58 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



polluted by parties living on the creek above. This pollution reduced 

 the vitality of the fish so that they were subject to any pathogenic 

 organism that might be in the water. 



During 1927, and up to the present date, the water has been in excel- 

 lent condition and the fish in the hatchery are thriving. The hatchery 

 is centrally located and affords an excellent place to carry on patho- 

 logical investigations, as well as any other investigations pertaining to 

 new ideas on fish cultural problems. 



BIG CREEK HATCHERY 



This hatchery is located on the creek that bears its name, one-half 

 mile above its junction at Scott Creek egg-collecting station, Santa Cruz 

 County. During the season of 1927, a remarkably vigorous and healthy 

 lot of fish were raised in this hatchery and were distributed throughout 

 the adjacent counties. In the spring of 1928 an epidemic suddenly broke 

 out among the fish. The symptoms were puzzling and ordinary treat- 

 ments had no effect on them. Dr. Coleman made an examination and 

 found an unidentified bacteria or bacillus at work in the blood and took 

 specimens to the Hooper Foundation of the University of California, 

 where Dr. Karl Meyer offered his able assistance, as well as the use of 

 his technically trained staff and laboratory, in an attempt to solve the 

 problem and discover a remedy. The disease proved to be a very 

 malignant infection that in spite of our efforts, practically killed all 

 the fish in the hatchery. The loss was approximately 700,000 strong 

 vigorous fish. The symptoms of the disease and a study of the condi- 

 tion of the fish was similar to an epidemic that broke out in the Mt. 

 Shasta Hatchery in 1908. After the disease ran its course at Mt. Shasta 

 Hatchery and after the troughs had been disinfected, the disease did 

 not show up again. We could not discover the origin of the disease at 

 that time. We were of the opinion that the bacteria were brought to 

 the hatchery water supply by birds, such as kingfishers, cranes or other 

 birds that live around the water. At that time there were a number 

 of farms not many miles from the hatchery through which different 

 streams flowed and which were not in a sanitary condition. We could 

 not determine the source of the infection. 



The condition at Big Creek appeared to be the same thing. There 

 is a possibility of the infection having been brought by birds to the 

 hatchery supply from some pond in which there were diseased fish, or 

 it may have been in the feed supplied the hatchery, which the foreman 

 first suspected. The cause is remote. We hope that Dr. Meyer will 

 be able to throw some light on this subject before he is through with his 

 investigation. 



COLD CREEK HATCHERY 



As the Ukiah Hatchery was getting old and the foundation decayed, 

 and the water supply insufficient for a hatchery large enough to supply 

 the district including Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties, it 

 was decided to establish a larger and more up-to-date hatchery for this 

 district. Accordingly, a survey was made and Cold Creek selected as the 

 proper site. It is only ten miles from Ukiah on the Ukiah-Tahoe high- 

 way. There is an abundance of good water in the creek that furnishes 

 an abundant supply for the hatchery even in the driest years. Plans 

 were made and construction begun during the fall of 1927. The hatch- 

 ery was completed during March, 1928. The eggs and fry that had 



