36 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



REPORT OP THE BUREAU OF FISH CULTURE 



By W. H. Shebley, In Charge 



Conforming to the regulations and for the information of your 

 honorable board, the Bureau of Fish Culture herewith submits a report 

 on the operations for the biennium ending June 30, 1928, and recom- 

 mendations for future improvements. 



During this period we have not accomplished as much as we expected 

 owing to seasonal conditions and unusual floods in some portions of 

 the state and droughts in other parts. Repairs at the hatcheries have 

 been made, new stations built and, as far as possible, we have kept up 

 with the demand for an increased number of fishes to be planted in our 

 waters. We are now operating twenty-five hatcheries and twelve egg- 

 collecting stations and have recommended the establishing of several 

 new hatcheries where experimental stations have been operated to 

 determine the suitability of the water and other conditions for hatchery 

 purposes. 



The tivo fish distributing cars have given good service in making 

 delivery of the fish to the lakes and streams that were stocked, and the 

 trucks at the hatcheries have aided in the planting of fish. 



During the last two years ending June 30th, there were distributed 

 a total of 51,444,562 trout, and 26,728,590 salmon were liberated from 

 the hatcheries and ponds. 



We repeat the recommendation that we have made several times, viz, 

 that a large number of trout of all species should be hatched and dis- 

 tributed in the lakes and streams of the state. There are suitable 

 waters to be found for every species of trout and every effort should 

 be made to increase the output. 



REARING PONDS FOR SPAWN FISH 



When we consider that the excessive fishing is rapidly depleting the 

 supply of adult or egg producing fishes in our rivers, lakes and streams, 

 the establishing of rearing ponds for the propagation of brood fish 

 becomes more important each year. The Mt. Shasta Hatchery ponds 

 established over twenty-five years ago have demonstrated the prac- 

 ticability and dependability of this method of producing eggs for all 

 the hatcheries. These ponds are not affected by droughts or floods and 

 we are assured of a regular supply of eggs each season to the limits of 

 these ponds. We recommend that a system of ponds be established in 

 different parts of the state so that an adequate supply of eggs can be 

 had for practically all the hatcheries without depending on the uncer- 

 tain conditions of seasonal changes and the ever-decreasing number of 

 spawning or adult fish in the waters of the state. As soon as funds 

 are available, a survey should be made by the Bureau of Fish Culture 

 to locate suitable pond sites for the above purpose. Every year avail- 

 able and suitable sites are becoming harder to procure. The writer 

 recommended to the Commission several times during the last fifteen 

 years that suitable pond sites should be procured before they were 

 taken over by private interests or for irrigation or power development. 



