can be doubled. 

 A driveway was laid to grade through the station grounds, and, 

 together with other completed portions of the grounds, sown to grass. 

 Shrubs of various kinds were planted, and 47 shade trees were set out. 



The fish on hand at the beginning of the year in course of rearing 

 were distributed as lingerlings and ^^earlings during the summer and 

 fall, with the exception of a lot of rainbows which were retained to 

 rear for a brood stock. The output amounted to 73,500 brook trout, 

 5,000 Loch Leven trout, and 10,000 rainbow trout. 



On the 1st of July there were on hand 1,200,000 black-spotted trout 

 eggs at the collecting station in the Yellowstone Park. As soon as 

 the eggs were properl}^ cn^ ed they were packed in refrigerator cases in 

 lots of about 250,000 each and transported 74 miles by wagon to Cin- 

 nabar, Mont., thence by rail to Spearfish, where they were hatched, and 

 during the fall and winter 382,000 fry were distributed to applicants 

 or planted in the waters of the Black Hills. The substation in the 

 Yellowstone National Park was again opened in the early part of June, 

 5 men being detailed for the collection of eggs at that point. At the 

 close of the year there were in the troughs 1,934,000 eggs. 



During the fall the brood stock of brook trout at the station was 

 largely increased by seining the creeks in the vicinity of the station, 

 and resulted in a larger collection of eggs from this source than in 

 pi-evious 3^ears. During the early fall arrangements were made with 

 persons in the vicinity of the station who had a supply of stock fish 

 to collect and hatch the eggs at the station on shares. The first eggs 

 were taken October 26 and the spawning season continued until Janu- 

 ary 14, when the last eggs were taken from the 1)rood fish at the sta- 

 tion. The total number of brook-trout eggs collected from all sources 

 amounted to 1,005,000, of which 112,000 green eggs were given to the 



