CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME 131 



Domingo Springs and on Hamilton Branch, both of which are tribu- 

 tary to Lake Almanor. During tlie fall of this year, a small hatchery 

 was constructed near Big Meadows Dam (see Pig. 36). Racks were 

 installed below the dam to trap fish, rack and trap were constructed 

 in Rice Creek a short distance below a falls in the stream, and an 

 experimental hatchery was built near Domingo Springs. 



Operations were conducted for a few years at Domingo Springs 

 without satisfactory results when the hatchery w^as moved to its 

 present location near the egg collection station on Rice Creek. This 

 hatchery has since been operated with excellent success. 



The water supply at the hatchery located near Big Meadows Dam 

 proved to be unsatisfactory for fish cultural purposes, so hatching 

 operations were transferred to a site on Clear Creek, near Westwood. 

 After conducting operations in this small hatchery for a number 

 of years it became evident that the hatchery equipment was inadequate 

 to properly supply the district tributary to Lake Almanor and the 

 adjacent territory in Plumas and Lassen counties. Plans were then 

 made for the construction of a larger hatchery, but its construction 

 was delayed for some years pending selection of a suitable site. 



The Division was unable to purchase or lease a site on Clear Creek, 

 where operations were being conducted in the small hatchery, so it 

 was finally determined to build a new and larger hatchery on Benner 

 Creek near Chester, where the water supply originated from this 

 creek. A new hatchery containing ninety-six troughs and other neces- 

 sary buildings were constructed here in the fall of 1930 by the Divi- 

 sion of Architecture of the Department of Public Works. Operations 

 on Clear Creek were suspended and all buildings and equipment 

 belonging to the Division there were moved to the new hatchery. 



Construction work on the new hatchery was completed in January, 

 1931, and it was immediately prepared for fish cultural operations. 

 Eggs were transferred from Clear Creek during the early part of 

 February. However, this site did not prove favorable. Difficulties 

 in operations were encountered immediately after placing eggs in 

 the hatchery. The water supply line, troughs and tanks froze solid, 

 making it necessary to return the eggs to the Clear Creek site. After 

 repeated attempts to overcome this defect it was decided to hold 

 the Loch Leven and eastern brook trout at Clear Creek until later in 

 the season when they were placed in the hatchery at Benner Creek. 



Rainbow egg collections were conducted at the tributary egg col- 

 lection stations and over 5,000,000 rainbow eggs w^ere eyed in the 

 hatchery during June. The water supply, however, began to rise in 

 temperature and the quantity of water became insufficient to care for 

 the eggs and fish on hand. This condition continued until it was neces- 

 sary to plant all fish during the month of July. 



A well over fifty feet deep was dug near the hatchery during 1931 

 with the view of developing a supply of water to care for the hatchery 

 during the cold winter months. This effort failed to develop enougli 

 water to operate a sufficient number of troughs for winter service. 

 The following winter the supply from Benner Creek again froze and 

 it was once more necessary to discontinue operations which necessitated 

 hatching the quota of Loeh Leven and ea.stern brook trout for the dis- 

 trict in other hatcheries. 



