62 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHEEIES. 



During tJie spring and early summer of 1923 the park work was 

 directed by C. F. Culler, district supervisor. The Soda Butte hatch- 

 ery was opened on May 23, as the first eggs of the season are 

 usually obtainable in that field, and work at the main station was 

 taken up two days later. At the close of the fiscal year 4,794,000 

 black-spotted-trout eggs had been secured, and the indications seemed 

 to point to one of the most successful seasons ever experienced in 

 this region. 



Sx\RATOr,A (WYO. ) STATION AND SUBSTATION. 

 [O. N. Baldwi.v, Superintondent.] 



The bureau's fish-cultural work in Wyoming consisted in the prop- 

 agation of four species of trout — brook, rainbow. Loch Leven, and 

 black-spotted — and, with the exception of the last-named species, 

 all eggs handled during the year were collected either from domesti- 

 <;ated stock carried in the ponds at Saratoga or from wild fish 

 captured in the vicinity of its field auxiliaries. 



The small number of brook-trout fingerlings on hand at the be- 

 ginning of the fiscal year was distributed in September, and during 

 the fall the brood trout at the station yielded 307,000 eggs. This 

 stock was supplemented by the collection of eggs from wild trout 

 taken in Big Creek Lakes, 90 miles distant. Though located in the 

 Hayden National Forest, these lakes are at the present time under 

 the jurisdiction of the Bighorn Land & Cattle Co. The manager of 

 this company appeared to resent the bureau's activities, but through 

 the intervention of local officials of the United States Forest Service 

 an arrangement permitting the bureau to make egg collections in 

 the lakes was finally etFected. However, the work was interfered 

 with later, the racks being removed by unknown persons and large 

 numbers of brood fish allowed to escape. Through this occurrence 

 the egg collections were curtailed from approximately 1,000.000 to 

 288,000. The output of this species for the year amounted to 138,100. 

 and nearly 400,000 fingerlings were on hand at its close. It is the 

 intention to return a substantial percentage of these to Big Creek 

 Lakes Avith the view of building up the field as a future center for 

 egg collections. 



Shortly after the beginning of the fiscal year the rainbow-trout 

 fry resulting from the cooperative work of the bureau and the 

 Wyoming fishery department at the Sage Creek auxiliary were 

 planted in suitable waters and the substation closed for the season. 

 As soon as possible after its reopening in April, racks and traps for 

 the interception of the early run of rainbow trout were installed in 

 Lost, Sage, and Canon Creeks, but owing to the prevailing low 

 water stages the run of fish was unusually light. Between May 1 

 and June 7 eggs to the number of 1,237,150 were taken, approxi- 

 mately 620,000 of which were furnished, when eyed, to the State 

 fisheries de;partments of Wyoming and South Dakota. The re- 

 mainder was developed at the substation with the view of replenish- 

 ing and increasing the stock in parent streams. 



The hatchery erected at Sage Creek last year is a log structure, 

 38 by 28 feet in dimensions, with hip roof. It is equipped with 24 

 wooden troughs, 16 feet long, 14 inches wide, and 9 inches deep, 

 and each trough is divided into eight compartments by saw cuts and 



