16 THE EDIBLE FISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 
mention also that it is considered that the Murrumbidgee 
River will be dammed back for about 40 miles, while the 
Goodradigbee will be similarly dammed for about 12 miles. 
Now, in European lakes (according to such an authority 
as Sir F. A. Nicholson), where fishes subsist solely upon the 
natural food supplied by a lake and its sources, 1} cwt. per 
acre is considered a medium annual yield. Under the more 
favorable conditions for the growth of fish food existing in 
our waters, I think we may safely increase the amount to at 
least 2 cwt. under ordinary natural conditions; while, with a 
proper system of cultivation, this amount might be very 
greatly increased. As I stated before, it is estimated that 
the total surface area of the Barren Jack Reservoir at normal 
level will be 12,874 acres, which, at the rate of 224 lb. (2 cwt.) 
to the acre, would yield 2,863,616 lb. of fresh fish annually. 
Under present conditions the fishes so captured would consist 
mainly of Murray Cod and Trout, and this without any 
special introduction of the species on the part of man, as the 
Murray Cod already exists in that portion of the Murrum- 
bidgee above the dam, while the Goodradigbee River, which 
flows into the Murrumbidgee about 3 miles above the dam, 
has long since demonstrated its capabilities as a trout stream 
of the first order. On the other hand, if a suitable hatchery 
and nursery ponds were established (and it must be remem- 
bered that all the conditions combine to render hatchery 
construction in this locality simple in the extreme, quite 
without those difficulties which might be encountered else- 
where) the possibilities of fish production in this great 
artificial lake would be immeasurably increased; and under 
ordinarily favorable circumstances the return should reach 
annually many millions of pounds weight. If—as appears 
probable—other huge reservoirs of a similar nature are con- 
structed, there will be presented to us the chance of enormously 
augmenting our future inland fish supplies.* 
*In Europe a lake is considered to be stocked with fishes when it holds them 
at the rate of about 1 lb. per 50 cubic yards. At this rate, Barren Jack Reservoir 
would, when fully stocked, support the enormous quantity of 24,898,275 lb., or 
{1,115 tons. Verily these are huge figures, but investigation will show that they 
are not exaggerated. 
