THIRTY-FOURTH BIENNIAL REPORT 57 



REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF HYDRAULICS 



By John Spencer, Chief 



The Bureau of Hydraulics was reestablished and the writer was 

 placed in charore on November 15, 1935. The work on the pollution 

 of public waters has been transferred to another bureau. 



When the bureau was reestablished efforts were being made to 

 obtain federal funds to provide for the installation of fish screens, 

 the general plan contemplating- the protection of about 250 ditches in 

 the Klamath Basin in Siskiyou County. These funds failed to material- 

 ize, because of cfianges in the WPA procedure. Plans were prepared, 

 however, for a number of different sized diversions, and should the 

 present efforts to obtain federal funds be successful plans and specifica- 

 tions ]ii-eviously prepared will ])e suitable. 



1)1 tlie early part of tlie year portions of the fishway on 1he 

 B'pliow Dmui (111 tbp South Foi-k of tlic Fcl lii\('r were carried away 

 by exceptionally liigh waters, and plans luive been prepared for the 

 reinstallation of this fishway. Work is noAV in progress and it is 

 expected that the installation will be completed prior to the next 

 upward movement of fish. 



Routine work on inspection of fishways and fish screens, together 

 with plans for installation of new ones is being carried forward as 

 dictated by conditions. 



In April, 1936, the Commission purchased an electric fish stop 

 invented by Mr. 11. T. Burkey. This device was installed on a diver- 

 sion from the IShasta River. Siskiyou County, owned by the Grenada 

 Irrigation District and Mr. Louis Foulke. for the purpose of demon - 

 stratino- its effectiveness as a fish stoD and general practicability in 

 operation. Mr. Burkey selected the site for this screen and installed 

 it to his satisfaction. .The Commission placed an attendant at the 

 screen, and netting operations were carried on below this electric 

 screen for sixty days. 



Data were obtained as to the number and kinds of fish passing 

 through the screen, together with a graphic record of voltage and 

 amperage, electric energy used, etc. 



The data indicate that fish passed on down the diversion, even 

 though voltage and other changes were made in the apparatus in the 

 effort to make it operate effectively. Finally the installation was dis- 

 mantled, as it appeared that no useful purpose would be served by 

 continuing it in operation. 



Experimental w^ork as well as installations of electric fish stops 

 have been carried on by interested parties for at least twenty years. 

 Xo reports are available that may be accepted as showing the effective- 

 ness of this method of preventing the loss of fish. 



