TWENTY-EIGHTH BIENNL\L REPORT. 33 



For years we have called the attention of the public and the legis- 

 lature to the rapidly decreasing salmon supply in California with 

 recommendations given in former reports, ])ut, to date, no particular 

 effort has been made to save this valuable fish from being greatly 

 depleted, if not practically exterminated. 



In a last effort to save this valuable fish to the people, the Fish and 

 Game Commission, assisted by the people of Siskiyou County, and 

 other districts, initiated a petition to submit to the voters on the 

 November, 1924, ballot the decision whether we are to lose the Klamath 

 River, the last stream that is not affected by high dams, and from which 

 salmon eggs can be collected in any considerable numbers. Tlie upper 

 reaches of Eel River have been cut off by high dams and the uncertainty 

 of the flow of water in Eel River caused by the great extreme between 

 the maximum and minimum flow of the river makes Eel River one that 

 cannot be depended on as a salmon egg-collecting stream; therefore, 

 our efforts must be confined to saving the Klamath River as an egg- 

 collecting stream for king salmon as we do not desire to see this 

 valuable food fish practically exterminated in this state in the next 

 few years. 



We refer again to the closing sentence in our report on king sal- 

 mon in the biennial report of 1920-1922 : ' ' The Fish and Game Com- 

 mission is waging an uphill fight when it comes to conservation as the 

 people do not realize the destruction of wild life until it is too late." 

 Recommendations to conserve our fish and to increase the output of 

 our hatcheries by practical and scientific methods go unheeded. 



We can do nothing but reiterate the above sentence as practically the 

 same condition prevails today as two years ago regarding the practical 

 measures to save the fish in the Klamath River, with the exception that 

 the measure will come before the people for their consideration. If 

 they do not desire to see this valuable food fish practically exterminated, 

 they will have a chance to prove it at the November election. 



MOUNT SHASTA HATCHERY. 



The high standard of work at Mount Shasta Hatchery has been 

 maintained during the season of 1922 and 1923 the same as it has since 

 the establishment of this station. Mount Shasta Hatchery has been 

 operated to its full capacity during this period and 24,41:0,000 salmon 

 fry and 27,994,450 trout fry were hatched and distributed from this 

 station. This is one of the best equipped stations in the country, but 

 it has practically reached its capacity for pond culture and for 

 increased hatchery operations as we have not sufficient water or land 

 to increase the capacity of this station. Therefore, pond systems must 

 be established, as previously mentioned in this report, to enable us to 

 collect a larger number of trout eggs to supply the other hatcheries 

 now in existence and those that are to be established. 



There were collected from the ponds at ]Mount Shasta Hatchery dur- 

 ing the season of 1922-1923, 18,428,000 trout eggs. This number, with 

 the additional eggs from outside stations, gave us a grand total of 

 27,994,450 fry to be distributed throughout the state. 



The more important improvements made at this station since June 

 30, 1922, are as follows : 



A concrete settling tank, which is also used for the diversion of water 

 to the different hatcheries, was constructed, the dimensions of which 



3—34744 



