TWENTY-SEVENTH BIENNHAL REPORT. 61 



tiun of watei'ti. We made this reeommendatimi in our last bienniar 

 report, but it was unheeded by the legislature and ^Yater Commission. 



The Division of Water Rights should be compelled to allow enough 

 water to remain in our streams during the period of minimum flow 

 to maintain the fish life below all diversion points on the rivers and 

 streams. In the mad scramble for the appropriation of water for irri- 

 gation and the development of hydro-electric energy, no attention is 

 paid to the fish life, which can be conserved without injury to other 

 interests, if a little good judgment is used in granting appropriations. 

 The rights of the people to enjoy fishing both for food and pleasure 

 should be safeguarded before it is too late. No stream should be entirely 

 diverted. 



The Water Commission or the Division of Water Rights has allowed 

 the appropriation of the entire flow of streams without any con- 

 sideration being given to the fishing interests. Those interested in 

 conservation are indifferent to these vital problems. After the water 

 is all appropriated and the streams are dried up below the divoi-sion 

 points, then they complain that the Fish and Game Commission has 

 not done their duty. We have repeatedly made recommendations that 

 are for the best interests of all the people, but they are unheeded. 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 



We respectfully recommend the following to be acted on as soon as 

 possilile if the work of this department is to keep up with the progress 

 of the rest of the state. An increase of the anglers' license sufficient 

 to enable us to maintain the hatcheries now in existence in the state 

 and to improve and construct others in different sections Avhere the 

 demand for hatchery work is greatest, and the construction of two or 

 three more pond systems for the rearing of trout for breeders to insure 

 at least 25,000,000 eggs annually from pond-reared fish is necessary 

 if we are to meet the demands for trout fry. This is necessary to 

 supply the streams and lakes until a greater demand is made by the 

 increasing population of the state. 



That the Klamath River be set aside as a fish preserve from Klama- 

 thon to its mouth and that no dams be allowed to be constructed in 

 the river below the egg-collecting station at Klamathou. Tliis measure 

 would enable the Fish aiid Game Commission to collei-t saliuou <'ggs 

 for the maintenance of the salmon supply in the Sacramento River, 

 San Joaquin River and Montere}' Bay. The Klamath is the one reinnin- 

 ing stream in which the chinook salmon can spawn as well as where 

 salmon eggs can be collected for the purpose of propagation in numliers 

 sufficient to justify extensive operations. There are enough power 

 plants constructed and plans made for others on the tributaries of th^"; 

 Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers to furnish power for many years 

 to come without interfering with the salmon run in tlx! Kbinuifh River. 

 We would also recommend that wherever dams for the develi)])ment o£ 

 hydro-electric energy or irrigation are constructed which interfere 

 with the movements of spawning trout or salmon and where in tiio 

 judgment of the Fish and Game Commission, it is nwessary to eon- 

 .struct hatcheries in lieu of fishways, that the owners or o;'cupants of 

 such dams, be compelled to furnish the Fish and Game Commission 

 with the money necessary to operate such hatcheries, the amount neces- 



