A REPORT UPON THE FISHES OF THE MISSOURI RIVER 



BASIN. 



By Barton W. Evermann and Ulysses O. Cox. 

 INTRODUCTION. 



The investigations upon which this report is primarily based were 

 provided for by two items in the sundry civil bill approved August 5, 

 lX!ti\ First, "for investigation and report respecting the advisability 

 of* establishing fish-hatching stations at suitable points in the States of 

 South Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska, $1,000, or as much thereof as may 

 be necessary"; and second, "for investigation and report respecting 

 the advisability of establishing a fish-hatching station at some suitable 

 point in Wyoming, $400." 



The conditions which determine the desirability of locating one or 

 more fish -hatcheries in these States made it expedient to conduct each 

 investigation as being a part of one general inquiry, it was wholly 

 impracticable to separate them or to consider their results as per- 

 taining alone to Wyoming on the one hand, or to Iowa, South Dakota, 

 and Nebraska, on the other. They were, therefore, conducted with 

 reference to the general fish-cultural needs of the entire group of 

 north-central States west of the Mississippi River. 



It became apparent, early in the consideration of the matter, that 

 the greatest need of this region, so far as fish-culture is concerned, is 

 a station for the hatching and rearing of the various pond and river 

 fishes. With the exception of a few streams in northeastern Iowa, two 

 or three small creeks in northern Nebraska, and the Black Hills streams 

 in South Dakota, the waters of these three States are not adapted to 

 trout. The streams of Wyoming which are suitable for trout are, with 

 few unimportant exceptions, confined to that portion west of the 

 Powder River and north of the Sweetwater. This is a region which 

 can probably be best reached and stocked with trout from the station 

 now being established at Bozeman, Montana. 



It therefore appears that if but one station is established for these 

 States it should be chiefly devoted to the hatching and rearing of the 

 species of fishes which are indigenous to the waters of this region, and 

 that the best location, geographically, would be somewhere in South 

 Dakota, Nebraska, or Iowa. If it should be regarded as desirable to 

 establish at any time a second station in these States it might very well 

 be a trout station, and should be located in or near the Black Hills. If 



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