46 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 



SCREEN SURVEYS AND INSPECTIONS OF POLLUTION OF 



INLAND WATERS. 



DuriiiLi' tlic last 1 wo vt'ars .surveys ol' screens and lisliways, ajul inspec- 

 tions of the same, have been carried on the same as in former years. 



Two Imndi-ed fifty-three inspections of screens have been made and 

 instructions ^j^iven to the owners to repair, improve, or reinstall the 

 same, where they have been removed from the ditches. One liundred 

 forty-tw^o surveys were made for screens, 82 being for new screens and 

 60 being resurveys where the time had elapsed for the installation of 

 the screens and same had not been installed. Forty-one large rotary 

 screen wlieels were installed during the past year. The screen surveyor 

 has investigated a great many plans for the impounding of sawdust and 

 mineral refuse in many places throughout the state. In nearly every 

 case where the streams have been polluted by persons, the nuisance was 

 abated as soon as their attention was called to the law. 



A number of the larger corporations have not complied with the 

 screen law^, and these cases are not in the hands of our legal department 

 for court action. It is recommended that these cases be pushed to a 

 speedy termination, as it is very important that all canals, ditches, and 

 pipe lines, taking w'ater from rivers or streams where fish have been 

 planted or may exist, should be screened at as early a date as possible. 

 The legal department should be given every assistance that our funds 

 will allow in prosecuting offenders who will not cooperate with the 

 Commission in installing properly designed screens. A number of the 

 larger corporations feel that they do not have to abide by the law, 

 claiming that the cost of the construction of the screens is of a great 

 deal more importance than the fish destroyed by passing through their 

 canals into irrigated areas and through power wheels. 



The honorable C. J. Luttrell, of the superior court of Siskiyou 

 County, issued an injunction against the Parker Cattle Company for 

 not installing screens in accordance with the plans submitted by this 

 department. As soon as the injunction was issued, the company got 

 busy and installed the proper type of screen. This action of the 

 superior court of Siskiyou County is highly commended and should be 

 followed in other cases pending throughout the state, as the action of 

 Judge Luttrell in issuing this injunction has established the fact that 

 those diverting water from rivers and streams must comply with the 

 law and thus preserve the fish life. In most instances this can be 

 easily done at a nominal expense. 



FISHWAYS. 



Our fishway survey and inspection service has been actively engaged 

 during the last two years in inspecting fishways and making sur\^eys 

 wdiere deemed necessary for the installation of new fishways. Plans for 

 a number of new fishw^ays have been served on different companies and 

 individuals ow'ning and occupying dams, rivers, and streams, who have 

 not complied wdth the law.- These, also, have been referred to our legal 

 department and court action will be necessary in a number of cases 

 to force the owners to comply with the regulations. The same is true 

 of a number of fishw^ays in different parts of the state that have been 

 built for a number of years; but, which, during periods of low water, 

 such as has prevailed during the season of 1924, have not functioned. 



