EFFECT OF DROUGHT AND EXTREME HEAT OF SUMMER 



ON FISH LIFE 

 Open Discussion 



Mb. N. R. Bulleb, Harrisburg, Pa. : This is an open discussion as to 

 the effect of the extended drought and extremely hot weather during this 

 summer on fish life. This subject was brought to the attention of 

 the Society on account of the extremely hot weather experienced this 

 summer and the great and extended drought that has occurred in Penn- 

 sylvania. Never before to my recollection has the drought been so severe 

 and the heat so intense. The effect has been very serious on various species 

 of fish in our streams and even in our lakes. I personally observed a great 

 many of our lakes during the month of August, particularly, when the vege- 

 tation of the bottoms should be green, and most of it was as brown as the 

 brown moss on the hillsides, apparently dead. In numerous instances 

 where the drought had seriously affected streams, the department received 

 requests to remove the fish, but we were not able to do so because of no 

 place to put them, that is, in close proximity to the original location, and 

 it would not have been possible to carry them any great distance in hot 

 weather. 



The only remedy I can see is that all interested in this matter lend 

 every possible effort to support forestry programs to the limit, because 

 denuding the hills and reckless destroying of forests have brought about 

 this condition. I believe we should do all we can to urge that the program 

 for reforestation be carried out more rapidly than it is at present. Penn- 

 sylvania has many millions of acres of mountainous land not valuable for 

 other than forestry purposes. As I understand it, the Forestry Commission 

 is attempting the reforestation of these mountains on a very large scale, 

 and we believe that if we again restore these forests our trout streams and 

 other waters will not be so affected in times like the present. 



Mb. Caelos Avery, St. Paul, Minn. : There is a condition prevailing 

 in the Northwestern States, in the lake region, which is somewhat different 

 from that experienced in Pennsylvania. The mortality of fishes in that 

 region has been phenomenal this year. It is recurrent, however, in some 

 lakes, and investigations made indicate that the causes which may and 

 "iisually do produce the conditions, come every year. Some investigations 

 made in a lake in Wisconsin by the United States Bureau of Fisheries and 

 the University of Wisconsin, revealed that the mortality recurring annually 

 in that lake is due to stagnation in the lower strata of the water. 



We have lakes in Minnesota, about 300 square miles in area where thei'e 

 is great mortality of fish every year, windrows of them being piled up 

 along the shores for several miles. This year it was worse than usual, 

 no doubt on account of the great heat and protracted drought. The Bureau 

 of Fisheries detailed a man from the Fairport Biological Station to assist 

 our biologist in making an investigation, and after a cursory examination 

 they came to the conclusion that the cause was probably the stagnation of 

 the lower strata of water in the lake. They could find no other cause, and 

 naturally assumed that was the reason, though the lake is not deep. 



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