36 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 



grounds and quickly adapt themselves to a changed environment. If the 

 freshwater fishes come in contact with a screen even if the meshes are 

 c[uite wide apart, they will not make any great effort to pass through 

 unless they are forced to do so by roily water or high temperatures. In 

 ordinary' temperatures and normal conditions, they are content to remain 

 in their natural habitat, viz., the pools of the stream where they have 

 been propagated and find conditions suitable for their existence. But 

 the anadromous fishes following their instinct to descend the streams 

 make every effort j^ossible to do so, when the periods of their migrations 

 are on. 



CHINOOK SALMON. 



The propagation of chinook salmon becomes a matter of greater impor- 

 tance each season, as the natural spawning grounds are being cut off in 

 the rivers and streams of the state by the erection of high clams for the 

 development of hydro-electric power and irrigation. As near as we can 

 estimate, over eighty per cent of the natural spaAvning grounds on the 

 Sacramento Eiver, San Joaquin River, Feather River and their tribu^ 

 taries are now cut off from the salmon runs. The chinook salmon must 

 of consequence, be greatly reduced in numbers or greater efforts made to 

 propagate them artificially at the hatcheries. The Bureau of Fisheries 

 stations at Battle and j\Iill Creeks have been operated during the past 

 two seasons, but owing to the flood in the fall of 1920 and the drought 

 of 1921, the take of eggs by the Bureau of Fisheries was very light at 

 Battle Creek and Mill Creek stations. 



Owing to the impassable condition of the dam of the Anderson- Cot- 

 tonwood Irrigation District at Redding, the salmon were prevented from 

 entering the McCloud River and consequently the Bureau of Fisheries 

 did not collect any eggs at Baird. Injunction proceedings against the 

 Irrigation District were begun by the Fish and Game Commission dur- 

 ing 1920, through Honorable Jesse W. Carter, district attorney of 

 Shasta County, assisted by our attorney, R. D. Duke, and an applica 

 tion made by him for a temporary injunction restraining the district 

 from operating the dam until an efficient fishway was constructed that 

 would allow the salmon to pass this barrier. The resultant agreement 

 provides that the fishway is to be made efficient by such changes as the 

 fishway inspector and the engineer of the irrigation district should 

 decide was necessary. This fall the necessary changes will be made. 



During the fall of 1920, the run of salmon w^as rather light on the 

 Klamath River but an average take of eggs was expected, but a severe 

 storm caused the Klamath River to rise damaging the racks to such an 

 extent that a large portion of the salmon escaped causing the take of 

 eggs to be materially decreased. Nevertheless, 2,766,000 eggs wei'c 

 collected and shipped to Fall Creek Hatchery, Mount Shasta Hatch- 

 ery and Fort Seward Hatcher.y on Eel River. 



During the fall of 1921, conditions were very favorable on the 

 Klamath River and the egg collecting crew managed to procure 

 19,000,000 chinook salmon eggs, the largest number ever collected from 

 the river. The eggs were shipped to Fall Creek Hatchery at Copco, 

 Mount Shasta Hatchery at Sisson and Fort Seward Hatchery on Eel 

 River. The resulting fr}'' were hatched and reared in good condition. 

 The fry hatched from the eggs at Fall Creek Hatchery, were held in 



