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DEPARTMENT OF FISH. 
FISH INTERESTS OF THE STATE. 
When your commission took office there was practically nothing in 
the way of a fish propagation organization. There was, at Havana, an 
old hatchery that had not been used for a number of years. The com- 
mission was therefore obliged to take steps to create a fisheries department 
to look after the propagation and distribution of fish fry. This creative 
work was put in the hands of a competent man who was directed to 
select a location for bass ponds and a pike-perch hatchery; to put these 
in practical shape, having always in view the question of economy in 
construction, maintenance and distribution of fry. 
At the same time he was directed to secure enough pike-perch eggs 
and buffalo eggs for use at the Havana hatchery. Pike-perch eggs were 
got from the Federal Government, and buffalo eggs were secured by our 
own spawn-takers on the Illinois River. These eggs were hatched and 
the resultant fry distributed in Illinois waters. 
The initial work of selecting a suitable location for bass ponds and 
a pike-perch hatchery was begun early in February and continued until a 
very satisfactory site was found at Spring Grove in McHenry County. 
In the selection of such a site, the commission had to deal with 
the problem of suitable water, proper fall, cost of securing the property, 
cost of construction, cost of maintenance and cost of distributing the fry. 
After examining much of the waters and land in the northern part 
of the State, we found the Spring Grove tract answered the requirements 
better than anything we had examined. The tract selected comprises 
about 35 acres, within the village limits, and includes an artificial spring 
water pond of about 25 acres. A lease was made of this property at 
$125 a year, to run five years, with the privilege of renewal for another 
period of five years, and a purchase option on the property exclusive of 
the artificial pond at $200 per acre. 
The-artificial pond referred to was stocked at once with 500 bass 
and plans drawn for making seven additional ponds on the adjoining 
tract. 
At the same time plans were ordered for the pike-perch hatchery 
to be built upon this tract. All this work is now under way and will be 
completed before the hatching season opens in the spring. 
Meanwhile there has been a great quantity of fry hatched in the 
pond stocked. This fry was taken from the pond and distributed largely 
throughout the northern part of the State. Some of the fry hatched is 
being held for fall distribution, and some to stock the ponds now in the 
course of construction. 
