36 ' REPORT OF BOARD OF FISH AND GAME COMMISSIONERS. 



BROOKDALE HATCHERY. 



The Brookdale Hatchery, which has hitherto been operated by Santa 

 Cruz County, has recently been acquired by the State through a lease. 

 Owing to a lack of funds for maintaining this hatchery, Santa Cruz 

 County entered into an agreement with the State, turning over the sta- 

 tion, in return for the delivery to that county annually of 500,000 steel- 

 head trout eggs. 



Mr. F. A. Shebley has managed this hatchery since its institution 

 and has continued as its superintendent since it has been acquired by 

 the State. The eggs which are hatched at Brookdale are taken mainly 

 from Scott Creek. An insight into the history of this station is neces- 

 sary, therefore, in order to fully understand the importance of what 

 has been accomplished there. 



Concrete dams w^ere first placed in the creek in the fall of 1907 by 

 Santa Cruz County at a cost of $650.00. The following spring 725,000 

 eggs were taken. To make it a well equipped egg-collecting station 

 considerable more work was needed; but an insurance of enough eggs 

 in future had to be guaranteed in order to justify the cost. The only 

 wa}^ to obtain this assurance was to protect the small trout in a portion 

 of the stream and lagoon from hook and line fishermen. Leases were 

 therefore secured from owners of land on that portion of the lagoon 

 and stream, whereby four miles of stream was acquired and closed to 

 fishermen. Here the fish are protected until maturity. Results have 

 shown that by protecting that portion of the stream an increase of 

 two million eggs was secured this season over the first season and with 

 no greater cost of operation. 



In addition to the importance to which he has elevated this plant as 

 an egg collecting station. Mr. F. A. Shebley deserves great credit for 

 the study and experiments he has pursued regarding fish life; they 

 are instructive and interesting and represent a vast amount of well 

 spent time and thought. 



The egg-collecting station at Scott Creek was enlarged so as to take 

 an extra number of steelhead eggs. Shipments of these eggs were 

 inade from Brookdale to the Ukiah Hatchery, to the Eel River Hatchery 

 for distribution in Eel and Mad rivers and other nearby streams. Ship- 

 ments were also made to Sisson for distribution by car to Southern 

 California waters. The remainder were kept at Brookdale for dis- 

 tribution to points in Santa Cruz County streams. 



Further improvements will be necessary to increase the take of eggs 



this coming spring at Scott creek. The report of the season's work 



at Brookdale follows: 



Total number eggs collected at Swanton, hatched at Brookdale 2,709,300 



Loss 603,200 



Left for distribution 2,106,100 



Total number of eggs shipped to Ukiah Hatchery 470,000 



Total number of eggs shipped to Price Creek Hatchery 400,000 



Total number of eggs shipped to Sisson Hatchery 416,600 



Two small lots to Sacramento Experimental Station 16,000 



Fry planted Scott Creek 50,000 



Fry planted Santa Cruz County 753,500 



Total 2,106,100 



