TWENTY-SEVENTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 49 



During the two seasons covered by this report, there has been distri- 

 buted from this hatchery 1,850,000 trout fry and 1,000,000 salmon fry, 

 besides 1,375,000 trout fry and 2,000,000 salmon fry that are now being 

 planted that will be reported in the next biennial report. 



There was an epidemic among the fry at this station this season, 

 caused by bacterial infection. The exact cause was not determined. The 

 fish were given the best care possible and everything done to keep them 

 in good condition. Laboratory examinations were made of the water 

 from the creek and smears and water from the troughs, but too much 

 time had elapsed between the time the trouble ended and the laboratory 

 examination, to determine the cause. The opinion of those at the 

 hatchery was that the trouble was caused by the carcasses of a couple of 

 deer decaying in the creek above the hatchery supply. The decomposi- 

 tion of animal matter in the water will often cause trouble among tiie 

 fr}^ at the hatchery. After the loss, caused by the affection among the 

 fish, the remainder of the fry were shipped out in good condition. 



BROOKDALE HATCHERY. 



All the steelhead trout eggs collected at Scott Creek Egg-(,'ollecting 

 Station were transferred to this station as in former years. The usual 

 number of eggs to supplj^ sufficient fry to stock the streams of Santa 

 Cruz County were hatched at this hatchery, and the remainder of the 

 eggs were shipped to other hatcheries. The Brookdale Hatchery is the 

 property of the county of Santa Cruz and is operated by the state undei 

 an agreement providing that half a million steelhead trout fry be 

 hatched and planted in the waters of Santa Cruz County each season 

 under the direction of the board of supervisors of the county. The 

 building is getting old and the foundation is rotted. A new hatchery 

 should be built on some other site in Santa Cruz County, where there is 

 a larger supply of water. The w^ater supply is not sufficient to hold the 

 trout at Brookdale Hatchery as late in the season as they should he held, 

 and a larger hatchery is desirable. An increase in the numljer of fish to 

 be planted in this section is very important to supply the demand of the 

 anglers. If funds are not provided for the construction of a new 

 hatcherj" in this section, a large sum will have to be spent in anotluM- 

 year to repair and improve the old building, which the water sup|)Iy (htcs 

 not justify. 



SCOTT CREEK STATION. 



This station which has been leased from Santa Cruz County was pur- 

 chased by the Fish and Game Commission during the fall of 1920. The 

 site w^as purchased from Mr. Gianoni and the county of Santa Cruz relin- 

 quished their rights to the cottage, tanks, traps, dam, etc. This gives the 

 state full control of a very good egg-collecting station, where an avi-rage 

 of 2,000,000 steelhead trout eggs are taken atnninlly. This was a good 

 investment for the state as Scott Creek has been set aside as a fish |)r<'- 

 serve by the legislature, thus insuring a permanent supply of eg^s For 

 that district. There was collected during the two seasons covered by 

 this report, 4,200,000 eggs. 



4—22631 



