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F'iSH AND Game Warden 



[Bull. No. 1. 



how to manage the ditches and water pipes in cases where the 

 water is to be received from adjacent springs, ponds or 

 streams ; and give much other information of value that would 

 save much time and trouble, including an estimate of the cost 

 of the structure. The Department of Fish and Game would 

 be pleased to have you visit the State Hatchery grounds at 

 Pratt. By so doing you could get many ideas about ponds, 

 pond fish and pond fish culture, including any and all infor- 

 mation that the department is able to furnish. 



PONDS NEAR MEDICINE LODGE, BARBER COUNTY. 



Early in the spring of 1910, while at Medicine Lodge, I had 

 an opportunity to visit a number of small lakes and ponds in 

 that part of the state. Some of these bodies of water were 

 natural and some artificial, and others — found on the ranch 

 of Miss Mary Best — were a combination of the two. What 

 were originally natural ponds, supplied for the most part by 

 overflow waters from the river, had been transformed by 

 various improvements into what might be considered artifi- 

 cial bodies of water fed largely by springs. 



Upon examining the ponds of this neighborhood I noticed, 

 at least in one instance, what I had observed in other locali- 

 ties — that it is not wise to plow, scrape and remove dirt from 

 the natural ground surface below the dam. This results in 

 removing the surface soil, and in many localities such work 



View of a section of a pond on the Mary Best Ranch, just west of Medicine Lodge. 

 A natural pond tliat has been improved for fish culture and pleasure resort purposes. 



