26 REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS. 



to the Sissoii Hatchery, hatch them out and from there ship the young 

 fish to stock the streams of the State as well as possible. 



The Shasta River, in Siskiyou County, had been famous for its great 

 numbers of trout. I looked at that and made close inquiries, and found 

 that but few trout run up that stream now in comparison to the great 

 numbers that formerly did so. And no wonder, for the water has "been 

 taken out of that river for years, and from the famous springs which 

 help to supply its volume of water, through open irrigating ditches, with 

 no screens to keep the trout from being drawn in and distributed through 

 the grass to die. A gentleman, who formerly owned a farm near Edge- 

 wood, told me that he had found fully thirty thousand dead young trout, 

 which he discovered in holes after the water in his ditch had been turned 

 ofi". This number is one instance. Now, taking the same ditch through 

 the whole season and adding this to the other ditches in Shasta River 

 Valley, and the numbers of trout destroyed in this way would amount 

 up into the millions. 



I also heard of the Shovel Creek, at the Klamath Hot Springs, as a 

 wonderful trout stream. I visited that place, and received the generous 

 l^ermission of the Edson Brothers to trap that stream for trout spawn 

 and establish a small hatchery on their grounds. I was told, however, 

 that but few salmon and trout had made their appearance there during 

 the preceding fall, on account of the dam which had been put in at 

 Klamath City. It had been complained of, and a small fish ladder had 

 been put i»i, large enough for a small stream, but a wee thing for such a 

 roaring river as the Klamath, with its immense volume of water pouring 

 through the sluiceways with such force that a trout could not stem the 

 current. The fish ladder, with its minute quantity of water, was away 

 at the end of the dam, next the bank, where only a straggling trout or 

 salmon would find its entrance. 



I felt discouraged at the prospect of finding a good place for a trout 

 hatchery. The heavy storms drove me home, but as soon as the snow 

 blockade was broken I went up to that region again, and found that the 

 elements, although fierce, had been propitious to trout, which by instinct 

 were compelled to seek the upper Klamath for spawning beds, for the 

 great volume of water, higher than ever known before, had ripped out 

 the dam at Klamath City, and the trout had an unobstructed highway. 



I immediately began, early in March, 1890, fitting up a small build- 

 ing, which Mr. Edson loaned me, with hatching troughs flumed in the 

 water, and began building traps for Shovel Creek. The hatching baskets 

 for trout eggs had been built at the Sisson Hatchery during the winter in 

 anticipation of using them there. 



Shovel Creek is quite a large stream which empties into Klamath 

 River, within the grounds of the Klamath Hot Springs Hotel. Many of 

 the trout which were spawned would weigh two and one half pounds. 



After getting the hatchery in working order and a few thousand trout 

 spawn taken, leaving Mr. Richardson in charge, I went to the Sisson 

 Hatchery and left Mr. Stewart in charge to distribute what salmon were 

 "ieft, to look after the Eastern trout which were being kept until the roads 

 would be open to ship part of them to the McCloud River, and also to 

 receive the trout eggs which were to be sent from the Shovel Creek 

 Hatchery. 



