38 REPORT OF THE FISH AXD GAME COMMISSION. 



UKIAH HATCHERY. 



The steelhead trout eggs taken at Snow Mountain Station have been 

 "eyed" at Ukiah Hatchery each season, and the surplus eggs shipped 

 from this point to otlier stations. Of the eggs retained and hatched at 

 til is station, 1,080.000 fry have been reared and distributed in the 

 streams of Mendocino and Sonoma counties, during the season of 1918 

 and 1919. 



Ukiah Hatchery was opened for operations in the spring of 1920, 

 and the eggs taken at Snow IMountain Station were sent dow^n to be 

 "eyed," but on account of the extreme drought which affected our 

 operations in this section to a greater extent than in any other locality, 

 Diere was not a sufficient number of eggs taken to justify the hatching 

 and rearing of fry at Ukiah. Then too, the water supply absolutely 

 failed during the latter part of Ma,v and even had there been an 

 ndequate number of eggs available the station could not have been 

 operated. As it was, we were fortunate in being able to "eye" the eggs 

 and prepare them for shipment before the water supply gave out 

 entirely. Consequently, all of the eggs were shipped to Fort Seward 

 TIatchery, from Avhich station they will be distributed in the waters of 

 Humboldt, Trinity, JMendocino, Sonoma and Marin counties. 



SNOW MOUNTAIN. 



During the spring of 1918 a total of 3,600,000 steelhead trout eggs 

 were taken at Snow IMountain Station, and in 1919 we obtained 

 5.400,000. During both seasons the number of eggs taken could have 

 l)een very materially increased had we l)een provided with adequate 

 facilities for holding the spawning fish. 



This station is located at the Cape Horn dam in the Eel River. The 

 dam and the fish ladder over the same are the property of the SnoAV 

 Mountain Water and Power Company. We secured from the Company 

 a lease to the fish ladder, together with such buildings as are located on 

 the site, and the privilege of operating thereon a hatchery and egg col- 

 lecting station. A small battery of hatching troughs was installed and 

 holding pens, etc., for the spawning fish were provided. As the fish as- 

 cend the fish ladder they are automatically trapped and swim directly 

 into the holding pens, from which they cannot escape. It is a very 

 cleverly arranged scheme and in addition to being a saving, by eliminat- 

 ing a great deal of work, lessens the loss of fish from handling. How- 

 ever, the capacity of the holding pens and "eyeing" equipment was not 

 sufficient to enable us to handle the maximum of the capabilities of the 

 plant, for the run of spawn fish in Eel River is enormous during fav- 

 orable seasons. 



To increase our equipment presented some unusual difficulties, how- 

 ever, and the expense would necessarily be considerable, so it was not 



