THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 83 
be a means of conserving our wild game and fish life, 
which means a continuation and a betterment of con- 
ditions for the future. 
IRRIGATION DITCH SCREENS 
The greatest and most serious menace to the 
future of angling conditions in Oregon is the un- 
screened irrigation ditch. To be sure it is a hard 
matter to interest communities where irrigation is 
not carried on in the problem of the unscreened irri- 
gation ditch, but sportsmen generally, and especially 
in irrigation districts, must cooperate with the Game 
Department in solving this problem. 
While it is true that the Fish and Game Com- 
mission has adopted a screen which apparently meets 
with all the requirements, nevertheless, ditch owners 
are reluctant to place them in operation and there 
is some just grounds for this reluctance on their 
part. In years past, the ditch owners have been com- 
pelled to place in operation the old stationary type 
of screen, which proved not only inadequate and 
unsatisfactory, but a positive monetary loss to the 
ditch owner. Debris coming down the stream and 
entering the ditch would accumulate above the screen 
until it became so packed against the screen that it 
hindered and seriously interfered with the flow of 
water. In order to offset this, the ditch owner either 
had to take his own time or hire someone to keep the 
screen free from debris and permit the water to flow 
evenly in the ditch. 
Still later, other types of screens were employed, 
particularly those which operated either with en- 
closed paddles or exposed paddles. These screens 
