PROPAGATION- AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 19 3 1155 



One million five hundred tliousand eyed cliinoolv eggs, received from the 

 Battle Creek auxiliary, were hatched : and from the comhined stock, plan^^s 

 of 1,951,000 fingerling fisli were made in the McCloud River at Baird and in 

 the Sacramento Biver near Bedding. Calif. Heavy rains in Decemlier washed 

 away the dumes at the head of the gravity ditcli and necessitated the i)umi)ing 

 of water from the river for a period of several weeks while the equipment was 

 undergoing repair. Snow to a depth of H feet fell during the winter, this 

 amount exceeding that of any season's snowfall within the ])ast 12 years. The 

 station roads, which were hadly damaged by heavy prer-lpitation during the win- 

 ter, were repaired in the spring with earth and gravel hauled for the jnirpose. 

 In April, the racks were again installed for the interception of the spring run 

 of salmon. During the early summer, forest fires threatened the destruction of 

 the power lines. They were finajly gotten under control by the efforts of a large 

 force of men. and no damage was done to station property. In the course of the 

 year the station superintendent visited the two substati(ms as often as wa?^ 

 deemed necessary to exercise general supervision over the work and give needed 

 instructions to the officials in cliarge. 



Battle Creek (Calif.) substatio)}. — During the summer needed repairs and 

 improvements were made on the station buildings. A new pond was con- 

 structed across the gulch west of tlie hatchery. In September racks were 

 installed in Battle Creek, and fishing began on October 1. The run of fish was 

 larger than in some years, and eggs to the number of 7,674,800 were collected. 

 Contrary to recent practice, no seines were operated in tlie Sacramento River^ 

 the full attention of the station force being required in making local collec- 

 tions. On account of the occiu'rence of heavy storms when the eggs were in 

 the tender stage, many were lost and large numbers of weak fry developed 

 which soon succumbed. Slightly more than two-thirds of the 5,301,000 fry^ 

 hatched were reared to the fingerling stage, and all fish produced were planted 

 in Battle Creek. 



Mill Creek (C.nlif.) siibf)^ritiou. — Prior to the opening of the fishing season 

 the old supply flume from the main ditch to the hatchery, a distance of 225 

 feet, was relniilt with a half-circle galvanized-iron flume 2 feet in width and 

 about 12 inches deep, equipped with a concrete head gate. The racks were 

 installed in August and fishing ex+^ended from November 6 to December 7,. 

 resulting in tlie collection of 1. 800.000 eggs. After the run of fish was over the 

 racks were removed and all equipment was stored, just in time to prevent its 

 washing away by high water. The smaller than normal collection made was 

 due to the refusal of the local irrigation company to turn water into Mill 

 Creek until November 1, by which time most of the fish that would otherwise 

 have entered the creek had passed on up the river. All available water is used 

 during the summer for irrigation and throughout that period the creek is 

 practically dry. The company has promised that during the coming year water 

 will be turned into the creek by the middle of October. From the eggs collected 

 and 600,000 eyed eggs transferred from the Battle Creek substation, 2,385,000 

 fry were batched. These were reared until the end of March and then liber- 

 ated, as the wa*^er was taken at that time by the irrigation company. During 

 the short feeding period 1,100 pounds of salmon and 200 pounds of beef melts 

 were consumed. 



FISHES OF THE GREAT LAKES 



In contrast to conditions during the past two or three years, 

 the aggregate output of whitefish, lake trout, and pike perch was 

 markedly increased. The only variety which failed to reach the 

 numbers of the previous year was the cisco or lake herring. The 

 increase was largely credited to the highly successful operations 

 of the Michigan stations, although the pike-perch output was aug- 

 mented by a good production at the Put in Bay (Ohio) station. 

 The Cape Vincent (N. Y.) station was materially curtailed in its 

 whitefish and lake-trout operations, as was true with the latter 

 species at the Duluth (Minn.) station. Had weather conditions 

 permitted an average output at these two establishments, the total 

 distribution for the entire territory would have been close to previous 

 high records. 



