I 



Fish CuUitrists' Association. 41 



prevented the ascent of an^- fish in that stage of water. We therefore 

 deemed it advisable to alter the work so as to remove this objection. 

 The plane or floor was torn up, and the toe of the fish-way lowered about 

 two feet six inches, so that it should be below the lowest water that had 

 occurred in the river for the last half centur}'. While this operation was 

 being performed, the abutments or side walls of the fish-wa}' were 

 strengthened by increasing their thickness. This was done at the desire 

 of the company owning the dam, 'who thought the work somewhat 

 endangered b}' leaving them at the old dimensions, and the law prescrib- 

 ing that the dam was not "to be injured for the purpose for which it was 

 constructed," by the introduction of the fish-w^ay. 



In addition to this, the flooring of the fish-way was purposely rough- 

 ened to give it more the character of the bottom of the stream. On each 

 side of the deck or floor a space of ten feet was paved with rough stones, 

 and the middle of the flooring was interspersed with piles of slab and 

 plank placed at irregular intervals, so that the water, in passing through, 

 should have a likeness to an interrupted current of a natural fall. 



