130 



CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME 



THE LAKE ALMANOR HATCHERY 



By J. H. VoGT 



Tlie new Lake Almanor Hatchery, situated on Clear Creek, was 

 located at this point after many unsuccessful attempts to construct a 

 hatchery in this district where fish cultural operations could be prop- 

 erly conducted. This hatchery w^as sufficiently completed January 20th 

 of the present year to permit placing eggs in the troughs and the 

 hatcherj' was in operation a few days following this date. All indica- 

 tions point to the approach of a satisfactory solution of our fish cul- 

 tural problems in the district with the completion of the new hatchery. 



Fig. 36. 



First Lake Almanor Hatchery located near Big ]Meado\v.s Dam. 

 Photographed in 1917. 



The Fish and Game Commission, realizing the importance of the 

 fishing that would be developed by the construction for power and 

 irrigation purposes by the Great Western Power Company in the 

 reservoir known as Lake Almanor, decided to begin fish cultural opera- 

 tions in that district in the spring of 1916. So many unforeseen 

 difficulties presented themselves before a satisfactory hatchery site 

 could be procured in this area that a brief history of operations in the 

 district is deemed advisable as a matter of record. 



The work during 1916 was conducted in a crude waj' and with very 

 little equipment. The plans were to prove the value of the district 

 for collecting rainbow trout eggs before beginning extensive develop- 

 ments. Operations were carried on below Big Meadows Dam where 

 over 1,750,000 rainbow trout eggs were collected. Investigations made 

 flua'ing the late spring and summer indicated that additional develop- 

 ments would be justified on the North Fork of the Feather River near 



