Proceedings Forty-seventh Annual Meeting 59 



There is another chance to make an enormous saving of fish 

 life in our irrigation operations. You are all familiar with the 

 fact that when the gates of the irrigation systems are opened 

 enormous quantities of fish of all sizes go into the ditches and as the 

 water dries up the fish, of course, are left there and wasted. 

 Every state which has irrigation projects within its borders should 

 be compelled by public sentiment to utilize those fish in some way. 

 By systematic collections they could be used for stocking ponds or 

 rivers and then, occasionally, the best of the fish might be put on 

 the market. Those which are below market size should be put 

 in ponds for future use. A systematic collection would be rel- 

 atively easy if wells or pockets could be constructed, so that as 

 these irrigation ditches dry up, the fish would gradually collect in 

 these deep places where they could be systematically handled. 



In regard to the fish screen, it is still necessary to find some 

 practical, usable, non-clogging screen and to educate the people 

 to its use. I know from personal contact with the authorities of 

 the United States Reclamation Service, that they stand ready to 

 forward any well-devised movement in that line. 



The salvage of fish from overflow of rivers has been in operation 

 to some extent in parts of the country, but there is still much 

 waste where this important opportunity is neglected. It has been 

 carried on by the Bureau of Fisheries and by some states for a 

 number of years, but must be extended to other localities. It is 

 important also, that advanced steps should be taken relative to 

 the methods and the necessity of developing and utilizing the full 

 producing powers of public and privately owned waters, not as a 

 temporary, but as a permanent source of food and recreation. 



The state universities should be called upon by the people to 

 give more extended instruction in aquatic biology and in related 

 chemistry and physics and in all problems involved in the com- 

 plete utilization of the water and of the fish for food and recreation, 

 and should closely scrutinize existing and proposed laws to elim- 

 inate biological blunders. At various times this has been urged 

 by Dr. Smith, the U. S. Commissioner of Fisheries, and some of 

 the state universities are already working on these lines, but there 

 must be a wide extension. 



One of the most important applications of biology and of 

 science, I believe, is in educating the legislatures as to the import- 



