144 American Fisheries Society 



destruction of fish, both large and small, by means of irrigation 

 ditches. 



No one, except the rancher and those who have investigated 

 the subject, can have a realization of the awful loss of fish life, of 

 the wanton sacrifice of millions of God's creatures, left to gasp 

 out their little lives on the meadows and grain fields in some of 

 the western states. Often the stench arising from the decaying 

 fish is intolerable; it smells to heaven. And yet no effective steps 

 have been taken to prevent it by the national or state authorities. 

 This is all the more lamentable as it could so easily be obviated 

 and prevented. 



It is very discouraging to fish culturists in the western states, 

 after hatching and rearing fry and fingerlings with much care and 

 labor and solicitude, to have them stranded and destroyed on the 

 fields of the selfish or thoughtless rancher. It seems to be impos- 

 sible, by argument or reasoning, to impress the average legislatures 

 of the western states of the importance of screening irrigation 

 ditches at the intake. There is also needless and unwarranted 

 opposition to the screening of ditches, not so much on the part of 

 a majority of the fanners and ranchers, as by the average member 

 of the state legislatures, who pretends that it would entail too 

 much trouble and hardship for the rancher to keep the screens 

 clear of leaves and trash. 



By his opposition to screens he hopes to catch the farmer's 

 vote. But the farmer knows that the streams are comparatively 

 clear of leaves and trash in the summer, and that but little atten- 

 tion would be required to keep the screens free and open, during 

 the season of irrigation. I know, personally, of ranchers who, of 

 their own accord, placed screens at the head of their ditches, and 

 who assured me that but little attention was needed to keep them 

 clear during the summer months. I do not believe that the 

 majority of farmers are more selfish or thoughtless than other 

 men, or have less regard for life, even that of a helpless fish; and if 

 screen laws were enacted I believe they would be cheerfully 

 obeyed by the ranchers. 



In order to meet and overcome the objection to screens, I 

 devised a very simple affair, that would be just as effective in 

 keeping fry and fish out of the ditches as a screen, or more so, and 

 moreover it would need no attention after being put in place, and 



