Considering the tremendous build-up of rough fish, it is unHkely 

 that high-quality trout fishing will continue very long. When fish 

 populations become more stable, the present reservoir will resemble 

 Lake Sewell in all respects except size. Lake Sewell was known as a 

 rough fish lake. It is unfortunate that, at the time Canyon Ferry Dam 

 was closed, there was no awareness of the feasibility of removing rough 

 fish by toxicant application from the waters to be flooded by this 

 impoundment. Had this been done, Canyon Ferry Reservoir would not 

 have had the rapid build-up of rough fish it is now experiencing. 



ELK SPRINGS DRAINAGE REHABILITATION 



As a part of the program undertaken to keep the Montana grayling 

 from passing into extinction (see Biennial Report for 1953-54, pp. 72-73) 

 the Flk Springs Creek drainage was rehabilitated in 1955. This is 

 largely within the Red Rock National Migratory Waterfowl Refuge 

 in Beaverhead County which the Fish and Game Commission desig- 

 nated as a grayling sanctuary. This sanctuary is defined as the Red 

 Rock River drainage above Lima Dam. Within this area it is the 

 Commission's desire that steps be taken to preserve the Montana 

 grayling. The Fish and Wildlife Service constructed a new dam on 

 Elk Springs Creek to impound the warm spring water for use by 

 Trumpeter Swan. This dam isolated this drainage from the waters 

 below, and Elk Springs Creek had been isolated previously from Elk 

 Lake by a coarse earth fill. Now that this small drainage has been 

 cleaned of other fishes, grayling will be restocked. 



REHABILITATION OF YELLOW WATER 

 RESERVOIR 



In past years Yellow Water Reservoir near Winnett furnished 

 excellent recreational fishing. Carp became established in the reservoir 

 through introduction by minnow fishermen. In the fall of 1955, the 

 lake was drawn down to an exceptionally low level, making rehabilita- 

 tion of the reservoir very economical. Therefore during the fall of 

 1955, 560 pounds of toxicant were applied by the use of the Depart- 

 ment's "Cub" airplane equipped with a duster unit. "Fish-Tox" was 

 the toxicant used. The lake will be restocked in 1956 providing the 

 reservoir has filled sufficiently to dilute the "Fish-Tox" below the 

 toxic level. 



JOHNSON DAM PROJECT 

 Johnson Dam, located in Dawson County, was constructed by 

 the W. I'. A. as an irrigation reservoir. It has never been used for 

 this puri^ose, and it is now used extensively for wildlife purposes, 

 principally hunting and fishing. The upstream face of the dam was 

 eroding hadly, and steps had to be taken to prevent the dam from 

 washing out. During 1955 repair work was done on this dam. A back 

 fill was made by placement of 445 cubic yards of dirt, and the face 

 of the dam was riprapped with 253 cubic yards of rock. 



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