Fish Culture in Inland Waters 227 



FISHERY INVESTIGATIONS AND SURVEYS IN NEW YORK 



STATE 



In the East, the State of New York was one of the earHest if not 

 the earHest to perceive the importance of fishery studies. The general 

 investigations to which reference is made pertained mostly to lakes. 

 In New York State it is interesting to note that nearly 30 years ago 

 the President of the State Fisheries Commission delegated Superin- 

 tendent Fred Mather, of the Cold Spring hatchery, and Bashford 

 Dean, then assistant at Columbia College and tutor in biology in 

 the College of the City of New York, to make an examination of 

 the two principal bodies of fresh water on Long Island, and, 

 accordingly very careful examinations of the physical and biological 

 conditions of Lake Ronkonkoma and Great Pond, at Riverhead, 

 were made (Mather and Dean, '95). According to Bean ('09) nine 

 years later a brief examination of two other lakes were made. "An 

 investigation of Long Pond about eighteen miles southeast of 

 Potsdam was made August loth, by direction of the Commissioner. 

 This lake is about one mile long and one-fourth mile wide. It has 

 been stocked with brook trout in large numbers and contains a 

 great many trout, but is overrun with suckers, and chubs, which 

 destroy the eggs of the trout, and make it difficult to carry on their 

 culture. 



" For some years Lake Salubria, located about one mile from 

 Bath, has been stocked with rainbow trout, lake trout and other 

 species. It has also received some pikeperch, and it is said to con- 

 tain some bass and pickerel. No trout have been caught in the 

 lake as far as known, and it is doubtful whether it is expedient to 

 continue the attempt of making a trout lake of this body of water." 



The first intensive study of lake biological conditions in New 

 York State was undertaken by Birge and Juday, in 1910, when they 

 were enabled to visit the "Finger Lakes," through a grant from 

 the United S-tates Bureau of Fisheries, and the month of August 

 was spent in work upon the lakes. In February, 191 1, Mr. Juday 

 visited some of the lakes to secure winter temperatures. A week 

 in August of the same year was used in obtaining a second set of 

 summer temperatures. The temperatures of Skaneateles and Owasco 

 Lakes were also taken in February, 191 2, and the early autumn of 



that year. 



The stated purpose of the investigation was to extend to these 

 lakes the studies on dissolved gases, plankton and temperatures, such 

 as had already been made on the lakes of Wisconsin. _ A valuable 

 technical report upon the results of the work was published by the 

 United States Bureau of Fisheries, comprising tables, graphs, 

 analyses, correlations, and discussions of the topography, hydrog- 

 raphy, temperatures, dissolved gases, and plankton, with accompany- 

 ing topographic and lake contour maps (Birge and Juday, '14). 



