EEPORT OF STATE BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS. 41 



Hundreds of men have told me the same story, and angrily denounced 

 such wanton destruction of trout, saying that in a few years, unless there 

 was a stop put to it, there would be but few to destroy. Those who use 

 the waters from these ditches admit the facts. I do not believe there is 

 a man in the State who knows anything practically about the use of 

 ditch water but who will admit what I have stated about the great 

 destruction of trout is substantially true. I will instance a case which 

 happened last year not far from the hatchery at Sisson. 



A lot of young salmon had been distributed in Big Spring Creek. 

 At that time we were not aware that there was a ditch taking water from 

 this creek, but it haj^pened there was one whose inlet was from the oppo- 

 site bank from the road, hidden from view by a thick growth of alders. 



Some time after the salmon had been planted, at a considerable dis- 

 tance above this ditch, its owners had occasion to shut the water off. 

 After the water had drained away they saw so many dead salmon, that 

 word was sent to the men at the hatchery who went up to investigate, 

 and they estimated that about seven thousand young salmon had 

 perished. What is the use of stocking our streams with fish to have 

 them killed ofi' by wholesale in this manner ? 



It is well known that in early times all the mountain streams through 

 the mining counties were bountifully stocked with trout, and where 

 there are at the present time hundreds of ditches taking ^vater from 

 these streams for irrigating and mining purposes. All these streams 

 have fine spawning grounds for trout for miles far above where the 

 mining debris has been deposited, and even where it is almost impos- 

 sible for an angler to go. And besides these counties are not thickly 

 iwpulated, and the streams cannot have been fished to excess. Yet the 

 people in these mountain counties are asking for trout to restock their 

 streams. 



All these streams would be full of trout if it were not that they have 

 been destroyed by the open ditches. 



To stock these streams with trout, whose waters are taken out through 

 ditches without screens at their inlets to protect the young fish from 

 being drawn into them and destroyed, is a waste of time and money. 

 It is as ineffectual as it would be to try to dip up water in a sieve. 



If it is of material consequence to keep our mountain streams stocked 

 Avith trout and salmon, then it is imperative that a law should be passed 

 compelling the owners of all ditches, flumes, and pipes which take 

 their supply of water from public streams, to maintain screens across 

 their inlets of sufficient fineness to prevent young trout from finding 

 their wav through. 



In regard to the size of the mesh, it is of the utmost importance that 

 it should keep out the young trout, and yet let through enough water 

 for the requirements of the ditch. 



The mesh of the screen should not be larger than one fourth of an 

 inch square. 



To let in sufficient water Avith this size of mesh, and not require but 

 little attention to keep off rubbish, the surface of the screen should be 

 two or three times larger than the cross-section of the ditch. 



The ditch or flume should be enlarged at its inlet or mouth by flar- 

 ing its sides to accommodate this size of screen. 



A good way to put in a screen which will prevent the young fish from 

 being drawn against the wire, as well as the floating stuff in the stream, 



