REPORT OP THE FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 71 



these fish taken by the local residents before they arrive at the spawning 

 grounds, in spite of the vigilance of the deputies. The idea prevails 

 among some of these people that these large trout are salmon and that 

 they will die as soon as they spawn. The steelhead is a true trout and 

 not a salmon and will spawn several times if not taken or killed. A 

 sufficient number of these fish will be allowed to ascend the river above 

 the dam each season to keep the upper part of the river stocked by 

 natural spawning. 



Wawona Hatchery. 

 Wawona Hatchery has not l)een operated for the last two seasons, 

 and fish were shipped from Sisson to supply the region covered by this 

 hatchery. The station was operated during the season of 1914, and 

 the distribution of black-spotted and large lake trout fry in the counties 

 of Mariposa and ]\Iadera will be found in the statistical report (see 

 appendix). This region will be supplied from the Inyo Hatchery next 

 season, and we would, therefore, recommend that the Wawona Hatchery 

 be abandoned. 



Bear Valley Hatchery. 



During the fall of 1914, San Bernardino County established a small 

 hatchery on one of the tributary streams flowing into Bear Valley Lake. 

 The object of this hatchery was to propagate rainbow trout from the 

 fish in Bear Valley Lake. Bear Valley Lake, locally known as Big Bear 

 Lake, is a body of water seven miles long and one and a half miles 

 wide at its widest part. It is an artificial storage lake lying in the heart 

 of the San Bernardino mountains about thirty miles from San Ber- 

 nardino at an elevation of about 7000 feet. 



This lake was stocked a number of years ago with rainbow fry from 

 Sisson Hatchery and these fish have thrived remarkably well. The 

 commission operated this hatchery during the seasons of 1915 and 1916. 

 The first operations resulted in an output of 413,000 fry, all of which 

 were planted in Big Bear Lake and in the streams of San Bernardino 

 County. 



Our crew of spawn-takers arrived at Big Bear Lake on March 16, 

 1916, prepared to exceed last season's take of eggs. Torrential rains 

 during the winter had caused the mouths of the creeks to be filled with 

 debris, which caused the fish to be delayed in entering the streams and 

 the female trout became overripe before the first fish were spawned. 

 Consequently the percentage of fertilization was not as good as expected. 

 The rising surface of the lake, caused by the dam being raised, made 

 a change in the shore line and the mouths of the creeks being closed in 

 the beginning of the season by detritus carried down by the winter 

 storms, embarrassed the operations to a considerable extent. Our men 



