REPORT OP STATE BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS. 23 



tions for legislation which we think will, with little expense, save many- 

 dollars to the State, and result in great benefit to our fish and game 



interests. 



That you may more readily see in detail the number and 



ARRESTS, character of arrests made by our deputies, we call attention 



to the table on opposite page, showing a record of the work 



in this regard. 



Never before in the history of the California Fish Commis- 



FISH sion have such rapid strides been made in the introduction 



CULTURE, and propagation of valuable food and game fishes as during 



the last two years. Having such varied characteristics of 



land and water formation, some suitable location can be found in this 



State for the transplanting of nearly every variety of food and game fish. 



To this cause, in great measure, is due the success of the Commission in 



securing such grand results. 



Dr. H. M. Smith, of the U. S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries, says, 



in his paper already referred to: 



"The results attending the experimental introduction of aquatic food animals into 

 the waters of the Pacific States must be regarded among the foremost achievements in 

 fish culture. The striking illustrations here presented of the influence of man over the 

 supply of free swimming anadromous fishes, to say nothing of his ability to affect the 

 abundance of non-migratory species, are of great economic and scientific interest. Aside 

 from the great economic results which have followed the introduction of east-coast fishes 

 into the waters of the Pacific States, a very important basis has been furnished for judg- 

 ing of the general effects of artificial methods in regions where the object of fish-cultural 

 operations has been to maintain and increase the abundance of native species." (p. 379.) 



While our operations have in great measure been devoted to the prop- 

 agation of the native species of fish, we have also endeavored to stock all- 

 suitable waters with imported species, and have introduced several new 

 varieties of trout. 



From a desire to further increase the run of salmon in the 



BATTLE Sacramento River, we caused a thorough investigation to be 



CREEK, made of its headwaters, with a view to establishing a spawn- 

 ing station. This investigation covered a period of two 

 seasons, and resulted in the erection of a hatchery near the mouth of 

 Battle Creek, in Tehama County, in September, 1895. Battle Creek is 

 the large stream of water which divides Tehama and Shasta counties on 

 the east side of the Sacramento River. It takes its source from Mount 

 Lassen, and carries a large volume of water during the entire year. It 

 is not subject to floods during the early winter months. Salmon enter 

 this stream in large numbers during the months of October and No- 

 vember. 



The Battle Creek station is located on the lands of Mr. Frank R. 

 Love, of Anderson, who generously donated to the State a lease for five 

 years of such land as was required for buildings. The necessary water 

 is supplied to the hatchery from Battle Creek through a ditch some three 



