58 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



ALPINE COUNTY HATCHERY 



A hatchery in Alpine County would greatly improve the planting 

 conditions in this district, as it is a long haul from Mt. Whitney Hatch- 

 ery to that section. With a fish planting truck and an aerating system 

 the fish reach the streams in excellent condition, but the trip is too 

 long and too much time is spent in planting. 



FERN CREEK HATCHERY AND JUNE LAKE 



Heavy plantings of steelhead trout from Fern Creek Hatchery in 

 June Lake are showing up wonderfully this spring. Limit after limit 

 of 8- and 10-inch fish are taken daily. All the fish that were planted 

 in June Lake were put in at about two months old, smaller than most 

 of our plants. We have had better success with these small fish in this 

 lake than we have with larger fish in some of the other lakes that we 

 have stocked, June Lake was first stocked in 1921 with steelhead 

 trout from eggs shipped from the Snow Mountain egg-collecting sta- 

 tion on the South Eel River. 



We strenuously recommend that the open season for fishing in June 

 Lake, as well as in all lakes in the Sierra Nevada mountains, be on 

 June 1st. Fish taken before that date are spa^vners and not fit for 

 food. They are taken when near the shore at a time when they are 

 spawning, and the loss is very great not only to the egg-collecting 

 crews, but the fish taken are not fit for food and it should be a crime to 

 catch breeding fish. The laws amply protect the animals and birds 

 during the breeding season, but it is very difficult to get laws to protect 

 spawning fish. 



A total of 2,296,000 fish were distributed from Fern Creek Hatchery 

 during 1928 and 1929; and 1,035,000 eggs were collected from June 

 Lake in 1929, and 1,630,000 eggs were colfected from June Lake in 1930. 



RUSH CREEK EGG-COLLECTING STATION 



The excessive fishing in Grant Lake has materially reduced the 

 number of spawning fish that ascend the creek to the egg-collecting 

 station. A later season for fishing should help maintain the run of fish 

 in this creek. 



MORMON CREEK HATCHERY 



Since the experimental hatchery was established on Mormon Creek, 

 using the water from Springville Mine, there has been an injunction 

 against the mine owners in favor of the small farmers who claimed 

 that the mine had drained the springs on their farms. The mine was 

 ordered bulkheaded so as to close the tunnel drain and force the water 

 to the surface again. This action has materially affected the water 

 supply so that we have only a very small amount escaping from the 

 tunnel. The supply now comes principally from small springs in the 

 ravine above the hatchery and it is contaminated by water flowing into 

 the small stream by irrigation on lands contiguous to the creek. The 

 water is no longer suitable for hatchery purposes. AVe are planning 

 to remove the temporary hatchery from Mormon Creek to a more suit- 

 able site where water conditions are good. As soon as the fish in the 

 hatchery are planted plans for moving the hatchery will be carried 

 out. There are several projects that can be carried out in conjunction 



