REPORT OF THE FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 43 



c-reeks dry up as the suiiiiuL'r advances, except some small springs used 

 for domestic purposes. 



The Green Spot Springs rise near the foot of Sugar Loaf Mountain 

 and ll«'\v through a shallow ravine towards Jialdwin Lake. The water 

 is used by the Shay Brothers, on their stock ranch after it leaves the 

 hatchery. There is approximately twenty inches of water in the spring. 

 It is coitl and free of any oi-gaiiic substances and is excellent hatchery 

 water. 



During the suuuiier and fall of 1919, w'e planned to make general 

 improvements at North Creek Egg Collecting Station and to erect a new 

 liatchery at Green Spot Springs, with a capacity of 1,500,000 fry. The 

 woi'k was begun early in September, but owing to delays in getting 

 imiterials, was not finished until late in November. At the hatchery at 

 North Creek Egg Collecting Station, a portion of the eggs are hatched 

 each season and the fry held until they are swimming well; then they 

 are distributed in the most favorable places in Bear Lake, where there 

 is an abundance of natural food. The fry can not be held in North 

 Creek Station later than the middle of July as the water in North Creek 

 fnils by that time. The remainder of the fry reared for Bear Lake are 

 held in the hatchery at Green Spot Springs until later in the season, 

 wiieii they are distributed in the lake in the shallows and other favorable 

 spots. The condition of the water in Bear Lake has been very murkey 

 and discolored for the last three seasons. Owing to the growth of algae 

 and its decomposition during the period of low and warm water, the 

 fish are compelled to go to the deep water, Avhere the effects of the de- 

 composing algae are not so great. The minnows and aquatic insects are 

 in a measure affected in the same way and consequently, they seek the 

 depth foi- the same reason that the trout do. The trout liaving an 

 abundance of feed do not bite well or take any kind of a lure to a great 

 extent during the warm weather. This condition will change when the 

 normal amount of rain and snow falls on the water shed surrounding 

 the lake, filling the streams running into the lake and thus carrying the 

 organic matter away by the flood waters. 



During the spring of 1918 a total of 3,500,000 rainbow trout eggs 

 were collected at the North Creek Station. Eight hundred thousand 

 eggs were transferred to the Beai- Lake Hatchery at Green Spot Springs 

 and the resulting fry were liberated in IVig Bear Lake and in streams of 

 Snn Bernardino County. The balance of the eggs were shipped to 

 ^Tount Shasta. IVIount Whitney aiul Blount Tallac hatcherie.«5. 



Four million eight hundred thousand eggs were collected at North 

 Creek St,ation in 1919. Owing to the extreme drought and unfavorable 

 weather conditions generally, in the Big Bear Lake country during the 

 spring of 1920, our operations were practically a failure as far as egg 

 collecting work was concerned. Despite all of our new equipment for 



