20 REPORT OP BOARD OP PISH AND GAME COMMISSIONERS. 
number of salmon eggs that were collected at the three Federal salmon 
egg-collecting stations. 
The work of the Federal Bureau of Fisheries is under the able direc¬ 
tion of Capt. G. H. Lambson, who confidently expected to break all 
records in the number of eggs collected during the fall of 1909, there 
being more spawning fish impounded between the racks than at any 
time in the fifteen years he has operated on the streams in our State. 
The unusual November rains brought such a flood down Battle Creek 
that the racks, piling, and all were swept oufi and the water continued 
at such a high stage that it was impossible to replace them until after 
the entire run of salmon had passed on to head waters. For details of 
the work that has been performed at Sisson for the past four years, we 
refer you to Mr. Shebley’s reports, which will be found in the Appendix. 
This station is now in first class condition, and the improvements are 
all of a substantial and permanent character and will require only the 
ordinary charges of maintenance. 
THE SALMON LAW. 
At the thirty-eighth session of the legislature we recommended a 
change of five days on the close season for the taking of salmon. We 
suggested that the close season begin on the 15th of September instead 
of September 10th, and end October 21st instead of October 16th. 
There was a general complaint from the canneries and cold storage 
plants to the effect that the fall run of salmon was appearing later; 
that the close season commenced before the run had reached its height, 
and that the bulk of the fish were passing the fishing grounds during 
the close season. Together with the fisherman, they asked for two 
weeks’ extension of the open season. It resulted in a compromise, and a 
change of one week was effected. The close season now begins Septem¬ 
ber 17th and ends October 23d. No change, however, was made in the 
very important feature of the law which prohibits the taking of salmon 
above tide water before the 15th of November. For years the impor¬ 
tance of the tide water clause was imperfectly understood, and provoked 
a great deal of criticism from the fisherman living along the upper 
Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, who did not realize that but for 
this restriction there would be nothing to prevent many of the five hun¬ 
dred boats that fish in the lower rivers from following the schools of 
salmon up the rivers, which would result in practically capturing all of 
them before reaching the spawning grounds. Without the protection 
given the salmon under the law, the Federal Bureau of Fisheries stations 
would not be able to take a sufficient number of eggs at the spawning 
stations to justify carrying on the work of artificial propagation, which 
has been the salvation of the salmon supply in our waters, and would 
