328 FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



Mile Creek has a natural rock obstruction forming a dam about four feet 

 in height, over which no fish can pass at a low stage of water, except per- 

 haps an eel, which is able to go around such obstructions by crawling 

 through the wet grass. The dams now in use and furnishing water power 

 to some extent for mills do not contain fishways, and in my judgment it 

 would be a waste of money to place fishways in those dams under existing 

 circumstances. One of the dams holds back a pond of about one-half 

 mile in length, which provides an auxiliary water supply to be used in case 

 of fire in the town of Hamburg. Such use of water is quite as important 

 as its employment for fish production, expecially since the pond itself 

 would support a large number of good fish. The stretches of water between 

 dams and above the dams could be stocked with black bass, pike perch, 

 yellow perch and other food and game fish, and in this way all parties 

 interested could be benefited more than they would be if the State should 

 insist upon the placing of fishways by the present proprietors. 



On September 2d, in company with Game Protector William C. Hodge, 

 and Special Protectors Bond and Pease and Mr. Schoepflin, of Hamburg, 

 an examination was made at Eighteen Mile Creek. 



There is a tannery two miles from the mouth of the creek and at McGee's 

 Mill, six miles from Lake Erie, there is a natural rock dam with a vertical 

 drop of at least four feet at its lowest point. At this stage of the water 

 the dam is impassible for fish. The only fish observed below the dam were 

 small minnows. We were informed that fishermen catch suckers and occa- 

 sionally black bass below this dam during the spring freshet. Little min- 

 nows, apparently chubs, and young suckers, were seen also above the 

 natural dam. 



Only a very short section of the creek is suitable for maintaining large 

 fish during the dry months. The bed of the creek for the entire distance 

 examined by us consists chiefly of black slaty shale, over which the water 

 spreads out in a very thin sheet and reaches a very high temperature. All 

 the upper feeders of the creek except Giar's Brook dry up entirely in hot 

 months. 



Pierce's dam, constructed of logs, is about eight feet high. Schoepflin's 

 dam is a timber and dirt construction 144 feet wide and 14 feet deep at 

 the highest part. It backs the water about one-half mile. The ice work 



