THIRTIETH BIENNIAL REPORT 59 



been held in the Ukiah Hatchery were transferred to this new station 

 during April. The station consists of a modern hatchery building con- 

 taining 52 troughs, a residence for the superintendent, and rooms for 

 the help in the hatchery building. Plans are being made to install a 

 tank system and other improvements at this station during the fall. 



SNOW MOUNTAIN EGG-COLLECTING STATION 



This station furnished the usual number of steelhead eggs when all 

 conditions are considered. During years of drought, the surplus 

 water is held back in Lake Pillsbury, so that when these conditions occur 

 the run of spawning fish is limited as they can not ascend to the egg- 

 collecting station during periods of low water. The tanks, fishway, 

 holding pens, etc., were repaired and improved in the fall and winter of 

 1926 and 1927. 



Two million one hundred eighty thousand eggs were collected at 

 Snow Mountain Station during the spring of 1927. Owing to the 

 extremely high water during March, 1928, there was a sudden rise in 

 Eel River that caused the flood water to pour over the Cape Horn dam 

 where the Snow Mountain egg-collecting station is situated, to a depth 

 of twelve feet. The pipe line had to be taken up and the fish in the 

 hatchery tanks released. This flood no doubt caused the loss of a couple 

 of million eggs, as the fish did not return after being driven down the 

 river by the tremendous rush of roily water. Two million one hundred 

 thousand eggs were taken before the flood conditions made it impossible 

 for the crews to operate. 



In the early part of April after the flood waters had subsided and the 

 river was again in condition for the fish to run, the Snow Mountain 

 Water and Power Company opened the gates on Gravelly Valley dam, 

 known also as Lake Pillsbury, and after dropping the water level sev- 

 eral feet below the crest of the dam, they closed the gates. By doing 

 this they shut off the greater portion of the water descending the river 

 so the fish that were ascending remained many miles below the traps; 

 as a result the station was closed for the season. 



MARLETTE LAKE, Nevada 



In an effort to collect a large number of eastern brook trout eggs, we 

 made arrangements with the Nevada State Commission on the same lines 

 as we have done for the past 35 years, that the employees of the two 

 Commissions, California and Nevada, were to cooperate in the egg col- 

 lecting work and the eggs equally divided between the two states. The 

 prospects were good at the opening of the season for a large take of eggs, 

 but shortly after the crews arrived at the lake an unusually cold and 

 early winter season set in, the water was cold and ice formed on the 

 shores, which made seining very difficult. Marlette Lake is situated at 

 an altitude of 8000 feet. Whenever conditions are favorable a take of 

 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 eggs can be depended on, but the early snow 

 storms at the altitude of this lake made the work of collecting eggs very 

 difficult and the take of eggs was a great deal less than we expected 

 California's share of the eggs was 200,000. They were eyed and 

 hatched out in good condition, producing strong, vigorous fish. 



