Osburn. — Game Fish Conditions in Ohio 359 



there is nothing unsanitary in a fallen tree, a decaying stump, 

 or submerged vegetation in the water. But the main point is 

 that when you remove the weed you take away the refuge of 

 the perch and the bluegills, and when the fallen tree or the old 

 stump is removed, the favorable lurking place of the big old 

 bass goes too. If it were possible to have a perfectly clean 

 body of water with no decaying organic matter in it, such a 

 body of water would be a fish desert absolutely. I may add 

 that it is not the policy of the Ohio Bureau of Fish and Game 

 to remove the old stumps from our magnificent reservoirs, 

 but to preserve them as fish refuges as long as they will last. 

 In many cases the stumps have been there nearly a century, 

 and as they are still sound they are likely to remain to bless 

 coming generations of sportsmen for a long time. In some 

 cases, smaller rivers and lakes that were once good bass waters 

 have been cleaned and controlled until the "old swimmin' hole" 

 and the big fish have both disappeared. 



Like most other states, Ohio has suffered by the removal 

 of too much of her forest growth from the hills, with the result 

 that we have higher freshets than formerly, and lower water 

 in periods of drought. Smaller streams that once afforded 

 good fishing are now, in some cases, practically barren. For- 

 estry work should cooperate with fishery work when possible. 



Pollution, too, has played its part in the reduction of game 

 fish, though we are not as bad off in Ohio as in some other 

 states. Only one lake in the state is now known to be badly pol- 

 luted, namely, Summit Lake, which is nearly surrounded by 

 the city of Akron and which, in addition to some sewage, re- 

 ceives chemical wastes from a large salt works in the city. 

 Twenty years ago this lake was teeming with good game fish. 

 In the streams all sorts of conditions are found. An occa- 

 sional river is so polluted that it is absolutely devoid of all life. 

 In other waters the game fish are entirely wanting or they are 

 few in number or in bad condition, with only a few hardier 

 kinds, such as the catfish, present. 



