PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1939 593 
and the bottoms of 2 were regraded. New concrete outlet kettles 
were built in all ponds. The following buildings were constructed: 
Four-room cottage, garage and store building, oil and paint house, 
blacksmith shop, and holding shed. In addition to these activities 
the station property was fenced in, all buildings were painted, the 
drainage system was enlarged, roads were graded, and grounds were 
landscaped. 
The Welaka (Fla.) station, which was received by transfer from the 
Farm Security Administration the latter part of last year, was favored 
with W. P. A. and P. W. A. projects for prosecuting extensive con- 
struction work. Complete individual supply and drainage systems 
were installed in eight ponds at the Beecher unit. New kettles were 
constructed in eight new 2-acre ponds, and pond bottoms were graded 
to allow sufficient drainage for collection of fish. There was installed 
a new supply and drainage system for the series of 24 one-acre ponds. 
Repairs were made to old residences. A four-car garage was con- 
structed, a laboratory building was erected, and two 6-room stucco 
cottages were partially finished. Nevertheless, this unit distributed 
approximately 100,000 fry and 300,000 fingerling black bass as well 
as a limited number of sunfish. 
At the Fairport (Iowa) station considerable repair work to pond 
bottoms, embankments, kettles, and supply and drainage lines was 
accomplished. For reasons previously mentioned, salvage work in this 
field was not necessary this year. As this unit is fully equipped to 
handle rescue work, it cooperated with the State Conservation De- 
partment and sportsmen’s organizations in eastern Iowa in the col- 
lecting of fish from stagnant inland waters and liberated them in 
suitable waters. Gratifying success was attained in the culture of 
yellow and channel catfish. 
In the Indiana field, the Rochester station established an all-time 
record in the production of pondfishes. The total output of all species 
handled at Rochester and the Argos auxiliary was in excess of 2 mil- 
lion—an increase of more than 1 million over last year. Further 
experiments in the culture of spoonbill catfish in ponds were under- 
taken at this hatchery, but the results were nil. The dam at Lake 
Manitou, the station’s water supply, was torn out and rebuilt. Sheet 
steel piling was driven along the toe of the dam to a depth of 18 feet 
to prevent seepage, and the floor, wing walls, and apron were recon- 
structed of reinforced concrete. A six-room residence and garage, 
both of brick, were constructed. A new bridge was built across the 
creek that traverses the station grounds. 
UPPER MISSISSIPPI WILDLIFE AND FISH REFUGE 
Up to this year the principal activities within the Upper Mississippi 
Wild Life and Fish Refuge have been the salvage of stranded fish in 
overflow areas. However, the virtual completion of the 9-foot chan- 
nel has nullified this activity, as is shown by the fact that only 
1,864,820 fish were rescued in comparison with the annual turnover of 
40 cr 50 million fish m previous years. 
A new phase of activity has, therefore, been undertaken by the 
construction of an extensive series of propagating ponds, many en- 
tirely artificial while others are seminatural. Several of these have 
