52 



FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



as well as from the spring run. During the latter part of July, 1927, 

 Dr. George A. Coleman, the biologist, accompanied by one of our field 

 men, made a preliminary survey for an experimental hatchery station 

 above Kernville. The result of their investigation is in accord with 

 previous surveys made by the head of the Department of Fish Culture 

 several years ago. A special report and recommendations on this 

 survey was forwarded to the executive officer. Briefly, we recommend 

 that an experimental station be operated under a tent for one season's 

 hatching during the winter and spring, and plant the fish in Kern 

 River. The troughs and hatching equipment was made permanent 

 so that if the water was not in good condition to raise fish, the equip- 

 ment could be moved to some more favorable locality. 



Shortly after the Loch Leven and eastern brook trout were swimming 

 up and feeding, they became effected from the water moulds and algae 

 in the water. The rainbow and steelhead trout were also soon affected. 



Fig. 18. View of the Kern River Experimental Hatchery from northeast. 



A biological and pathological study was made and every effort made 

 to remedy the trouble, but to no avail. The algal growths were very 

 deleterious to the fry, causing gill diseases as well as lesions on the 

 bodies. The fish were removed from the hatchery during June and 

 placed in the ponds of the Kern County Sportsmen's Club, where it 

 was hoped that by giving the fish more space they would improve, but 

 there was no change for the better. The loss was very great both in 

 the hatchery and in the ponds from the same causes. The tributary 

 streams below the intake of Kern Power House No. 3 are all too small 

 for a hatchery supply. The condition of Kern River below the dis- 

 charge from the power house is worse than when the water was studied 

 sixteen years ago, as it now passes through a fourteen-mile tunnel 

 where the spores of the algae and conf ervae grow on the sides of the 

 tunnel and cause a greater amount of these growths in the water than 

 years ago. 



