The purpose of the work was to make a monetary evaluation of 

 the rearing pond to guide future management FK)licies. Only one year's 

 observations are represented in the figures below. Two more yeers 

 observations will be added to these before the project is completed. 

 The following are the resulting figures: 

 30,000 fry at $12.50 pr thousand $375.00 



(Cost obtained from Somers Fisheries Station Foreman) 



Law Enforcement (Pond is closed to fishing) 22.00 



Cost of operation (8 man days) 68.80 



Transportation (400 miles at 7c) 28.00 



Expected return on investment {57< of $5,960 which is cost 



of dam to the Department) 298.00 



Cost of one year's operation $791.80 



Value of fish produced (143.94 pounds at $1.25 per pound, the 



cost to raise a pound of fish in the Somers fish hatchery 179.90 



Net yearly loss $611.90 



The second project mentioned above which was one of the many 

 accomplished by the district biologists was a fieh population survey 

 of Sheep Creek in Meagher County. It is a popular fishing stream 

 parallel for some distance by U. S. Highway 89. Fishing success has 

 declined during the past years, and it was evident that the stream 

 needed a new management plan. A census of the fish population was 

 made by the district fishery man. It was found as is illustrated in the 

 accompanying graph that the Rocky Mountain whitefish constituted 

 55 per cent of the legal game fish population. This stream is closed 

 to winter fishing when whitefish are normally harvested, so these 

 game fish available to sportsmen who fish the stream constitute only 

 45 per cent of the legal fish in the stream. Thus, with the increase 



CUTTHROAT TROUT 15% 



HYBRID 4RBXCT) \.&% 



Percent of each species of 

 all legal-sized (7" and 

 loHRer) game fish found 

 in randomly selected sec- 

 tions of Sheep Creek, 

 Meagher County, Montana, 

 1951. 



— 40 — 



