FISH-CULTURAL INVESTIGATIONS IN MONTANA AND WYOMING. 
35 
this being in the vicinity of the old Spanish arastra or quartz mill. Here it is a 
stream 8 to 15 feet wide and averaging 20 to 24 inches deep. It has a very swift 
current, the flow being not less than 3,300 gallons per minute. It is usually a clear 
stream, but at the time of our visit it was rather muddy, due to a heavy rain on the 
preceding day. Several mining ditches are taken out at various places both above and 
below where we saw the stream, and there is, of course, some danger of contamination 
from this source. The bed of the stream is very rocky, as are also the banks and much 
of the country through which the stream flows. The banks are in many places covered 
by a dense growth of alders and other small trees and bushes. The temperature of 
the water at 10 a. m., July 20, was 47.5°; air, 70°. 
Owing to the rough character of the bed and the swiftness of the current, it was very 
difficult to use the seine to any advantage. Quite a number of attempts to haul the 
seine were made, however, resulting in the taking of but five small trout, from 8 to 10 
inches long. Two of these were females, in one of which the eggs were quite ripe, 
showing that this was near the spawning season of the species in this locality. No 
other kind of life was noticed in this creek. 
CliiWs bedrock drain is on the land of Hon. C. W. Child, about 2 miles from 
East Helena, or 6 miles east of Helena. Mr. Child has put in this drain for irrigation 
purposes. The water is collected by means of transverse ditches in the glacial drift 
resting upon the bed rock near Prickly Pear Creek. The water thus collected is 
carried in a bos flume for some little distance and is then turned into an irrigating 
ditch where it goes to augment the supply in a ditch from McClellan Creek. The 
stream flowing from this drain was 20 inches wide, 10 inches deep, and had a current 
of 17 inches per second, which means a flow of 883 gallons per minute. The water is 
of course very clear and pure and exceedingly cold. The temperature at 11 a. m., 
August 5, was 42°; air, 75°. This is the coldest water that we found anywhere in 
Montana or Wyoming, and its temperature is no doubt constant or nearly so the year 
round. According to Mr. Child, the quantity of the flow is approximately constant. 
The nature of the source of supply, of course, makes these facts evident. The water 
is perfectly clear and free from solid matter, and would seem to be well suited for trout- 
cultural purposes, unless, indeed, it be somewhat too cold. A rather level tract of 
several acres lies below the drain about three-fourths of a mile, where suitable grounds 
for the building and ponds can be had. The ground is somewhat rocky, being covered 
with coarse morainic material, and the cost of clearing it oft - and constructing the ponds 
would be considerable. Sufficient fall from the drain to this place can be had to give 
a good gravity supply. 
Both the Northern Pacific and the Montana Central railroads run within less than 
a mile of the place where the station would be located. By additional work the amount 
of water could be doubled, which would make an abundant supply for the purposes 
required. Mr. Child would make all the guarantees as to water control that the Com- 
mission would desire. No definite proposition has been made by Mr. Child as to what 
the necessary land would cost the Commission. The cost of getting the water in 
sufficient quantity under control and the expense that would be necessary in the 
construction of the ponds are serious objections. 
Little Blackfoot River was examined July 21, near Elliston. It was at that time 
about 25 feet wide, 24 feet deep, and had a current of 3 feet per second, this giving a 
flow of 84,375 gallons per minute. Above Elliston the water is clear and pure, but 
