704 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [2] 



siou or basin in the hillside to the north of the hatchery. The water 

 supply for the hatching-house is drawn from the upper spring (see Plate 

 I) through a 1-ineh iron pipe conveying about 120 gallons of water per 

 minute. The excess of water from the upper spring is conducted by 

 shallow flumes, which also serve as spawning races, through the two 

 ponds, 12 by 50 feet, which are reserved for the oldest breeding trout. 

 Escaping from the lower of these the discharge unites with that from 

 the lower spring and is conveyed by a tunnel under the hatchery to 

 the sloping hillside south of this building, and the whole discharge 

 from the springs is thus utilized for the supply of the succession of tr^out- 

 rearing ponds constructed on the rather abrupt slope extending from 

 the hatchery to the valley below. 



The station, it will be seen (Plate II), presents remarkable advan- 

 tages in the large water supply available for fish-cultural operations, 

 and in the fact that the distribution both to the hatching-house and 

 ponds can be made by gravity, thus eliminating one very considerable 

 item in the cost of maintenance of stations where circumstances require 

 the water to be pumped to a higher level before it cau be utilized. One 

 serious trouble relating to the water supply yet remains to be corrected. 



During the seasons of heavy and prolonged rainfall the springs be- 

 come muddy, and although the muddy water does not appear to be 

 directly injurious, the fact that proper observation and attention can 

 not be given to the eggs and young fish may give rise to serious losses. 

 Where this muddy condition is prolonged the gills of the larger trout 

 become congested or infiamed, and many of our losses of fish have 

 doubtless originated from the abnormal condition of water, if not di- 

 rectly attributable to it. 



It is expected to get rid of this trouble and embarrassment to the 

 work either by the use of a settling reservoir or by devising effective 

 methods of filtration. Experiments are now in progress with a view to 

 determining the most convenient and available means to accomplish 

 the desired end. 



(3) Hatchery. — The building first occupied as a hatchery was an old, 

 log still-house, fitted up with hatching troughs affording capacity for 

 the development and hatching of 300,000 trout eggs. In the spring of 

 188G this building was removed, and on its site was erected the present 

 comfortable, convenient, and well-equipped station. It is shown in 

 elevation in the general view of buildings, ponds, and grounds (Plate 

 II). Details of interior construction and arrangements are given in 

 Plates III, IV, V. 



The building is 50 feet by 25 feet and two stories high. The base- 

 ment or lower story is of stone, the floor of concrete, so that it may be 

 flushed with water and thoroughly cleaned whenever necessary. This 

 floor constitutes the hatchery proper, and is fitted up with troughs and 

 hatching jars, as shown in Plate ILL As at present arranged, about 



