442 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



The most extensive project of this kind has been planned for the 

 Piso-ali Division of the Pisgah National Forest. This forest affords 

 an exceptionally favorable opportunity for investigations of this 

 nature, since it contains many excellent trout streams which are under 

 the complete control of the Forest Service. It is proposed to use 

 these streams for a demonstration of scientific stream management 

 as a means of improving angling conditions. A rearing station is 

 being constructed on the headwaters of the Davidson River, where 

 fish required for stocking can be reared to the required size. 



A similar arrangement was completed for the use of certain streams 

 in the Big Levels Game Management Area in the George Washington 

 National Forest. AVork on these streams was started in August 1935. 



California trout investigations. — Excellent progress has been made 

 on the cooperative program, organized in 1932, Avith the California 

 Division of Fish and Game. No radical changes were made this year 

 in the field program, which consists of work along two major lines 

 of effort: The Hot Creek brood-stock experiments and the coastal- 

 stream steelhead studies. Dr. P. H. Needham is in general charge 

 of the field program and in direct charge of the Hot Creek project, 

 while A. C. Taft has supervision of the coastal-stream steelhead 

 project. Tvro assistants, Leo Shapovalov and Leo Erkkila, are sup- 

 plied by the State Division of Fish and Game. 



Lack of funds prevented continuance of stream and lake surveys 

 on the scale begun in 1934 with P. W. A. funds. However, brief 

 biological surveys were made by staff members on Salton Sea, Bucks 

 Lake, Lake Merced, and Lake Arrowhead, in California. 



Studies on the steelhead of the coastal streams have continued and 

 additional work has been undertaken on the Klamath River. 



At Scott and Waddell Creeks, in Santa Cruz County, a census of 

 the run is made each year in order to determine the basic facts in the 

 life history of the steelhead and silver salmon, such as age. growth, 

 migration, and the return from given escapements. At Scott Creek 

 during the 193-1—35 season the run was somewhat larger than during 

 the previous 2 yeai's and totaled 585 fish. Nearly 45 percent of the 

 fish were grilse, and, judging from the number of marked fish among 

 them, they were largely from the planting of the previous year. On 

 February 12, 5,608 fish which had been reared at the hatchery ponds 

 during the previous summer were released beloAv the dam. Losses 

 weie very heavy in the jionds. due to an outbreak of furunculosis. 

 Altliough this epidemic, if continued, may seriously hamper the Avork, 

 the survivors are being marked and planted in an effort to determine 

 if they and their progeny will show an increased resistance to the 

 disease. 



Judging from the number of silver salmon and steelhead trout 

 taken at the Waddell weir during the two seasons in which it has 

 been operated, the run of adult fish was somewhat greater during 

 the past season. Tlie number of steelhead migrants, however, was 

 smaller, perhaps owing to the loss of adult fish from furunculosis 

 during 1933-34. The downstream movement of cottoids was repeated 

 at the same season as in 1933-34, but the run was greatly reduced in 

 size. 



On the Klamath River marked steelhead have l)een planted in Fall 

 Creek and Beaver Creek, two moderate-sized tributaries of the upper 

 river. During May 1935 an additional lot of 29,000 fish were marked 



