146 American Fisheries Society 



stream below was dry. In an instant the party found diverting 

 sport in catching the large trout that were floundering on the 

 rocks." 



I leave this account for the consideration of every angler and 

 fish culturist, and perchance to our federal and state representa- 

 tives. It has been said that the immense storage reservoirs to be 

 constructed in connection with the reclamation projects will 

 furnish a home and a haven for millions of fish — but not on your 

 life. These reservoirs will be built in narrow mountain gorges, 

 where the water will be too deep for fish life to exist, and the 

 rocky bottom and sides will forever preclude the existence of fish 

 food. The Roosevelt Dam in Arizona, already constructed, is 

 more than three hundred feet high. 



It is popularly supposed that fish should abound, thrive and 

 multiply wherever there is a reasonable volume of water, even if 

 polluted or contaminated by deleterious matter that is destructive 

 to fish food, if not to the fishes themselves. Sometimes in planting 

 young fish the serious mistake is made of dumping fry or fingerlings 

 in the main body of streams, or in the open water of ponds and 

 lakes, where but a small amount of fish food exists, and where 

 they are likely to be swallowed by larger fish. 



It has been said that the proper way to train a child is to begin 

 with its grandmother; so the proper way to protect the fish of 

 inland waters is to begin with the water itself. Practicable 

 fish ways should be placed at every dam or other obstruction. 

 Manufacturing plants and mines should be compelled by law to 

 provide settling ponds for waste liquid products and septic tanks 

 for poisonous offal, so that the overflow would consist of com- 

 paratively innocuous water. 



In all states where irrigation is practiced, laws should be 

 enacted for some effectual device for keeping fish out of irrigation 

 ditches. Close seasons for all game- and food-fishes during the 

 breeding periods should be established, and severe penalties should 

 be imposed for the violation of such laws. Every peace-officer and 

 court official should be made fish and game wardens by virtue 

 of their offices, with full powers, in addition to the regularly 

 appointed wardens. 



The sewage of towns and cities is another problem that will have 

 to be dealt with eventually, though at present it receives but 



