^California. Dept. of Fish and Game, Biennial Report 1924-1926. c.l ENKIAL REPORT OF THE 3 GAME COMi OF CflLlFORNlA .-%. I +^"" ,56'' California. Dept. of Fish and Game. Biennial Reoort 1924-1926. (bound volume) c.l DATE DUE t/-6'^l'^ I ^California. Dept. of Fish and Gaine, Biennial Report 1924-1926. California Resources Agency Library 1416 9th Street, Room 117 Sacramento, California 95814 CALIFORNIA RESOURCES AGENCY LlBRAtit Resources BuJIding/ Kooin 117 1416 -9fh Street SacramentO/ Californie 95814 STATE OF CALIFORNIA Fish and Game Commission TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT For the Years 1924-1926 CALIFORNIA STATE PRINTING OFFICE JOHN E. KING. State Printer SACRAMENTO, 1027 48323 BOARD OF FISH AND GAME COMMISSIONERS. POSTAL TELEGRAPH BUILDING. SUTTER GIOO. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. Coinmi.ssioner.s aijpointed by the Governor, by and with the consent of the Senate. Term at pleasure of Governor. No compensation. J. ZELLERBACH, President San Francisco M. J. CONNELL, Commissioner Los Angeles RALPH H. CLOCK, Commissioner Long Beach B. D. MARX GREENE, Executive OfHcer and .\ttorney San Francisco DEPARTMENT OF PATROL. J. S. HUNTER, In Charge San Francisco DEPARTMENT OF FISH CULTURE. W. H. SHEBLEY, In Charge — Sacramento DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES. N. B. SCOPIELD, In Charge San Franci.'ico BUREAU OF FINANCE AND ACCOUNTS. H. R. DUNBAR, Assistant Executive Officer and In Charge Sacramento BUREAU OF EDUCATION AND RESEARCH. DR. H. C. BRYANT, In Charge Berkeley BUREAU OF PUBLICITY. ROLIN G. WATKINS, In Charge San Franci.sco BUREAU OF GAME FARMS. AUGUST BADE, In Charge Yountvillo BUREAU OF SCREENS AND LADDERS. JOHN SPENCER, In Charge San Francisco BUREAU OF RIVER AND HARBOR POLLUTION. ROLIN G. WATKINS, In Charge__^ San Franci.sco \ \ ^^^ l*^/ '^■'k \ '"^^"a *^ AJm V :if^-:' ^ a CD o a, o 00 «»5 3 ■>«j < in < Oh Q W i^ O W Z I o ;^ CONTENTS. Vage LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 7 IN MP]MORIAM 8 REPORT OF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 9 Patrol Department 11 Fish Culture Department 12 Commercal Fisheries Department 14 Bureau of Finance and Accounts 14 / Bureau of Education and Research 15- Bureau of Publicity 15 Bureau of Pollution IG Bureau of Screens and Ladders IG Game Farm IT- Bureau of Statistics : 18 Monthly Reports 19 Cooperation and Acknowledgment 19 Dollar-A-Year Wardens 20 Plenary Powers 21 Future Plans 22 DEPARTMENTAL AND BUREAU REPORTS— Department of Patrol J. >S'. Hunter 26 Department of Fish Culture W. II. Hhchleij 33 Department of Commercial Fisheries N. B. Scofield 62 State Fisheries Laboratory W. L. Scofield 74 Legal Department B. D. Mara; Greene 79 Bureau of Education and Research — H. ('. Bryant 82 Bureau of Publicity RoVin (1. Watkins 89 Bureau of Game Farms Au(/iist Bade 90- Bureau of River and Harbor Pollution Rolin (J. M'atkins 93 Bureau of Finance and Accounts //. 7v'. Dunhar 97 APPENDIX— License Sales 99 A'iolations of the Fisli and Game Laws 103 Seizures of Fish, Game and Illegally Used Fishing Apparatus 105 Summary of Fish Distribution 106 Fish Distribution by Counties and Hatcheries 107 Lion Bounties 112 Report on Catch of Fur-bearing Mammals 113 Estimated Value of Pelts 113 California Fishery Products 114 Report on Fish Canneries 122 Financial Statement 125 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. San Francisco, June 30, 1926. Honoruhle Friend Wm. Richardson, Governor of Calif ornio,, Sac I 'a mcnto, California . Siu : In compliance with law we submit herewith a report of the luisiness transacted by the Fish and Game Commission for the biennial period July 1, 1924, to June 30, 1926. Tills report summarizes departmental and bureau reports submitted monthly to this Commission and is prefaced by the report of the executive officer covering in a general way the activities, accomplish- ments and needs of the Commission. It is our pleasure to report to you a complete reorganization of this Commission intended to place the Commission upon a business basis. This, we believe, is reflected in the reports of the various departments and bureaus. As usual, the appendix to the report contains statistical information, much of which has been collected and presented for the first time. Respectfully submitted. I. Zellerbach;, m. j.. connell, Ralph H. Clock, Board of Fish and Came Commissioners. 3tt iM^mnrtam During the biennium the Commission lias lost the services, through death, of a former commissioner, George H. Anderson, and three of the oldest deputies and one of the youngest in point of service. Tom W. Birmingham, who for many years was stationed at Red Bluff, died on Angust 13, 1924. He began service with the Fish and Game Commission in 1903. Henry J. Abels died August 21, 1925, after continuous em])]oyment with the Commission since 1905. William J. Moore of Napa died May 4, 1925, his term of service having begun in 3909. Bernard Luttrell, after only a few months service in Siskiyou County was accidentally killed on October 12, 1925. The constructive work of these men will live long after them and constitute a greater memorial than we can here express. REPORT OF EXECUTIVE OFFICER. HonoraMc Board of Fisli (oid (Jdiitr ('onimissioners of Ihe State of California, San Francisco, California. Sirs: On January 18, 1926, the Fisli and Game Commission coiii- menc'ed its reorganization, and it might not be amiss to state the facts leading uj) to the change. On May 5, 1925, Commissioner George H. Anderson resigned and Governor Richardson appointed Isadore Zellerbaeh of San Francisco to fill the vacancy. On December 1, 1925, Frank M. Newl)eii:,, for many years president of the Board of Commissioners, severed his connection with the Commission. Mr. Newbert throughout his term of office cheer- fully devoted a large portion of his time to the Commission and origi- nated numerous conservation measures. During his incumbency the Commission grew from a small organization to one with many employees and manifold duties. Judge Ralph H. Clock of Long Beach was appointed by Governor Richardson to take Mr. Newbert 's place on the Commission. On Decem- ber 7, 1925, Mr. Zellerbaeh was elected president of the board. On December 31, 1925, the then executive officer, George Neale, resigned. Prior to this time the patrol of the state had been divided into three main subdivisions, one centering out of Sacramento with the executive officer in particular charge, one out of San Francisco and one out of Los Angeles. The wardens in each of these districts were accountable to a chief deputy in the district office functioning under the resident Commissioner. In addition there was a separate patrol, both land and water, under the Department of Commercial Fisheries, responsible directly to the Commercial Fisheries' office in San Francisco. The main patrol activities of the Commission were thus divided into three separate patrol districts. There were two other departments of the Commis- sion— the Department of Conunercial Fisheries and the Department of Fish Culture. The operation and supervision of screens in irrigation canals and fish ladders over dams were under the Department of Fish Culture. Pollution problems were handled in tidewaters by the Depart- ment of Commercial Fisheries, and in fresh water by the Department of Fish Culture, or by one of the three district offices of the Commis- sion. The water patrol of the Commission in tidewater and on the ocean was under the Department of Commercial Fisheries, and the fresh water patrol in the upper Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers was under the Sacramento district office, without any relation or cooperation between the two patrols and under an arbitrary division of territory. Each of the three district patrol offices of the Commission was a separate entity, self-governed, and responsible solely to the Commissioner resi- dent in that district. On January 18, 1926, the Board of Commissioners met and appointed the present executive officer upon a program calling for an entire reor- ganization of the Commission. It was determined that the Commission should function as a business concern, with a similar form of manage- ment, centering all responsibility exactly where it belonged; that the 10 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. three Commissioners should serve in exactly the same capacity as the directors of any modern corporation, fixing the broad general policies of the Commission, and divorcing themselves entirely from the admin- istrative and executive work which theretofore had been handled by each Commissioner for his own particular district; and that the Com- missioners should act collectively as a Commission, and that no indi- vidual Commissioner should have the right to determine policies or direct the actual functioning of any department or employee of the Commission. The executive officer was to have the same status in the Commission as the general manager of a corporation with all functions of the Com- mission centering in him. In order to do this effectively it was deter- mined that all activities of the Commission, other than those of the three main departments, should be handled by bureaus, each directly responsible to the executive officer. Inasmuch as the present executive officer had been acting as attorney for the Commercial Fisheries Department, it was deemed best in the interests of economy and efficiency to combine the three offices (execu- tive officer, attorney, and attorney for the Commercial Fisheries Depart- ment) in one individual, and that the executive officer should be given an assistant attorney to aid him in his duties. In view of the fact that the new executive officer was to act as general attorney for the Commis- sion and handle the legal work for the Commercial Fisheries Depart- ment, it was deemed necessary to remove the executive offices from Sacramento in order that the executive officer might be in close touch with the Commercial Fisheries headquarters in San Francisco. Also, it was decided that the executive offices must be closer to Mr. Zeller- bach, the new president of the board, who was taking such an active part in the work. With a new assistant executive officer, Mr. Dunbar, at Sacramento, sufficient contact could be maintained with the Board of Control and the Civil Service Commission. The organization was built up, then, in three main departments : Patrol Department, Fish Culture Department, Commercial Fisheries Department, and the following bureaus : Finance and Accounts, Education and Research, Publicity, Pollution, Screens and Ladders, Game Farm, Statistics and Game Problems. Monthly all the department and bureau heads assemble for a cabinet council meeting at headquarters in San Francisco. At these meetings general matters of policy are discussed and cooperation between the departments planned and consunnnated. Certain fixed cabinet policies are adopted for our mutual guidance and matters are frequently TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL KEPORT. 11 referred to the Board with our recommendations. The executive officer is thus cjuided by the opinion of those entrusted with the detail workings of the various activities of the Commission. To supplement the cabinet meetings a system of interoffice corre- spondence has been worked out. All matters of a technical nature coming in the mail or otherwise to the executive officer are immediately referred to the head of the department or bureau particularly inter- ested. Instructions are given with the transmittal that the letter shall either be answered directly by the chief of the department, or that a report he made and forwarded to the executive officer so that he may personally reply. It frequently happens that transmitted matter passes from the executive officer to the Patrol Department, thence to the captain of patrol, from him to the deputy patroling the particular distric't where the investigation is to be made, and then the report from that deputy comes back through the usual channels to the executive officer. Fixed responsibility is therefore placed and an intelligent answer can be made to the original correspondent. It was intended to make the Fish and Game Commission function as a big business concern, and we have endeavored in every possible way to avail ourselves of advanced business methods. Modern office furniture and fixtures have been installed. A power multigraph machine elimi- nates much printing. Roll top desks have been abolished. Supplies are purchased in large quantities instead of piecemeal as heretofore by branch offices and departments. A new card system inventory is being prepared and will be kept up to date. A personnel file is being installed as a basis for increases in salary and promotion. The general duties and scope of activities of the three major depart- ments of the Commission are as follows : PATROL DEPARTMENT. The first step in the reorganization of the Patrol Department Avas to abolish the local district offices. All of the patrol, land and water, with the exception of one boat working under the Commercial Fisheries Department at San Pedro, was centered under a chief of patrol. J. S. Hunter, who had for many years been in charge of the district office of the Commission at San Francisco, was selected as the new chief. His report appended shows in more detail the organization cf his depart- ment. It is pleasing to relate that real efficiency in patrol is now being obtained. Mobility of men is possible, and deputies can be massed in portions of the state when and where needed. Extra men can be put on for the opening of the deer and duck season. "When emergency arises details can be shifted from one portion of the state to another. The captain system as instituted in the patrol has been a big success. One feature of the new system which deserves particular comment is the cooperation which this department lends to all other departments or bureaus of the Commission. This year the captains and individual deputies have assisted, when called upon, in the planting of fish ; in like manner they have made reports on pollution, and on screen and ladder matters. 12 MSK AND GAME COMMISSION, FISH CULTURE DEPARTMENT. The detailed report of this department, which functions as heretofore under W. II. Shel)h'y, the dean of all employees of the Commission, shows its manifold activities and ramifications. Without screens, lad- ders and pollution, which are now in separate bureaus, this depart- ment of itself is still one huge business enterprise. New hatcheries are being constructed; fish ponds are being built: and new theories are constantly being tested. During the coming year a radical departure will be made in the method of planting fish. Heretofore, prior to the fish planting season, individuals, sportsmen, organizations, boards of supervisors, forest service and others have applied to the Commission for allotments of trout. As far as possible, the Fish Culture Department honored these applications without any possibility of determining whether applicants had proper facilities for transporting and planting the fish. The conse- quence has been that for years the Commission has been blamed — for the most part unjustly — for poor planting methods. The receiving of fish from the Commission had become a right rather than a privilege, and if the applicant were not given his requested allotment, an uproar ensued. A study of the situation showed clearly that it was as much the duty of the Commission to see that the fish were planted properly as it was to rear healthy fry. There is no question but that our Fish Culture Dei^artment is as efficiently managed as any in the country, and that the taking of eggs and raising of fish is being conducted by a man who is a past master in the art, and it has been a crime and a shame that these fish after leaving the skillful hands of our own fisli culturists, should be improperly planted, lost or destroyed, through inexperienced or inefficient methods of handling. To remedy the situation an order has been issued by the executive officer that the Commission will no longer receive any applications for fish. Prior to the next fish planting season the Fish Culture Department Avill send to each of the patrol captains of the state a communication giving an initial estimate of the number and species of fish which can be alloted to that district for the next season. Thereupon the patrol captain will call into consultation those people in his district who have heretofore received fish from the Commission, his own deputies and such other persons as he deems interested. This conference, armed with maps and all available data, will designate and allot to each stream and lake within that patrol district tlie proper number and species of fish. These proposed plantings will be designated as either primary or secondary. The report will then be forwarded by the patrol captain to the Department of Fish Culture, together with a designation of places within the district at which the captain desires to receive the fish, and the quantities for each destined point. From their knowledge of the biological or other situations in the streams and lakes, the Fish Culture Department will check these reports over for accuracy as to designated ])lantings. Thereupon, when the Fish Culture Department knows with certainty the number of fish available for planting during the season, the captain of patrol will be notified whether his allotment will be made in full or cut. If it is cut, the secondary plantings will be diminished. When the planting season begins the Fish Culture Department will TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 13 notify the patrol captain of the day of arrival of fish at points of desti- nation and the nnmher shipped. The patrol captain and his depnties in the meanwhile will have arranged with local sportsmen's associations and other interested parties, the question of transportation and volun- teers to assist in the planting. The distribution cars upon arrival will be met by the deputies and planting crews, and the planting wnll be done under the direction of the deputies, with the full responsibility resting upon them. In this way it is hoped that fish will be alloted to streams and lakes rather than to individuals. It is a radical departure, luit from all indications it is a popular change, and we believe that with the support of the sportsmen of the state it can be put over and redound to the credit of our fish planting system. At the urgent request of the sportsmen of California, this Commission early in the year 1926 commenced the construction and maintenance of so-called retaining or holding ponds for trout. The argument advanced in favor of these ponds was that the planting of very small fry resulted in their destruction by predatory fish, and that if the trout were held until they reached the size of 4^ or 5 inches, they would have a far better chance after liberation. The Commission has constructed holding ponds adjacent to several of its fish hatcheries, and the fish have thrived and will be liberated during the fall and winter months. In addition to these ponds constructed by the Commission, over which it retains the supervision and care, the Commission has cooperated with the sportsmen's organizations of the state in the building of other ponds by furnishing plans and aiding in the choice of sites. These ponds have then been constructed l)y the sportsmen out of their own funds. They have also arranged for the feeding and care of the fish. In all over two and one-half million trout have been placed in these ponds. The utmost cooperation has been extended to the Commission by the sportsmen, and our Fish Culture Department has, likewise, extended to the sportsmen its lielp, supervision and advice. The experiment, however, in regard to most of the ponds built by the sportsmen has resulted most unfavor- ably. It has been fidly demonstrated to us that it is the duty of the Fish and Came Commission not only to hatch the fish originally in our hatcheries, but to rear them until they are actually planted. It takes a fishculturist to care for fish in holding ponds just as much as in the trough at the hatchery. The sportsman, no inatter how well inten- tioned, except in rare cases, can not give to the fish in the holding ponds the trained care and attention necessary. Disease is just as prevalent among young trout in holding ponds as it is in hatcheries, and firm, immediate and scientific methods are necessary to combat disease when it appears. It is the opinion of the executive officer that this Commission should proceed with holding ponds, and should construct them at our hatcheries and at strategic locations throughout the state ; but I firmly insist that all of these holding ponds shall be constructed by the Commission and maintained by the Commission out of its own funds, and under the care of our own Fish Culture Department. As many of the ponds as pos- sible should be so-called natural ponds where the young fish can obtain their own food. The qiu^stion of feeding a large number of fish in 14 PISH AND GAME COMMISSION, ponds until they reach the size of five inches is at the present time completely beyond the finances of the Commission. We will have to go slowly until further funds are available. It can therefore be stated that the theory of holding ponds is successful when tliey are maintained under our own auspices. I can not conscientiously recommend that any fish be furnished by us to sportsmen's organizations unless those sports- men definitely commit themselves to the employment of trained fish- culturists to take care of the fish. COMMERCIAL FISHERIES DEPARTMENT. This department continues to function with its usual efficiency under ' the capable leadership of N. B. Seofield, who has been its head since the inception of the department many years ago. The department retains all of its former functions with the exception of the water patrol of San Francisco Bay and pollution of tidewaters. The detailed report of Mr. Seofield is attached showing his trials and tribulations in the strenuous war with those who sought to ruin the fisheries of this state by the unrestricted use of food fish for fertilizer. In this con- nection it would not be amiss to point out that the success of Mr. Seofield in his efforts to conserve our fish has been in a large measure due to the unswerving backing of all our Board as it unequivocally took the stand that the fish of this state must be saved. Mr. Seofield 's signal ability and attainments as a scientist have been recently recognized in his appointment by Secretary of Commerce Hoover as a member of the Advisory Board of the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, and in his appointment by the President of the United States to the position of Commissioner on the International Fisheries Commission between the U. S. and Mexico. This International Com- mission is working in the utmost harmony with our Commission and has placed in our laboratory at San Pedro a corps of workers who are collaborating with our laboratory assistants in scientific work relating to commercial fisheries. The various bureaus of the Commission function as follows : BUREAU OF FINANCE AND ACCOUNTS. This bureau has charge of the issuance of licenses and of all account- ing and funds of the Commission. H. R. Dunbar, as its head, was promoted from cashier to assistant executive officer, so that he could relieve the executive officer of financial details and act as a liaison officer between this Commission and the other state departments at Sacramento, such as the Board of Control. To him is entrusted the workings out of the finances of the Commission under the new account- ing method installed for us since reorganization by the Board of Control. At this time I desire to express to the Board of Control my personal appreciation and the appreciation of this Commission for the very valuable work done for us by their accountant Richard Soberanes, who was with us for a period of six months, and the full cooperation extended to us by all members, officers and employees of the Board of Control. This new bureau has now" worked out a simple efficient method of accounting, which allows every department and bureau head to know at any time the exact state of his finances. This heretofore had been TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 15 completely impossible owing to cumbersome, antiquated methods. A rigid budget system has been installed and each department and bureau is on a definite yearly alloAvance, checked by quarterly estimates of needs. I am happy to say that the first six months' experience since reorganization has shown that we were able to keep within our budget allowance. BUREAU OF EDUCATION AND RESEARCH. Tliis bureau formerly included in its scope the pul^licity work of the Commission, but under the reorganization this has been delegated to a separate bureau. The bureau remains under the able leadership of Dr. H. C. Bryant, and now devotes itself entirely to the educational program of the; Commission and such research problems as have to do with vertebrate zoology and food of birds and animals. The work of the bureau has been facilitated by extending to it increased financial allowance, so that Dr. Bryant now has a regular assistant who can aid in his lecturing and act as librarian for the Commission. This bureau has already purchased the best of the available motion picture films of California fish and game subjects, and is publishing educational booklets as rapidly as possible. The reorganized Commission lays great stress upon its educational campaign, and as time goes on we expect to increase greatly the scope of this bureau. Our plans contemplate the removal of the bureau's headquarters from Berkeley to the San Fran- cisco office of the Commission in order that its library and other data and material will be available for the use of the officers and needs of the Commission, and so that the executive officer and other branches of the Commission may keep fully in touch with our educational pro- gram. BUREAU OF PUBLICITY. For many years the Commission has suffered through lack of proper ]>ublicity. A large portion of the publicity contributed mainly through unauthorized channels was term'ed propaganda by the newspapers and promptly turned down. Our first effort, therefore, was to secure a real newspaper man to head this important branch of our work. We were fortunate in securing Major Rolin G. Watkins, who is a specialist along this line, and he has ably conducted this bureau. His detailed report is appended and shows how we are reaching the people of the state. Formal instructions have gone to all departments and employees of the Commission that no publicity must emanate from any of them without going through the executive office to see that it is con- sonant with the policies of the Commission. We are thus aBle to cen- tralize responsibility and the policy of the Commission is not jeopardized. Major Watkins' sole instructions in his publicity work were to tell the people of the state what we are doing and what we expect to do in the future and to avoid anything in the nature of propaganda. It has been his principle, therefore, to write stories of activities carrying a human interest value. To build up the morale of the employees of the Commission, to unify the personnel and to infuse a spirit of pride in being a part of a large organization that is doing things, it is part of the duty of this bureau to get out once each month a "Service Bulletin," which is mailed to eveiy employee of this Commission. Through the Bulletin, 16 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. also, all departments issue instructions or give items of particular interest. BUREAU OF POLLUTION. Until such time as the Commission had additional funds it was deemed best to consolidate tliis bureau with the Bureau of Publicitj^ under Major Watkins, and it has functioned ably. As previously noted, it takes over from the Department of Commercial Fisheries and tlie Department of Fish Culture and the former patrol districts, this ever-present problem which seems to be getting so acute throughout tlie state and nation. ]\Iajor Watkins can not be commended too highly for the able manner in which he has conducted the bureau. The most gratifying feature of the work has been the results accomplished by persuasion without court procedure. Sore spots of the worst character have been remedied, and in many cases, obliterated. BUREAU OF SCREENS AND LADDERS. At the head of this bureau we have placed a trained hydraulic engineer, John Spencer. The creation of the bureau was deemed necessary because the work of the Department of Fish Culture has grown so enormously within the past few j^ears that it is absolutely impossible for that department to put into this important feature the necessary time and energy. It is almost unbelievable when I say, conservatively, that there should be at least three thousand installa- tions of screens and ladders in California ; probably at the present time not more than six hundred have been installed, and of these it is doubt- ful if more than 50 per cent are functioning adequately. Early in April a conference was called at the executive office, to which were invited representatives of all power companies and irriga- tion districts in California, for a free discussion of the screen and ladder problem to the end that committees could be appointed by those interested in such installations to help the Commission devise standard forms, hereafter to be adhered to. The conference was well attended and resulted in the formation of two committies, each of five members, one composed of those interested in power development, and the other of those interested in irrigation matters. These two com- mittees are cooperating with the head of the bureau and we believe they will aid us materially in the solution of our problem. Large sized maps have been procured for the bureau, old records have been delved into, and the head of the bureau has card indexed the situatio2i thoroughly and is graphically showing upon the maps all installations and their present condition. Surveys are being made as rapidly as i^ossible all over the state, and the cooperation of the patrol, through the individual deputies, is gradually bringing to this bureau the information necessary on which to base an aggressive cam- paign during the coming spring. Incidentally, experiments are now being carried forward for the first time, we believe, in the United States, to determine once and for all whether nonmigratory trout, such as rainbow and eastern brook, are carried down the canals and through the turbines of pow'er com- panies. Racks and traps have been installed below Hat Creek No. 1 plant of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company and in cooperation with the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, and with the assistance of the associated TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 17 sportsmen, our Commission is making- an observation extending over an entire year to determine liow many fish are carried through the power plant, and the cause of death in each instance. Our biologist makes post-mortem examinations of all fish caught. This information will be of great value. GAME FARM. Shortly after Mr. Zellerbaeh became a member of the Commission it was brought forcibly to his attention tliat California had lagged behind in tlie construction and maintenance of game farms. He thereupon made a trip to Oregon and Washington and investigated tlie operations of game farms in those states. lie came back to California imbued with the idea that California must put herself upon a par with Fig. 1. Pen of five months old ring-necked pheasants reared at the State Game Farm, season of 1926. The hatch for the first season was aU that could be expected and favorable reports are being received of the plants made. Photograph by H. C. Bryant. the other western states, and he succeeded in obtaining from the (jovernor and the Board of Control an extra appropriation of $50,000 to be devoted to the purpose of establishing a game farm. The only other experiment in game farming which had ever been carried on in California by the Commission was that at Hayward, some ten years ago, which had been abandoned for reasons which I am unable to understand*. Through the good offices of the Board of Control, a site was leased from the state near Yountville, in Napa County, on the grounds of the state farm. To oversee the construction of the game farm and take charge of it after completion, the Commission employed August Bade, who had made a great success of similar work in Washington. Through the generosity of our sister states of Wash- 2—48323 18 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. ington and Oregon, certain pens of brood stock were donated to the Commission. Other brood stock was purchased and under the infinite difficulties of raising birds during the construction period, the first real California Game Farm completed its initial year. The report of Superintendent Bade is appended and shows the results attained. Having learned by bitter experience through our fishcultural opera- tions that it is unwise to have planting done by organizations or indi- viduals who have not had the proper advance training, it was early determined that all planting from the game farm should be done under the strict superintendence of our trained employees. Also, all appli- cations for birds from organizations or individuals were referred to Superintendent Bade with instructions to visit the localities referred to and pass his own unconditional judgment as to suitability. After suitability had been determined, an investigation Avas then made as to the proper protection for the birds. In no instance has the Commis- sion made a planting unless a large area (in most instances not less than twenty thousand acres) had been set aside by the owners as a refuge. Also, no small plantings were made ; the average number of birds to each planting was one hundred and fifty. We are happy to say that our plantings were uniformly successful. The loss of birds was practically nil, and the splendid spirit of the sportsmen and of the justices of the peace have shown poachers that the killing of our j)lanted birds will bring real punishment. We feel that we are war- ranted in saying that our game farm represents the best that money and intelligence can do in construction work, and that our system of planting can not be bettered. While during the first year we have restricted our planting to pheasants, it is hoped that next year will see our initial planting of quail from brood stock which we have raised this year, and that we will also raise a goodly stock of Hungarian partridges from the twenty pair so kindly loaned us this year by the state of Oregon. BUREAU OF STATISTICS. For many years the Commission has been gathering data on fish and game problems which has reposed in our files and desks secure from the light of d&y. The one exception has been the Department of Com- mercial Fisheries, where the scientific work of the laboratory has been offered to the public in the form of bulletins and other contributions. To collate and make this information available the Commission has established a bureau in the Patrol Department in charge of R. E. Ludlum, an expert statistician and a student of fish and game matters. It is the function of this bureau to prepare statistical information of the many activities of the Commission, such as fur-bearing animals, trappers, mountain lions, game breeders, and other cognate subjects. In addition, the head of the bureau has charge of the investigation of all bird and animal diseases, and in this work he is fortunate in having available to him the full facilities of the Hooper Foundation of the University of California. At this time I desire to express to President Campbell of the University of California, the Board of Regents, and to Dr. Karl F. Meyer, head of the Hooper Foundation, our cordial appreciation of their cooperation and whole-hearted proffer of facili- ties for our research work. Dr. IMeyer is personally taking charge of TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 19 the laboratory end of this work, and I have assigned to the work in his laboratory Robert J. Irvine, our chemist and bacteriologist. Mr. Ludlum will handle the field work, through our deputies, in securing specimens and keeping in touch with the general situation, while the actual laboratory Avork will be done in the University of California laboratories. Post-mortems will be performed on all birds and animals that die in California when such cases are brought to our attention, and an intensive study is being made of epidemics which may arise at our game farm. We understand that this type of work which we are carrying on is entirely original, and may yield results of great value to the entire country and, perhaps, to other nations. MONTHLY REPORTS. , Upon assuming office it was immediately apparent to me that there was very little information on hand as to previous activities of the Commission other than the quarterly Fish and Game magazine. The first order, therefore, issued to department and bureau heads was that a monthly written report must be submitted. These are bound in a loose-leaf book, and at any time it is possible to learn in detail of all of the past activities of the Commission. Monthly a full set of these reports, accompanied by a written report of the executive officer, is forwarded to each of the Commissioners. It is my purpose at the close of tlic fiscal year to have these monthly reports bound into a permanent book, to take their place among the records of the Commission. COOPERATION. Tt is with the utmost pleasure that we are able to state that at the present time this Commission is working in the greatest amity with every bureau and department of both the state and federal govern- ments. For example : The disagreements of many years between us and the Department of Interior relative to a hatchery at Yosemite Valley have been eliminated. A lease satisfactory to both has been executed and the hatchery is under actual construction. Furthermore the park officials are cooperating with the Commission in the enforcement of our fish and game laws, are requiring all hunters and fishermen to have licenses, and will adequately police, and conduct the visitors through the new hatchery when built. A new cooperative agreement has been drawn up with the Forest Service under which tliey enforce our fish and game laws, and we render service during periods of forest fires. The Board of Control has rendered us every assistance in installing a new system of accounting, and aids us in every particular when called upon. The Civil Service Commission has reclassified our entire patrol so that now all of our wardens are under civil service. The Division of Water Rights is helping us in our screen and ladder problems by referring to us all applications for the diversion of water. Tlie Motor Vehicle Department aids us in tracing licenses of auto- mobiles where there have been infractions of the law. Last, but not least, it is our great pleasure to record that the Com- mission is now working in the utmost harmony with the sportsmen of 20 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. the state. The commissioners and the executive officer have addressed numerous meetings of sportsmen from Siskiyou to San Diego, and everywhere we are assured, by word and deed, of hearty cooperation. New organizations of sportsmen are springing up like mushrooms throughout the state. We are informed that the Associated Sports- men's Clubs alone represent an organization of 30,000 members. There are numerous branches of other organizations, and in each instance there is now such a spirit of amity between them and the Commission that ;iny criticism received is constructive in its nature. We might note the cordial relations existing between this Commission and the Fish and Game Study Committee of the California Develop- ment Association. This committee was formed as the direct result of the annual meeting of the Associated Sportsmen held in December, 1925, and consists of representative men from all parts of the state who have been devoting their time and energy toward a study of laws and methods necessary to better our fish and game conditions. This committee holds periodic meetings and they have been most generous in requesting the cooperation of the Commission to help them in their deliberations. Their recommendations as made are being referred to this Commission for criticism or suggestions, and we appreciate such cooperation and feel sure that they are doing a work which will redound to the credit of us all. Again, as in years past, we wish to record our grateful appreciation of the many courtesies extended to us by the railroads of the state in the free transportation of our employees, fish, and game birds. This splendid cooperation on their part has helped in a large way toward the restocking of our lakes, streams and hunting grounds. The savings thus effected have enabled us to increase our plants, l)oth of fish and game, and in this way the transportation companies are doing their share to make more attractive the outdoor life of this state. DOLLAR-A-YEAR WARDENS. For tlie purpose of aiding the regular patrol of the Commission we are now appointing so-called dollar-a-year Avardens. To secure such appointment a man must be recommended by a regularly constituted sportsmen's organization. Thereupon his qualifications are gone into by a special agent working out of the executive office. If he is passed upon by that special agent he then, with his fellow members in that district, receives instructions from this special agent upon his duties. The duty of this special agent is to see that the dollar-a-year men cooperate fully with the patrol of the district. The dollar-a-year men select their own captain, and through this captain, the captain of the regular patrol draws on the sportsmen's deputies when needed. The dollar-a-year deputy can not function outside his local patrol district, except to arrest for an oft'ense committed in his presence, unless lie receives clearance from his local captain of patrol to the captain of the district of the state which he purposes to visit. Approxi- mately 200 of these dollar-a-year wardens have been appointed and where they have received instructions from the Commission and are operating with the regular deputies, they are performing exceedingly valuable service. It is apparent that the system can be a success if it is TWENTY-NINTII BIENNIAL KEPORT. 21 ^ governed l).v rigid rules in regard to the original selection of the depu- ties, and if these deputies work with the regular patrol and not inde- l^endently. A deputy can not he made hy giving a man a commission, a written manual of instructions and authorizing him to put a gun on his hip and wander at large over the State of California. This Com- mission frowns upon technical arrests; and deputies, both regular and volunteer, must be armed witli discretion rather than shooting irons. The Commission can get into hot water just as quickly througli irregular practices of a volunteer warden as by the acts of its regularly paid wardens. As rigid rules nmst govern volunteer wardens as goverii regular Avardens, otherwise our entire system of their selection and authorization will fall into disrepute. I am strongly of the opinion that the dollar-a-year warden service will prove a success, l)ut it must be carefully watched and its rules must be rigorously enforced. PLENARY POWERS. It is apparent that this Commission can not properly function unless it has additional powers. These are usually called "plenary powers" Init the name is perhaps misleading. As is well known, the constitution of this state gives the legislature the right to divide the state into fish and game districts and to pass legislation appropriate to those districts ; consequently there is a period of two years after the meeting of each legislature during which it is impossible to change districts, or seasons, alter bag limits- or take any immediate steps necessitated by drought or other exceptional conditions. If the forests, for example, are so dry that it is dangerous for hunters to enter, it is beyond the power of this Commission to declare a closed district. Similarly, if drought con- ditions dry up streams to a danger point, we can not forbid the public from fishing. Also, if we plant small tributary streams we can not stop fishing until the fish mature. We can not close off portions of lakes, a.s Oregon does, where they allow no fishing at all so as to constitute a fish refuge, which is just as essential as a game refuge. Abnormal water conditions may dictate that it ls necessary to curtail the duck season, or to open it later than the law at present allows. The Fish and Game Commission has no power to make any such rules. In my opinion legislation should be immediately enacted which will give the Commission power, after proper hearings, to curtail seasons, to diminish the bag limit, to close streams, and generally to safeguard our fish and game. There is a question in my mind whether the legis- lature has the power or authority to delegate these duties and rights to the Fish and Game Commission. I therefore suggest that a bill be prepared and presented to tlie legis- lature giving us these powers, and that there be presented also to the legislature a constitutional amendment with the same purpose. In the event that the legislature passes the bill requested, a test case can be brought to see whether or not it is constitutional. If the courts declare it unconstitutional, then the matter can be brought before the electors by a constitutional amendment at the next general election in November, 1928. It is significant that our sister state of Oregon enjoys plenary powers, find those powers have been exercised with such discretion that they are 22 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. in favor with all concerned. Many of the niicUUe western and eastern states have similar powers, and California has lagged far behind in these matters. FUTURE PLANS. A detailed study of the financial exliil)it attached to this report will show that at the present time the Fish and Game Commission is annu- ally spending more money than its actual revenue. This is only possible because we at present have a surplus on which to draw. At the expira- tion of the biennial period commencing next July, our surplus will be reduced to approximately $200,000. At that time the Commission will have to prune its budget to its revenue or obtain further funds for we can not further dig into our surplus except for permanent improve- ments or emergencies. If the budget is diminished, many of the new bureaus and activities of the Commission will have to be curtailed. A careful census of public opinion has been made by the Commissioners and the executive officer to determine how the sportsmen feel tow^ard a raise in license fees and, uniformly throughout tlie state without excep- tion, at meetings and otherwise, we are told that the Commission, now having established itself in the contidence of the public, is entitled to a raise in licenses so that it may continue to function and increase its activities. A study has l)een made to determine the effect on the number of licenses issued by a raise in the license fees, and I am of the opinion that the maximum return wdth the least loss of privileges to hunters and fishermen can be secured through a license fee of $3 for angling, $3 for hunting, a combined license of $5 for both, a $1 angling license fee for children from fifteen to eighteen, and $1 for certain types of salt water fishing. This increased license fee will furnish us with sufficient revenue to provide for our present needs and nec&ssary expansion. A budget has been prepared showing how this increased revenue would be spent. One hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars is necessary for the salaries and expenses of fifty new deputies. New hatchery operations will entail an annual expenditure of $50,000. (During the coming year there will not be sufficient money in the Fish Culture Department's budget to allow for the operation of all of our ncAv hatcheries.) A new game farm will be built in southern Cali- fornia Avhich will cost us $15,000 annually. The Commercial Fisheries Department must extend its laboratories and other facilities. If our upland birds which we propose to plant from our game farms are to thrive and multiply, it is absolutely necessary that game refuges be installed under a system similar to that of Pennsylvania. This is estimated to cost at least $175,000 per year for the purchase, posting and protection of land. Eventually this Commission must build up its own crews for the planting of fish. We can not expect sportsmen forever to loan us pack animals and men to carry fish to lakes and streams throughout the state, sometimes as far as the summit of the Sierra Nevada mountains. To establish such a system it is estimated that at least $100,000 will be required annually, and as I have said before, even now there is an TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 23 annual deficit of almost $100,000 wliich must be cared for in the increased license tax. From one end of the state to the other we are beseiged in late summer and fall with communications telling us of the drying up of streams and the stranding of trout. The Commission has no fish saving crew or outfit. One of our necessities is the installation of a mobile system which can proceed quickly to any such place, seine the fish, put them in cans and transport them to available waters. This will entail the employment of men and the purchase of equipment. We have neither available at the present time. The situation must be taken care of. The plans are M^orked out and if we can get our increased license tax Ave can cope with the situation. As our fine highways from year to year further extend into the .high mountains, it becomes increasingly apparent to our anglers that ViG. 2. Fish from California, iiatclit'rie.s being niuved from auto truck to mountain lake by members of tlie Grass Valley Sportsmen's Club, August ], 1925. there are numerous barren lakes and streams, and we in the Commis- sion realize that fact from the constant inquiries made to us calling our attention to lack of fish in many places. "We have at the present time one biologist working in the Fish Culture Department attempting to make a survey of all our lakes and streams. Other states have encountered the same problems and we find in reading their reports that they have set up entire departments to handle the situation, with a corps of trained assistants and adequate money. It is necessary to make a thorough biological survey of all lakes and streams to determine the species that thrive best there, and the plentitude or lack of proper fish food. This is a matter which will take years ; but as our nearby lakes and streams are becoming more and more 24 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. exhausted, it is apparent that we must eonf'entrat(; on the other por- tions of the state where fish can be planted and make the supply some- what approach the actual demand. It will be an expensive and a long process, but we are face to face with a crisis in our fishing conditions and we might as well face it right now. An adequate survey should be started immediately and we must secure the extra funds. It will cost at least $15,000 annually. In closing, the executive officer desires personally and on behalf of all his colleagues, to express to Governor Richardson and to you, Mr. Zellerbach, the president of the Commission, and to Mr. Connell and to Judge Clock, its members, and to all other employees of the Fish and Game Commission, our appreciation of your whole-hearted support and cooperation. What little success we may have attained in reorgan- izing the Commission has been due to the cooperation of the Governor and to the untiring work and energy both of the Commissioners and of every single member of the various departments and bureaus of the Commission. I have made it my task to travel over the state from north to south and from east to west to meet our deputies and others on the ground, to look into the various activities of the Commission and to get a first-hand comprehensive view of the situation. I am impressed by the splendid personnel which has been built up over a long period of years. I wonder at the self-sacrificing attitude of our deputies and other employees. It is incomprehensible that these men have stayed with the Commission from year to year on a salary less than that which is paid to the ordinary policeman upon his beat in the cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles. Our deputies are a fine, up-standing bunch of men, two-fisted fighters all, and men who have earned the respect and confidence of the districts in which they reside. We are all a happy family, working toward a common end, the conservation of our fish and game. Respectfully submitted. B. D. Marx Greene, Executive Officer TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 25 Fig. 3. Photograph of buck killed by mountain lion near Avery, Calaveras County. Lion hunter Bruce secured the culprit, a male mountain lion, a quarter of a mile fron; the kill. Photograph by Jay C. Bruce. 26 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. DEPARTMENTAL AND BUREAU REPORTS REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PATROL. By J. S. Hunter, Chief of Patrol. With the reorganizatiou of the Commission at the beginning- of the year 1926, a Department of Patrol was created. The entire patrol force with the exception of the salt water patrol, in southern Cali- fornia, was placed under one head, the chief of patrol. Previous to this, the state had been divided into three districts — San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacramento. The deputies in these districts were responsible to their superiors in the respective offices. In many instances it was found that the best results could not be secured through this system. There was a lack of cooperation between the districts and lack of uniformity in the enforcement of many laws. The change Avas made in order tliat better and closer cooperation might be obtained and the laws enforced uniformly throughout the entire state. Under the old sj^stem it was impossible to keep close track of the work of the individual deputies. In order that every man might be under closer supervision, the state has been divided into patrol districts, Avith a captain of patrol in charge of the men in his district. The captains have been selected with great care and only men with years of experience and excellent judgment have been appointed. These captains work under tlie direction of the chief of patrol and in every way are held responsible for conditions in their district. It has ])een found that the men appointed captains are perfectly willing to assume the added responsibility and there is a greater incentive for the patrol deputies to do their work effectively for they realize that in time they may be promoted. The boundaries of tlie patrol districts are at present more or less arbitrary and will be changed as experience shows necessary. In order to distinguish the patrol districts from the numbered fish and game districts, the former have been designated : northern California, Lassen, Sacramento Valley, Sacramento, San Francisco, northern San Joaquin, southern San Joaquin, southern California, Monterey, Sonoma and Humboldt. The very important district of San Francisco includes the bay and river patrol that was formerly carried on under the direction of the Department of Commercial Fisheries. It is believed that better enforcement of the laws will be had through the cooperation of the land and water patrol. In order that the chief might be relieved of a great deal of the routine office work so that he could spend more time in the field. Deputy S. R. Briggs, who had been doing patrol work in the San Joaquin TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 27 Valley, was promoted to assistant chief and transferred to the San Francisco office. Mr. Briggs' field experience and education makes him well qualified for his more responsible duties. Just before the close of the biennial period, a civil service examina- tion was held to establish an eligible list from which deputies of the Commission could be selected. It w^as found that approximately one- half of the deputies employed were wdthout civil service standing. Practically all of the men employed by the Commission passed the examination and v/ere given the protection of civil service regulations. In March, 1926, a convention of the deputies of the Commission was held in San Francisco. The men of the entire staff were brought logether and w'ere instructed by members of the Commission in their duties and informed regarding branches of our w'ork of which they had little knowledge. It is hoped that w^e will be able to hold other conventions in the future, as much good results from such gatherings. During the biennium deputies made a total of 1432 arrests for violations of the game laws and 1675 arrests for violations of the laws relating to fish. A total of $104,455 was assessed in fines together with 5098 days imprisonment. These figures show an average of over four arrests per day and an average income from fines for the fish and game protective fund of more than $143 for every day of the two- year period. These figures should show that wardens are on the alert for violations and that a determined effort is being made to adequately enforce the fish and game laws. The study of the diseases and the causes of the reduction in abund- ance of our various species of wild life has been more or less neglected by the Commission in the past. A bureau has now been planned within the Department of Patrol, that will make a study of diseases and con- ditions affecting game animals and birds. "We know that epidemics often cause a serious loss of life from time to time in domestic animals and that the study of these diseases has resulted in the saving of thousands of dollars. If the same methods, modified as necessity requires, can be adopted in controlling the diseases of ^^'y the experience of R. 0. Rampont of Ukiah. MY. Rampont in the spring of 1921 secured a black-tailed doe fawn. In the fall of the same .\ear, a buck was obtained and in the spring of 1922 another doe fawn. These animals were kept on his property in Ukiah in an enclosure covering somewhat less than half a city block. By the fall of 1925 from the start of two does and one buck, Mr. Rampont had a herd of sixteen deer. One of the does at the age of 15 months gave birth to a buck that was husky enough to grow forked horns instead of spikes the first year. This is more remakable when it is considered tliat tlie doe was only eight months old when mated. California is to be congratulated on the results of its deer conserva- tion. For over twenty years we have killed deer under a liberal season and limit. Many thousands of deer have been harvested each year. Notwithstanding this heavy toll, in most sections of the state, deer are as abundant as they were twenty-five years ago ; in fact, the residents in many sections claim that they are even more abundant. The deer 30 PISH AND GAME COMMISSION. law is as nearly ideal as it is possible to have a game law. When you can separate a distinct class of animals which hunters are allowed to kill and which, in practically all instances, can be easih^ distingnished from the protected class, you have a law that will insure the maximum protection and utilization. The protection of does, fawns and spike- bucks insures a constant supply. Forked horns and larger deer can be easily distinguished. As long as this law remains and is enforced, our supply of deer is going to continue. The danger lies in the killing of the protected class by careless hunters who shoot without knowing at what they are shooting. If a doe or spike buck is killed, they leave it to rot in the brush. Such violators are extremely diificult to appre- hend and can onh' be controlled by a considerable force of deputies throughout the entire deer section. Spotlight hunting has increased and is the greatest menace to the deer at this time. Such hunters will kill does, fawns and spikes. They work on the principle that they are violating the law anyway and another violation will not add greatly to the offense. It is extremely difficult to devise a law that can be enforced that will put a stop to this illegal work, but it is believed that if a statute is adopted prohibit- ing the carrying of uncased rifles and shotguns in automobiles at night in sections frequented by deer, that much of the night killing will be eliminated. Deer hunting witli dogs has been severely criticized by many con- servationists. There are many excellent arguments that can be made for and against the use of dogs in hunting. In most of the eastern states, dogs are prohibited. If it is deemed wise to further restrict the use of dogs, it might be well to consider a law that would provide that only small dogs be used. Such dogs would not be swift enough to catch, or large enough to kill a deer, but would be entirely satisfactory for "jump dogs" and for trailing Avounded animals that would other- wise be lost. The Work of the Commission in the control of mountain lions has brought out many interesting facts regarding the distribution of lions in our state. A bounty on lions has been paid for nineteen years. During that time, 468() lions have been killed. For the past eight years records have been kept of the number of each sex killed. These records show that 51 per cent of the lions killed have been males, and 49 per cent females. There is every reason to believe that we are slowly but surely getting the best of mountain lions in California and that the number of animals killed is slightly better than the normal increase; but assuming that it is only the increase and knowing that the normal litter is only two kittens and that the female lions whelp every two years, then assuming that 255, the average kill for the biennial period, represents 49 per cent of the lion population of the state, we estimate that the total number of lions in California is approximately 520. These figures are 10 per cent less than a similar estimate made five years ago. A study of the accompanying cut will show where lions have been most abund- ant during the last nineteen years. The greatest number of lions, 2630, have been killed in the northwestern portion of the state, and of that number nearly 1100 have been killed in the humid coast counties of Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte. It would seem from this that the lion is not like other cats — afraid of water. It is also interesting TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 31 to note that this section of the state is also the location of the greatest deer population. In the six southern counties only 254 lions have been killed, Avhile in tlie counties east of the Sierras, Modoc, Lassen, Mono and Inyo, only 47 lions have been killed. Contrary to the general belief, lions are not abundant in any part of the state. Each animal ^ '' Fig. 4. Map showing the number of mountain Uons killed in various districts of California. The north coast region furnished more than three times the number of lions taken in any other district. must liave a considerable range. The toll of deer taken by the lions in 1he state runs into the thousands. With the elimination of mountain lions, there will be many more deer for the hunters to harvest. The most encouraging evidence of the interest being taken in con- servation by the general public is tlie organization of fish and game clubs in every part of the state. There have been many live clubs in A'arious sections of the state in the past, but recently there has been a renewe.1 interest and clubs have been formed in practically every 82 PISH AND GAME COMMISSION. county and the membership at present numbers many thousands. The Fish and Game Commission has carried on practically a lone fight for many years. There has been considerable help given by individuals, and by the few clubs that were in existence, but with the active support of the new organizations and the sincere desire on their part to bring about better game and fish conditions, much more effective work can be carried on. Already the clubs formed have sponsored the appoint- ment of a considerable force of voluntary wardens who have been appointed as dollar-a-year men. These men will render valuable assistance to the regular deputies in their field work and will also be a great help in carrying out the educational Avork of the Commission to those who as yet do not realize that unless our conservation laws are enforced, the wild life of the state is doomed. It is only with the active support of every real sportsman that the Fish and Game C^ommission can do its best work. TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT, 33 REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF FISH CULTURE. By W. H. SiiEBLET, In Charge. In conformity with the regulations of the Fish and Game Commis- sion, lierewith is submitted the report of the Department of Fish Cul- ture for the biennium ending June 30, 1926. During the two seasons covered by this report, the department has liatched and distributed 59,524,700 trout and 34,157,150 salmon. The Fic. 5. Speedier transportation and better local service in fish distribution is being accomplished by the use of auto trucks, one of which is here shown. salmon eggs were all collected from the salmon egg-collection station at Klamathon on the Klamath River. During the biennial period we have operated sixteen hatcheries and twenty-one egg-collecting stations. Two fish distributing cars have been used to transport the fish from Mount Shasta and Mount Whitney hatcheries to the different sections of the state that are not supplied from the local hatcheries. The ever-increasing demand for fish to supply the depleted streams of California caused by the open season being entirely too long and the excessive fishing of the thousands of anglers who are fishing the streams from the opening day of the season until the season closes, has caused our hatcheries and egg-collecting stations to be operated to their fullest capacity, and yet has not pro- duced one-half enough fish to fill the demand made on the trout waters of the state. Before the advent of automobiles and good roads and trails, the majority of persons were satisfied with one or two trips to their favorite 3—48323 34 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. fisliing waters. Now there are thousands who make Aveek-end trips to places where they think they may catch a limit of fish, regardless of size. Many streams no longer contain spawners and the majority of the fish are caught out before they reach maturity or the breeding age, and the only fish found in such streams are the products of the hatcheries. The use of salmon eggs and the eggs of other species of fishes should be prohibited as the use of fish eggs as a bait is the easiest Avay to catch fish. It is unsportsmanlike, as all species of trout will devour eggs of other species as well as the eggs of their ov/n kind in preference to any other food, thus causing them to fall an easy prey to persons using eggs for liait. Nor is the use of eggs confined to the hook, but are also used to entice the fish to gather in large schools so that they can be taken with but little effort. In some places, persons, in their greed to take the fish in an unfair way, start in by using salmon or trout eggs to cause the trout to collect in large numbers. Then they take flavored canned products of the garden that are intended for human consump- tion and feed the trout at places where they usually gather to feed. The fish, not finding salmon eggs in quantities great enough to satisfy them, soon learn to feed on vegetable foods and are easily taken in great numbers to the detriment of those who are not so greedy but are willing to use a more sportsmanlike method in catching their fish. Such practice should be prohibited by law, particularly the use of fish eggs for bait or the use of eggs to attract the fish to congregate where they can be so easily taken. The large output of hatcheries did not more than meet one-half the demand for fish to supply the streams and lakes and stock the thousands of barren lakes in the high Sierra. Each season new trails are being constructed and new areas opened for the pleasure of the thousands wlio are seeking outdoor recreation. Therefore there is increasing need of stocking all barren waters with fish and with aquatic plants and insects to improve the food supply if fish are to be furnished for those wlio are desirous of angling as a pleasure, and for those who desire a certain amount of food of a kind that can not be obtained anywhere else. To meet these necessary demands on the Commission, more hatcheries must be established and lakes and streams reserved to furnish eggs for the hatcheries. But more important than these valuable sources of supply, pond systems for the rearing of brood stock must be established in several suitable locations in order to supply increased millions of eggs annually for our hatcheries. These pond systems should be built on the same general plan as that at ]\Iount Shasta Hatchery, where nearly one-third of the fish eggs in California are produced. Ponds for the raising of the spiney-rayed game fishes also should be constructed, so that several millions of young black bass and the different species of spiney-rayed fishes can be raised annually and distributed in suitable waters as trout are distributed. These recommendations have been made before by this department, but due to a lack of funds, these essential plans for the propagation and perpetuation of our game fishes have not been carried out. During the summer of 1924 an intensive campaign was carried on, known as Initiative Pleasure Number Eleven, to prevent the erection TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORl'. 35 of dams in the Klamath River or other obstructions that would inter- fere with the free passageway of the migratory fishes that ascend the river on their way to the spawning grounds and to the egg-collecting stations on the upper reaches of the Klamath River and tributaries. The pollution of the streams tributary to the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers by mining debris in the pioneer days and later, destroyed the spawning beds of the salmon and steelhead trout and thus broke up their runs in many of the streams. Then followed the erection of high (buns by hydro-electric power companies and the dams used for Fig. 6. Some Mackinaw trout from Lake Tahoe secured at a depth of 350 feet. During the past seasons large catches of Mackinaw trout have been made in tliis lake. Although originally planted in May, 1895, and taken occasionally since that time, these fish are being caught in increasing numbers in recent years. diversion and storage of water for irrigation. All this had a damaging effect on the migratory trout and salmon until approximately 90 per cent of the spawning areas in these two river systems have been cut off from the salmon or destroyed. From reliable data that Ave had obtained we were satisfied that it was for the best interests of the general public that the Klamath River should be set aside as a fish refuge from which a large number of salmon and trout eggs could be collected each season to furnish a supply of eggs to maintain the run of salmon in the Klamath River as well as to furnish trout eggs and salmon eggs for many of the rivers, lakes and streams in the state. This could be done without injury to the industrial development of the state. The promoters of the projects of constructing high dams for i)ower development were actuated by a desire to promote these plans without consideration of the great loss to the state of the wonderful run of anadromous fishes in the Klamath 36 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. River. Salmon can not pass through any fishway over extremely high dams, some 250 feet in height, in numbers sufficient to maintain the run. In fact the only means of passing the fish would be a mechanical contrivance which would be impracticable and in a few years, the run would be exterminated. If a run of spawning fish were passed over the dams there remains the danger that the fry resulting from the eggs deposited in natural spawning beds or reared at the hatcheries could not bo screened out of the intakes to the impulse wheels of the large power plants. The use of electric fish stops was advocated for this purpose. We had carried on experiments with electric fish stops and had found that various models were failures, as the tingling sensation caused by the low voltage only caused the fish to accelerate their speed and pass more rapidly down the canals where the experiments were tried. Where a high voltage was used, it killed the fish. These experi- ments were carried out by practical tests where control of the entire experiments was under the supervision of men interested in perfecting screens to save fish from destruction in large canals as well as by the persons who held interests in the patent. Protests were made to the Division of Water Rights and the Federal Power Commission against the granting of the rights to construct these (lams, but our efforts were unsuccessful. As a last resort the Fish and Oame Commission appealed to the people to support an initiative meas- ure instituted by the Commission and sportsmen and by all those interested in saving the Klamath River run of salmon from extermi- nation. The result was that the measure was carried by a majority of nearly 200,000 votes, thus saving the Klamath River as a fish reserve to the people. The eggs from the great run of trout and salmon may now be used to stock the Sacramento River and tributaries, Monterey Bay region and ocean areas off the shore from Fort Bragg as well as to furnish millions of trout eggs to supply other streams and lakes in this state with the wonderful trout from the Klamath region. This measure has secured for the people, a valuable asset to our natural resorces without any damage to the industrial development of the state, as there is hydro-electric power enough developed or in the process of being developed, to furnish electric power for all the needs of the state for many years to come. Other streams remain not so valuable to the fish life and these should, be utilized before destroying natural resources difficult to replace. TROUT AND SALMON DISTRIBUTION. The following species of trout have been distributed from the hatch- eries during the biennial period covered by this report. Rainbow 26,771,373 Larse Lake 2,540,820 Loch Leven 11,236,504 Cut-throat 400,000 Steelhead 5,926,900 Black-spotted l,322,20o Eastern Brook 6,799,808 (iolden 838,000 Jklackioaw 75,000 Salmon 14,157,150 German Brown 3,614,000 The excessive fishing, both in our river systems and ocean areas, has greatly reduced the number of valual)le food fish that formerly entered our rivers in teeming hordes. The unusually dry fall seasons that have TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 37 preA^ailed for a niiinber of years past, have also prevented salmon on the upper reaches of the Sacramento River from reaching the government liatcheries on Battle and Mill creeks in their usual numbers. The obstruction caused by the dam of the Anderson-Cottonwood Irrigation District has caused the greatest destruction to the Sacramento River salmon run, as it not only prevents the salmon from reaching the spawn- ing grounds on the Pit River and tributaries during the summer and fall, but prevents the run from passing into the McCloud River, where the United States Bureau of Fisheries could collect eggs for propaga- tion. A small number ascends the river in the early spring before the splash boards are placed on the dam and these reach the McCloud River where a small number of eggs are collected in comparison with the number collected and hatched years ago at Baird, the oldest Chinook salmon station in the world, which has been operated by the United States Fish Commission since 1872. Surveys have been made for an up-stream type of fishway that would easily allow the salmon that reached this dam free passageway up the river, but the directors of the irrigation district pei-sistently refused to construct a fishway, maintaining from the start that a fishway was not necessary. This has been a matter of controversy between the Fish and Game Commission and the irrigation district directors. The Com- mission asked for an injunction to restrain the irrigation district from using the dam to obstruct the run of salmon in January, 1921, before Judge McDaniels who was presiding over the Shasta County superior court bench in place of the local judge who was incapacitated through illness. But owing to a conflict of testimony a court decision was not obtained. The court upheld the fishway law, but decided to make a personal investigation during the next run of salmon before giving a final decision. In the meantime, an election had been held and another judge elected to take the place of the judge who was deceased. During 1922, the Commission commenced another action to restrain the district from using the dam until an adequate fishway was built, but a compromise was agreed upon between the Fish and Game Commis- sion and the directors of the irrigation district, w^hereby a series of experiments of different type fishways were to be carried on to deter- mine whether a passageway for the salmon could be made by removing certain sections of the splash boards, or if this failed, to construct a box- like structure to form a pool so that the salmon could pass the dam. To this date, June 30, 1926, nothing has come of these experiments. Plans are under way to bring this matter to a final decision and we expect to have the matter settled before the salmon ascend the river this fall. In the meantime, the valuable salmon run is being reduced each season, because an adequate fishway has not been built. • The majority of the salmon eggs collected from the Klamath River have been hatched at Mount Shasta Hatchery and the resulting finger- ling salmon and fry distributed in the upper reaches of the Sacramento River. But if we are to keep enough salmon in the Sacramento River and Monterey Bay region to furnish the markets with a fair supply of these fish, we must use every effort to allow all the salmon possible to ascend the Klamath River. To attain this end anything that will tend to reduce the number of spawning salmon from ascending to the upper reaches of the river must be prohibited. The use of spears, not only in 38 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. the Klamath River but throughout the whole state, for the taking of any species of fishes should be stopped. Spearing fish is unsportsman- like and in most eases is a wanton waste, as many fishes are taken, particularly salmon, that after examination, are found to be spawners and unfit for food and are thrown away and other fish caught that are fresh run and do not show evidence of having been taken from the spawning beds. The number of salmon eggs collected from the traps at Klamathon during the last two seasons was 15,670,000, considerably less than half of the annual take of 1923. We refer again to the recommendations made in our reports concern- ing the Chinook salmon in 1922-1924. "The Fish and Game Commis- sion is waging an unhill fight when it comes to conservation, as the people do not realize the destruction of Avild life until it is too late." Recommendations for the better protection of the salmon on their migrations to the spawning grounds, the prevention of the use of spears and practical and scientific methods of operating our hatcheries must ])e given the attention of everyone who desires to see this valuable fish preserved from extermination. MOUNT SHASTA HATCHERY. The efficient work and general operations of the Mount Shasta Hatchery and its auxiliary stations has continued through the present biennial period. The total number of trout hatched and distributed from this hatchery during the last two years ending June 30, 1926, was 34,818,516. The total number of salmon hatched and distributed was 6,103,000. The total number of trout eggs collected from the ponds at this hatchery during the two seasons covered by this report was 22,683,000. This number with the additional number of trout eggs shipped from outside stations makes a grand total of 38,226,000 trout eggs. During the summer of 1925, the Commission had a deficiency appro- priation made for the improvement and repairs of Mount Shasta Hatchery which had become greatly in need of repairs. The buildings were getting old and dilapidated, the pond walls needed relining, flumes were rotted and in a bad state. It was recommended that improvements should include : replacement by iron pipes ; w^ooden tanks replaced by concrete; holding ponds relined; a new^ sew^er system installed; the old hydro-electric plant replaced b.y a modern one; installation of a refrigerating plant for the manufacture of ice and for keeping the temperature at the proper degree in the cooling room Avhere tlie fish food is kept ; new foundations under hatcheries A and B ; rustic ])laced on hatcheries C and D ; ceiling of the walls and over- head of hatcheries C and E ; installation of new hatching troughs in Hatchery E, construction of new iron fence around the grounds and a concrete walk from the hatchery grounds to the county road. Hatchery D was in such bad condition that it was decided to tear it down and construct a new and larger building on another site. These plans Avere all approved by the Board of Fish and Game Commissioners and after the estimates were made up, the Governor set aside $52,068.37 for these improvements, which at this date, June 30th, are being made. The Department of Public Works handled the funds as provided by TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 39 law, but the Avork was carried on under the supervision of the Depart- ment of Fish Culture of the Fish and Game Commission. When the repairs and improvements are completed, Mount Shasta Hatchery will be one of the largest if not the largest trout hatchery in the country, Mnd will have a sufficient capacity to care for all the salmon eggs and resulting fry that can be shipped from the Klamathon station. During the fall of 1924, a new spawning house was built to take the place of the old building used for this purpose. The old building was in a bad state of decay and a new one was necessary. The new building is well lighted and convenient in all its arrangements, being a dupli- cate of the old spaAvning house that had been in use for twenty years. Owing to the number of persons camping and throAving rubbish, and otlier contaminating matter into the Avaters of Spring Creek before reaching the hatchery diversion, it Avas deemed necessary to drive an artesian Avell near the pumping plant that furnishes the domestic supply to tlie hatchery cottages and superintendent's residence. At a deptli of 42 feet a floAV of pure water was struck that floAved con- tinuously 19 inches above the 2|-inch pipe that lined tlie Avell. This supply is forced into a tank and used as a domestic supply for all the buildings on the hatchery grounds. During 1924 a ucav shipping can storage house AVas constructed 24 feet b.A' 42 feet. It is made of corrugated iron roof and sides. A steam boiler Avas installed so that all the cans used at the hatchery can be sterilized by steam under pressure, thus keeping them sanitary and free from bacteria. Consequently Avhen they leaA'e the hatchery loaded Avith fish, there can be no chance of tish being affected from foul cans or of contracting disease that may cause the death of fish after planting. It being necessary to have more room in the hatcheries at the time the salmon fry are SAvimming u]i and before they arc ready to be deposited in the rearing ponds, three -ncAV ponds Avere built for this purpose during the fall of 1925. They are 40 feet long, 9 feet wide and 30 inches deep. The same fall a new roof was placed on the barn, and roads on the hatchery grounds as Avell as the road leading to the hatchery grounds from the country road, AA"ere graveled. The stock of brood fish in the ponds have all been in good condition during the last two years, except the eastern brook trout. Approxi- mately 40 per cent of the eastern brook, on coming to nuiturity, could not be spaA\^ned as the eggs in the ovaries only partially developed. The eggs Avere found to be dead Avhen the fish Avere opened for dissec- tion though the females remained fat and healthy. The eggs became caked and Avould not slough or pass from the ovaries, but gradually shrivelled up, forming a mass of closely connected eggs that were not supplied the proper circulation to alloAV them to ripen. This condi- tion has never happened before in the history of fishcultural opera- tions in this state and Ave fail to find any mention of a similar condi- tion in any of the pathological reports pertaining to the diseases of fishes. No trouble was experienced until Ave began to raise brood stock from commercial hatchery eggs that were purchased outside the state. We are of the opinion that this condition may be due to the fact that the majority of the eggs from commercial hatcheries are taken from very young fish and the continual breeding of these immature fish has lowered the vitality of the stock so that this condition is brought 40 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. about. This condition should have a close scientific investigation, which Ave hope to make in the near future. In former years we had mature fish from two to six years and even older and always had perfect eggs that produced strong, healthy eggs and fish. We do not state posi- tively that the continual breeding of young fish will produce the results mentioned above, but as soon as possible, we shall raise our own stock fish as in former years. The predatory birds and animals have taken quite a number of brood fish during the last two years. Three otters were trapped on the hatchery grounds during the summer of 1925. A constant watch must be kept by the hatchery crew to guard against the predatory animals and birds that are constantly attracted to the ponds by the large number of fish contained in them and by the ease with which they can be caught. FALL CREEK HATCHERY AND POND SYSTEM. The Fall Creek Hatchery has been operated to its capacity during the period covered by this report. Improvements were made by construct- ing a new concrete settling tank from which a 12-inch iron pipe con- veys the water to the hatchery and by installing 116 new hatching troughs. They are of a new standard size. The hatching troughs are now arranged so that each trough receives an independent supply of water. This arrangement is especially desirable at this hatchery owing to the large amount of mud and sediment carried in the water during certain periods of the year. The number of trout hatched and distributed from tliis station during the ' bieunium was 888,000. The number of salmon hatched and reared in the ponds before being distributed in the Klamath River during this period was 7,556,000. (The resulting fry taken during the fall of 1925 have not all been distributed at this date, so Avill not be reported on until our next biennial report.) HORNBROOK EGG-COLLECTING STATION. We arc planning to move this station farther down the creek for several reasons : First, tlie distance from the Klamath River to the trap is approxi- mately two miles and a great many of the trout find spawning beds below the rack and do not enter the trap. As a consequence, a less number of eggs are taken than would be the case if the trap was located farther down the stream. This condition was known when we located at the present site, but we did not have money enough to construct a permanent station at that time as the formation of the creek bottom necessitated a considerable outlay of money to construct racks that would stand the floods during the spring months. With the money now available by the deficiency appropriation we can move the racks and traps and if we are fortunate in getting some assistance from some one owning teams in that section, we can move the cottage for the help, tanks, etc., on skids, to the new location. Second, the great number of fish that find spawning beds below the rack are a great temptation to the law violators who spear many of the spawners each season. By moving nearer the mouth, this destruc- tion will be eliminated. TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 41 Third, the spawning season in Cottonwood Creek is later than in other streams in that region and the water is generally diverted for irrigation before our egg collecting work is over, so by moving down this stream, we have an opportunity to operate several days longer each season. The total number of eggs collected from this station during the last two years was 2,225,000. CAMP CREEK EGG-COLLECTING STATION. No changes have been made at tliis station and none will be required for several years, as everything was put in good condition several years ago and should not require any extra expense to keep the traps in order unless damaged by floods. The total number of eggs collected from this station in the last two seasons was 3,000,000. BEAVER CREEK EGG-COLLECTING STATION. Beaver Creek is one of the large tributaries of the Klamath River, entering the river about eighteen miles west of Hornbrook. Its drain- age basin covers a large area and years ago it had one of the largest runs of salmon and trout of any of the tributary streams of the upper Klamath region, but like the river and all its tributaries, the excessive fishing, carried on through an altogether too long open season and the destruction of the spawners by the use of spears and other means has greatly reduced the run of fish in the Klamath as well as in all of its tributaries. There is less than 40 per cent of fish in the river than there was thirty years ago. While there is a large run in the river compared with other streams in California, there has been gradual reduction in numbers, particularly during the last few years since the road was built down the river from Hornbrook to Martin's Ferry. Before this road was built the only fish taken were by local residents. Now they are fished for by thousands of persons and if the season is not shortened, the trout in the Klamath River will soon be so greatly reduced in numbers that there will not be any better fishing than there is in other coast streams that have all been depleted. During the spring of 1925 a trap was installed in Beaver Creek. Conditions were unfavorable, owing to extremely low water followed by flood conditions that made the operation of the traps uncertain and the results were not as good as were anticipated. In the spring of 1926 we were more successful and a large run of trout entered the creek, but owing to the size of the creek and the great flood of water that came down at several times during the latter part of March and up to the 15th of April when the w^arm rains were melt- ing the snow on the upper reaches of the creek, the flood waters could not be controlled with the temporary racks and traps. However, enough were caught and the run studied to demonstrate that there is a large run of trout that enters this creek each spring. So plans were made for a permanent trap and egg-collecting station and the work will be completed early this coming fall so as to be in a position to catch next season's run of trout. The plans for this station consist of concrete 42 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. piers to support a splash-board dam with an approach to the tank trap, cottage for the help, and tanks to hold the spawning fish. The egg take at this station during 1925 was 170,000 and during 1926, 577,000. BOGUS CREEK EGG-COLLECTING STATION. There have been no material improvements at this station during the last two years. When funds are available, we recommend that a con- crete dam and tank trap be installed in this creek, as during periods of extreme floods in the spring months a great many fish escape up the creek that could be caught if a properly arranged trap was built. The total number of eggs collected at this station during ~ the last two years was 4,850,000. SHACKLEFORD CREEK EGG-COLLECTING STATION. In the spring of 1925, this station was opened as an experimental egg-collecting station in an effort to collect more rainbow trout eggs from the Klamath River tributaries. A rack and trap was constructed and a cabiii and living quarters for help built. Shackleford Creek is sub.iect to sudden raises as are nearly all the Klamatli River tributaries. Considerable difficulty was experienced during the first season owing to high water, but a fair number of eggs was collected. The station was improved during the spring of 1926 and with the sum set aside for permanent improvements, this station will yield a good take of eggs annually. The total luimber of eggs collected during the two seasons this station has been in operation was 3,000,000. MOUNT WHITNEY HATCHERY. Mount Whitney Hatchery has kept up its reputation of being one of the best hatcheries on the coast. While it does not compare with Mount Shasta Hatchery in regards to output and size, it turns out annually several millions of fine trout for stocking the Avaters of southern California as well as the region as far north as the Mono County line. In addition it furnishes golden trout for the Cottonwood Lake section and other streams and lakes in the southern high Sierra, the only place where the golden trout seem to thrive. With the ever- increasing demand for more trout to plant in the streams and lakes of the eastern slope of the Sierra where thousands of persons from southern California find their recreation grounds and en.joy the fishing in this region, this hatchery is not large enough to supply the demands made on it and as soon as funds are available Mount Whitney Hatchery should have an annex built on to it to double its capacity or another hatchery established on one of the streams in that section where the management of the Mount Whitney Hatchery could have supervision over it. All auxiliary or small hatcheries that are located in districts where the physical conditions are practically the same, that is, regard- ing climate, topography, stream and lake conditions, should in our .iudgment, be under one management. The foreman and crews should receive their orders directly from the superintendent in charge after the details of each season's work are given out by the head of the TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 43 department. This system has been in vooue for the last several years at our different hatcheries and we find that we obtain better results at less expense than where there is a foreman working independently at each of the smaller stations. We respectfully recommend that the first money available for hatch- cry construction after the Kaweah Hatchery is built, be set aside for enlarging the liatchery capacity for this region by either building an annex to the Mount Whitney Hatchery or by the construction of a new station on one of the near-by streams as an auxiliary to Mount Whitney Hatchery. The output of Mount Whitney Hatchery for the biennial period ending June 30, 1926, was 7,177,000. COTTONWOOD LAKES EGG-COLLECTING STATION. This station is used for the purpose of collecting golden trout that are conveyed to Mount Whitney Hatchery where the resulting fry are distributed in the lakes and streams of the eastern slopes of the Sierra and in keeping up the supply of fish in the Cottonwood Lakes that are fished excessively each season. During the winter, surveys were made and negotiations entered into with persons owning the land at the mouth of Tuttle Creek with the object of establishing a golden trout liatchery near the town of Lone Pine. The citizens lent every aid ])ossible and were very enthusiastic over the plan, but one of the persons owning land, that was of little or no value at the mouth of the creek, refused to sell or lease the site so the project had to be abandoned for the present. The plan was to collect the eggs of the golden trout from Cottonwood Lakes and convey them to the new hatchery where they could be hatched with other species and thus relieve the Mount Whit- ney Hatchery and increase the output of the fish to be planted on the eastern slopes of the southern Sierra. The total number of golden trout eggs collected from Cottonwood Lakes during the last two seasons was 900,000. RAE LAKES EGG-COLLECTING STATION. Rae Lakes Station was operated during the season of 1924 and approximately 400,000 eggs collected. Rae Lakes is a fish and game refuge as well as all waters lying south of Fin Dome and all waters flowing into this portion of the lake and all waters flowing into these lakes lying within the sixty lake basin and all waters flowing from said lakes into the south fork of Woods Creek in Fresno County. These streams and lakes should be closed to fishing as a larger number of rain- boAV trout eggs can be collected if the law is strictly enforced and all fish- ing prohibited. When this refuge was first established, the fish were found to be in poor condition and only yielded a small number of eggs to each spawning fish owing to the lack of food in the lakes. The altitude is 10,700 feet above sea level and the land as well as the aquatic insects were very scarce. When this condition was discovered, arrangements were made by the Department of Fish Culture to introduce scuds or gammarus with the aquatic plants on which they feed. This plant of fresh water crustaceans with the aquatic plants, made during the sum- mer of 1920, has proven to be a great success, as the scuds have increased 44 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. in such numbers that the fish have an abundance of food and are increasing in size as well as producing a greater and better quality of eggs. With these improved conditions, we recommend that the lakes be posted early next season and all fishing prohibited in District No. 26, so as to allow the fish to increase in numbers great enough to furnish a good portion, if not enough eggs, to supply Mount AVhitney Hatchery. TAHOE HATCHERY. The Tahoe Hatchery has been operated since the spring of 1921. Owing to the extremely cold water and the small amount of dissolved oxygen in the water the growth of the frv^ is very slow. While they remain as healthy as the average fry in hatcheries, they lack the vitality and do not develop as they do in water where there is a great amount of dissolved oxygen. A plan was made to construct a pond where the water of the springs could be collected and where aquatic plants could grow and where the water would be exposed to the warming rays of the sun and to conduct the water from the pond through an aerating system so that when it reached the hatchery the temperature would be higher and the water w^ould contain a greater amount of oxygen. Funds were provided for these improvements and the plans are made, so that the work will be finished early this fall. The number of fish distributed from this station in the last two years was 1,885,000. BLACKWOOD CREEK TANK SYSTEM. It was decided at a meeting held in Tahoe City during September, 1925, that a sj^stem of tanks was to be built on Blackwood Creek where fry could be held until late in the fall, or over winter if deemed neces- sary, so that they could get the benefit of the water from Blackwood Creek where the temperature was higher and the oxygen content greater, thus giving the fish a better chance to develop. Plans for these tanks have been made and the ponds set aside for the construction of these tanks and water supply. Work will be started during July and rushed to an early completion, so that several hundred thousand fry maj' be placed in the tanks in charge of an experienced fisheulturist in order that they may receive the proper care. TALLAC HATCHERY. This station has been operated as in former years. Eggs were col- lected from the Taylor Creek, Upper Truckee River, and Blackwood Creek traps and transported to this station to be eyed and a portion of them hatched in this hatchery. The remainder were removed to the Tahoe Hatchery, as the water in the Tahoe Hatchery, after July 15th, is better suited for hatching eggs and raising the fish than at Tallac. After the middle of July the water from Taylor Creek, from which stream the hatchery receives its supply, is not suitable for hatchery purposes, but in the spring and early summer this hatchery is an important station for the purpose of eyeing the eggs collected from the auxiliary station or traps, and hatching the first eggs for local distri- bution. The interior of the building was overhauled and new troughs installed in the fall of 1924. The exterior and cottage should be painted TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 45 and new fence built around the grounds when funds are available for this purpose. The number of eggs collected in 192-1 from Ward Creek Avas 550,000, from Taylor Creek, 455,000, and from Blackwood Creek, 590,000. The number collected in 1925 from Taylor Creek was 135,000, from Black- wood Creek, 590,000. UPPER TRUCKEE RIVER EGG-COLLECTING STATION. This station was improved and structure of the trap made permanent during the season. of 1925. Permanent cribs were placed in the river and the racks and apron made of better material. A cabin for the help was built and everything arranged in good order for the work during the spring of 1926. The run of fish in the stream is not as great as in former years, for the same condition that has caused a shortage of fish in all the tributary streams of Lake Tahoe, as well as in the lake, applies to the whole Tahoe basin. Destruction of the spawn fish over a period of many years by market fishermen and the excessive fishing of the small fish in the tributary streams before they have a chance to enter the lake and develop are the causes of shortage. More will be written on this subject later on in this report. There was collected during the spring of 1926 approximately 500,000 eggs of the large lake trout at this station, which was a good take con- sidering the unfavorable weather conditions that prevailed in the Tahoe basin last spring. UKIAH HATCHERY. In January, 1924, a new lease for the Ukiah Hatchery for a period of five years was procured from the trustees of the town of Ukiah. New troughs were installed and the hatchery put in a good state of repair to carry on the work until such time as a new hatchery can be built where there is a larger supply of water to be had. The water supply is getting less each season, due to forest fires denuding the water-shed as well as the effects of the dry seasons on all Gibson Creek and in fact all streams in the state. A new site will be selected where there will be an abundance of water and one which will be centrally located, so that the streams of Mendocino, Lake and Sonoma counties may be stocked from one hatchery and thus save the overhead expense of oper- ating several small stations. During the biennial period 1,181,765 trout were planted from this hatchery. SNOW MOUNTAIN EGG-COLLECTION STATION. This station is located below Cape Horn dam on the South Eel River and before the construction of Lake Pillsbury, furnished several mil- lions of steelhead eggs each season. During light or even normal rain- fall, the water is held back by this lake to such an extent that it seriously effects the ascent of the fish in South Eel River. During 1925 and 1926, the number of eggs collected at this station was far below the average. During the spring of 1925, we not only had a shortage of water in the main stream, but an epidemic broke out among the spawn- 46 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. ing fish and a large number of them died before reaching the trap. Likewise trouble was experienced in the holding pens. This epidemic was brought on by the low stage of the water during the season of 1924, which did not allow the spawning steelhead to return to the ocean as is their habit. Many of them were confined in large pools on the lower reaches of the river, where they remained in the warm water during the entire season. Their vitality was greatly reduced, and when they attempted to ascend to their spawning grounds on the upper reaches of the river, they were easy victims to leeches and bacterial infections. The loss was so great that we did not get more than 25 per cent of the eggs that should have been taken had it not been for these conditions. In the spring of 1926, Lake Pillsbury did not fill up in time to allow the steelhead to ascend in their usual numbers and there was not suffi- cient water allowed to pass the dam to provide for the amount necessary for successful operations at Snow ]\Tountain Station. We are hoping that the coming season will ])e one of copious rainfall, so that the fish can ascend the stream early and that arrangements can be made with the company to allow a sufficient flow of water to keep the fish in good order in the tanks as well as to give them free passageway through the fishway to the trap. FORT SEWARD HATCHERY. There has been a very successful output of fish from this liatchery and considerable repairs and replacement work done. Much of this w^ork has been accumulating, as a shortage of funds did not allow the making of all repairs when necessary. We had to wait until the foreman and his crew could do this work between the period of hatch- ing trout and before the salmon eggs were received. A large fir tree that liad been considered safe, fell and wrecked 60 feet of the hatchery roof, a portion of the loading platform and the tram conveyor system Avhich necessitated immediate repairs. Fortunately this occurred at a time when there were only a few thousand fish in the building and there was no loss. One hundred feet of new flume has been built and perforated zinc plate screens have been purchased, an electric alarm system installed between the foreman's cottage and the hatchery, a new overshot water wheel has been built to operate the liver and feed grinding machine and a holding pond for fry has been built in the creek, but more money must be available for the improvement of this creek pond or a new site must be selected if the fish are to be held any great length of time. Probably a series of tanks could be installed that would give better results than ponds built in the creek, particularly as the many boulders and steepness of the river makes it difficult to install the ponds and care for the fish. When funds are available, tanks such as have been built at Blackwood Creek at Lake Tahoe would give better results. The fish make such a rapid development at this station that it hardly seems necessary to recommend a holding pond system to be connected with this hatchery. The grounds around the foreman's cottage have been improved by the construction of a new fence, a new distributing tank has been built and 90 new troughs built and placed in position. Other repairs and improvements have been made, but in addition to all this a bridge should be built between the hatchery and the railroad and a truck TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 47 for the hauling- of fish purchased so that the fish can be delivered by truck from the hatchery to the railroad and supplies carried to the station. The tram system should be abolished. This is very important. The foreman of Fort Seward Hatchery is to be commended for his untiring efforts to make a success of the work under these very poor conditions. AVhen the hatchery was built, there were roads leading to Alderpoint from the hatchery as well as to the railroad. The bridges rotted and gave way and high water in the creek carried them away. Funds were not available at the time to make all these repairs, so a tramway with a skip or carrier, operated by a gasoline engine was instalh'd which has been the only means of conveying supplies to the hatchery and the fish to the railroad. This condition has existed for the last five years. It takes over an hour to deliver 15 cans of fisli to the railroad "by the slow process of conveying on the tramway and then onto a car placed on rails. WJien going to points south of the Ftg. 7. The Grass Valley Sportsmen's Association loading trucks with flsh at the railroad depot. Rapid transportation from the flsh car to the stream has minimized loss in fish planting. hatchery, a haiul cart is used from the end of the short car track to a platform so that the cans may be loaded onto the trains. To overcome all these primitive and out of date arrangements for transportation, the road should be rebuilt between the hatchery and the railroad, a bridge put across the creek and a truck purchased. There should also be a bridge built across Fort Seward Creek above the hatchery to replace one washed and rotted away several years ago, so that the crew can g'o by earth road to Alderpoint for supplies. An approximate estimate for these bridges and road work would be $2,000. Any good make of truck would answer the purpose for hauling;. It will take at least $4,000 to put this station in such a position that the old primitive and nerve trying way of handling supplies can be discarded. Besides the above mentioned improvements, there should be some work done on the troughs, a new feed preparing room should be built, a large ice box built, some repairs to the foreman's dwelling are 48 FISH AXD GAME COMMISSION. needed, and an electric lighting plant installed that can be operated with gas engine. All these improvements wonld aggregate between $5,000 and $6,000. This hatcherj'- is very important in keeping the streams of northern Mendocino, Hnmboldt and western Trinity counties stocked with fish and it is earnesth' recommended that the bridge and truck be furnished as soon as possible and all the other improvements made as soon as the funds are available. During the past biennial period this station has distributed 498,150 salmon, 3,783,620 rainbow, 1,582,700 steelhead, 108,920 large lake, ] 60,000 cut-throat, 200,000 black-spotted trout. BROOKDALE HATCHERY. All the eggs collected during the last two years from Scott Creek have been held and eyed at Brookdale Hatchery. The number of fish produced from this hatcherj^ average in number approximately the same as in other years. In regards to this station, we make tlie same recommendations as were made in our last biennial report as con- ditions have not improved, but continue to grow worse. Quoting from our last report : ' ' Owing to the increasing demand for water from Alba and Clear Creeks ^Vhich supply the summer residents who have cottages at Brookdale and the drought which has prevailed in this section, and other causes, we deem it advisable to procure more land adjacent to or near the land already owned by the state at Scott Creek Station and construct a modern hatchery with a capacity great enough to supply, trout to the counties of Santa Cruz, Monterey and Santa Clara. The land held under lease at Brookdale should be held for the use of holding ponds under the supervision of the foreman of the new Big Creek Hatchery when completed. ' ' The total number of frv distributed from Brookdale Hatcherv during the seasons of 1924 and ^1925 was 1,445,000. SCOTT CREEK EGG-COLLECTING STATION. The number of spawn fish at this station has fallen ott' considerably during the season of the spring of 1926. In 1925, approximately 3,000,000 eggs were collected from Scott Creek which is the annual average take of eggs at this station. During the winter of 1925, repairs and improvements were made at this station. The conditions of the stream were favorable for an average take of eggs in the spring of 1926, but only 1,300,000 were collected. In the opinion of our fore- man at Brookdale as well as others, the numbers of fish are being greatly depleted by the loss of small fish at the pumping plants located on this creek, Avhicli in our opinion should not have been allowed to be installed as the creek was set aside by an act of the legislature as a fish refuge. Consequently we do not believe anyone had a right to appropriate the water for other purposes. There has been no effort made to prevent fishing in the creek. Poachers have worked on the stream, both in and out of season and the deadly and destructive spear has been used. We are planning to have a watchman employed by the year to patrol the creek and protect the fish at all times and enforce the law against fishing in Scott Creek. It is hoped that by doing this and by stocking the stream heavily and having the pumping plants properly screened, to restore this creek to its former condition. TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 49 CLEAR CREEK HATCHERY. This station has been operated to its capacity during' the last two seasons. The usual repairs liaA'e been made. The total number of rainbow trout eggs collected at this station during the biennial period was 3,000,000. The number of fish distributed was 1,359,462. WARNER CREEK TRAP. This trap was operated as usual and the eggs taken were sent to Domingo Springs where they w'ere eyed and part of them shipped to other stations, the remainder being hatched and distributed from tlie Domingo Springs Hatchery. DOMINGO SPRINGS HATCHERY. Til is station has been operated during the last biennial period as in former years, except that the number of spawning fish are getting less owing to the same conditions that are affecting all the streams tributary to Lake Almanor, and that is excessive fishing. To improve conditions at Clear Creek, Domingo Springs and Warner Creek egg-taking stations and hatcheries, we recommend that a large hatchery with a capacity of not less than 3,000,000 fish be established on one of the tributaries of Lake Almanor and that all the eggs collected from Clear Creek, Warner Creek, Rice Creek, and Butt Creek be liatched in one centrally located hatchery where the fish will thrive better and can be better cared for with less expense than where so many small stations situated so near each other are operated. The Red River Lumber Company has offered the state a site for a large hatchery on the northwest shore of the lake where an abundant supply of water from the North Fork of the Feather River is available for hatchery purposes and for a pond system. A stock of brood fish to furnish eggs for the hatchery when the number of spawn fish in Lake Almanor is reduced is desirable to keep this lake supplied with an adequate number of fish to furnish fishing for the many anglers who frequent this lake each season. Lake Almanor can be kept well supplied with trout if adequate plans for keeping it stocked are taken in time. This station planted 1,844,722 fish in the last two seasons. BUTT CREEK EGG-COLLECTING STATION. Racks and traps were built across Butt Creek in the spring of 1926 near its junction to the outlet of the Lake Almanor tunnel about two miles from Butt Valley Reservoir, but owing to a heavy flood during April, the racks were so badly damaged that the fisli escaped and no eggs were collected. A cabin was also constructed for the help. It is planned to improve the racks another season by building a crib in the stream and by using heavier timbers. PINE CREEK EGG-COLLECTING STATION. An attempt was made to collect eggs of the large rainbow trout that ascend Pine Creek from Eagle Lake, but it was found that owing to the light fall of snow that melted so rapidly, that the stream did not 4—48323 50 PISH AND GAME COMMISSION. keep lip long enough for the crew to determine wliether or not the run of fish in tliis creelc will justify further expense in an attempt to collect eggs. FEATHER RIVER HATCHERY. After carrying on experimental work at this station in 40 troughs under a tent, conditions were found favorable for establishing a per- manent hatchery at this place. A lease for a period of 25 years was procured from W. A. Adams. Plans were made and during the fall of 1924 a hatchery containing 60 troughs was constructed and a cottage for the help and a dwelling for the foreman built. This station is located 4 miles from Clio on the Western Pacific Railroad and is only a short distance from the Gold Lake region where there is a number of fine mountain lakes that require stocking each season as well as the streams tributary to the Middle Fork of the Feather River, streams in Sierra Valley and surrounding country and the region along the North Fork of the Yuba River. The hatchery has turned out a fine lot of fish. Tlie only improve- ments of any consequence at this station will be the laying of a two- inch pipe line this fall from the settling tank to Mr. Adams' residence as the water from the hatchery flows into the domestic supply and a supply of pure water must be furnished Mr. Adams' residence. From tliis hatchery 2,086,100 fish were planted during the biennial period. BEAR LAKE HATCHERY. During 1925, operations were started during March by installing the traps in the creeks tributary to Bear Lake. At the opening of the season conditions did not appear to be favorable for a large take of eggs, but as the season advanced, conditions improved and Bear Lake furnished its usual supply of eggs. Of the 5,700,000 eggs collected, 2,700,000 of these were shipped to other streams, 2,000,000 hatched at Bear Lake Hatchery and 1,000,000 at North Creek Hatchery. Reports have been circulated for many years by the resort owners and others that Bear Lake rainbow trout were being exterminated. These figures show conclusively that the system under which we are working at Bear Lake can not be improved. The lake is one of the best examples of fishcultural success in this state or any other state, when the excessive fishing of thousands from Los Angeles and other parts is taken into consideration and the fact that there are thousands of predatory bass in the lake and that all the tributary streams dry up before the middle of July and that all the trout in Bear Lake are the result of artificial propagation and distribution. The fish are held in the hatchery until the lowering temperature and cold weather drives the large trout and bass into the deeper parts of the lake, then the small fish from the hatchery are distributed in the shallows along the shores where they have an abundance of food. By the following spring, these young fish work into the deep water at a time when the bass and large trout are coming toward the shores to find breeding places. This system has been kept up for the last six or eight years and the results can not be equalled or surpassed by any system in the country. Improvements were made during the season of 1925 by moving the cabin, remodeling and relining it and painting it on the interior and I'WENTY-NINTH BIEiSTNIAL REPORT. 51 exterior surfaces. The troughs, baskets and other paraphernalia were overhauled and painted, wood cut for the coming season and the trucl< OA^erhauled during the winter. During 1926, egg-collecting operations were begun in March. At the time this work was started there was no water flowing in any of the creeks, but there was about two feet of snow on the ground. The traps had to be dug out of the snow. Four traps were operated as soon as tlie melting snow started the streams floAving. A heavy rain storm in April washed the traps out, liberating a great many of the fish. The traps were replaced and there were collected and eyed ready for hatching 4,555,000 rainbow trout eggs. There was a loss of approxi- mately 1,000,000 on account of the heavy storm during April. The embryos at the time of the storm were in a tender or delicate stage and were covered with deposits of sand and mud and in the efforts to prevent the eggs from smothering a loss of approximately 1,000,000 eggs took place. These eggs were eyed in the North Creek Hatchery where the main trap and egg-collecting station is located. There is quite a7i agitation by persons not familiar with conditions at Bear Lake, to hold the fish over winter in ponds constructed by fencing off a portion of the lake, as well as in concrete ponds to be built to hold the fish. These plans will not improve fishing in Bear Lake as the present plan under which we are operating has produced remarkable results and it is based on twelve years of experience in keeping this lake stocked under the most adverse circumstances. The reports of our crews who have given this lake careful study verify all the above statements and the writer has been familiar Math Bear Lake for over 35 j^ears. The writer planted the first fish introduced into this lake when, as an apprentice fishculturist, he made his first trips planting fish. The fish were carried on mide back over the old trail up the Santa Ana River and planted in Bear Lake. NORTH CREEK HATCHERY AND EGG-COLLECTING STATION. All the eggs hatched in Bear Lake Hatchery at Green Spot Springs as well as those hatched in this small hatchery, were eyed and prepared for sliipping and hatching in this station. In 1926, 900,000 eggs were liatched in North Creek Hatchery and the resulting fish were planted in the streams of San Bernardino County, together with 100,000 fish that were taken from Bear Lake Hatchery. GROUT CREEK TRAP AND STATION. The trap in Grout Creek was operated during the last two seasons with fair results. Large numbers of fish enter this creek, but owing to the great deposit of sand on the flats near its mouth, the stream spreads over such a wide distance during the period when warm rains are melting the snow that it is very difficult to catch the fish. The stream at times reaches a width of a hundred yards and is very shallow. There is no way, except at heavy expense to trap this creek successfully when the floods are on, and that is the time when the majority of the fish are ascending the stream. The traps have been moved and washed out several times during the last few years. Considerable trouble was had during the last two seasons in operat- ing traps on this creek. The stream generally dries up by the middle 52 PISH AND GAME COMMISSION. of June and does not start flowing- until the folloAving spring. We installed a permanent trap some years ago. about one-half mile from the mouth, but the majority of the tish would find spawning beds in the sand below the trap. During an extremely heavy flood a few years ago, the permanent trap was wrecked. Since then, temporarj^ traps and racks have been used. A number of plans have been made to successfully catch the fisli in this creek and thus save their eggs, but the best the crews have been able to do was to place a rack in the most favorable place in the old cliannel and as soon as the spring rains began to melt the snow and the creek reached the flood stage, and to drive the flsh back and pick them up wherever possible with dip nets. Tlie hatchery crew, assisted by the game wardens, put in several strenuous days during the spring of 1926 in catching up and saving hundreds of trout that would have perished when the water receded. Thus a large number of eggs were collected that otherwise would have been wasted. Fig. 8. Wawona Hatchery, output of which is used in stocking lakes and streams to the southward of Yosemite Valley. Photograph by G. C. Tabler. METCALF, PAPOOSE, KIDD, NORTH AND KEYSTONE CREEKS. These creeks are all tributary to Bear Lake and all except Metcalf Creek dry up except for a few inches of water that flows in North Creek and Kidd Creek during the summer months. They are all short streams and flow during the spring months when the spring rains are melting the snow or during the rainy spells in the spring months. There is a deposit of granitic sand at the mouths of all these streams and it is very difficult to operate the traps as the fluctu- ating level of the lake changes the mouths of these creeks. For tlie last two seasons the surface of the lake has been approximately twenty feet below the crest of the dam. When a condition such as this exists, it is very difficult to keep the mouths of the streams open for the passage of the fish to the traps. Despite all these difficulies we have maintained a large number of trout in this lake by following the plan of planting the fish in the manner described above. A great TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 53 many more details could be written on this subject but- space in this I'epoiM is not available. WAWONA HATCHERY. This station located on IJiji' Creek near Wawona, Mariposa County, has been in operation for the i)ast thirty years. It has supplied fish for the South Fork of the Merced River as well as for a number of lakes and streams on the south and east of the Yosemite Valley. The total number distributed from this station during- the last two years was c!;J7,r)UU rainbow and 439,:JUU steelhead. KAWEAH HATCHERY. This hatchery has been operated under a tent since it was established in 1919. A permanent building should be erected as soon as funds Fig. 9. Fish screen erected by the Cain Irrigation Company at Grant Lake, Mono County. Photograpli by A. E. Culver. are available. During the last season when funds Avere being set aside for the construction of a permanent building and repairs and improvements to the hatcheries, ponds, etc., we carried on an experi- ment at the new site on the Kaweah River to determine whether or not the Avater Avas suitable for hatchery purposes. The old site at PoAver House No. 1 of the ]\Iount Whitney Light and PoAver Company on the main highway leading to Sequoia National Park, proved by years of liatching to have an excellent supply of water, but a number of persons connected Avith the ditferent sportsmen's organizations in Tulare County AA'ere of the opinion that a site at PoAver House No. 3 Avould be of easier access when sliipping fish as Avell as being more con- venient to the tourist travel. The troughs were moved to a temporary hatchery under a plain frame, covered Avitli paper roofing. We were doubtful Avhether this site would prove suitable as the water is taken 54 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. from tlie ]\Iiddle Fork of the Kaweali River wliicli has a higher temperature and contains a greater amount of organic matter. The water supply at the ohi site at Power House No. 1 is taken from the East Fork of Kaweah River and the writer made an examination of the water at this site and found it suitable for hatchery purposes before any attempt was made to establish even a temporary hatchery. The change from the old site to the new site is proving that the M^'ater at the new site is not suited for hatchery purposes. No doubt during the fall it will be necessary to move back to the old site and operate there under a tent until more funds are available for the construction of a permanent hatchery which is badly needed in that section. The output of this hatcherv duing the last tAvo seasons was 435,000. In 1924 we distributed 340,000 and in 1925, 95,000 were planted. The ,£^ - .i(lly that if enough salmon are to remain in our waters to supply the local markets during a portion of the year, the chinook salmon must be propagated to the fullest extent. BIOLOGICAL WORK. Under the supervision of Geo. A. Coleman, biological investigations concerning our fresh water food and game fishes have been carried on at Lake Tahoe, Clear Lake, Eel River Basin, Merced River Basin, Lake Elsinore and other places where scientific prol^lems had to be worked out to improve conditions of fish life. Plankton surveys have been made looking toward the introduction of different species of fiishes into barren lakes and the improvement of fish-planting work. This is a very important feature of the Avork of the Department of Fish Culture and should be continued for a period of years until prac- tical biological surveys of all the inland waters are complete, so that an intelligent distribution of fish can be made. "While the department has valuable data on many streams and lakes, there are miles of streams and hundreds of lakes that should be given scientific investigation. New problems are coming up that require special field investigation. The long period of drought has changed the physical conditions of many of our streams to such an extent that it is necessary to have special investigations made to determine whether new species of fishes should be introduced to meet the. changed conditions. The denuding of forests, the construction of large reservoirs, breaking up the run of our native species, the holding of the water in large reservoirs causing the tem- perature to be higher than when the streams flowed unobstructed, and many other conditions brought about by the use of water for the development of the industries of the state have made it necessary that a biologist connected with the Department of Fisl^ Culture be employed to solve the problems that are continually arising. GENERAL CONDITIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. -Open Se(iso7i. Owing to the excessive fishing in all the lakes and streams of California, it is necessary to find a new source of egg supply to add to the rapidly diminishing supply of adult trout or spawners. Several pond rearing systems for the raising of brood stock from which eggs can be collected should be built as soon as funds are available. The construction and maintenance of large rearing ponds is absolutely necessary to furnish an adequate supply of eggs for the hatcheries. 58 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. In particular, the supply of rainbow and steelhead trout eggs is rapidly diminishing, for the adult fish in all tlie lakes and streams are getting less each year. The trout in Lake Tahoe suifered a heavy loss from an epidemic of unknown cause several years ago. The fish planted in the tributary streams of Lake Tahoe are caught before reaching the lake and do not have a chance to develop. We earnestly recommend the passage of a law prohibiting fishing in any of the streams tributary to Lake Tahoe, so that the fish planted in the streams may have a chance to remain in the streams until they can reach the lake and there make a growth that Avill be of some value to anglers. A shorter fishing season must be had if fishing of any consequence is to be maintained in the lakes and streams of California. The open season for trout should be so regulated as to give the spawn- ing fish every opportunity to deposit their eggs before being caught, and at the same time alloAv the egg-collectiong stations an opportunity to collect all the eggs possible before the fishing season opens. The season should not be open before June 1st anywhere in the Sierra region. The coastal region should open May 1st and close October 1st. The coastal district should include Mendocino and San Diego counties. In District No. 14-, the season for trout should open June 1st and close November 15th. Tlie use of spears in all districts and the use of fish eggs of any species for bait should be prohibited. Lal-e Tahoe. Referring to the conditions at Lake Tahoe, we can not too strongly urge further biological studies regarding the fish in this lake. The excessive fishing for over forty years by the market fishermen before the law prohibiting the sale of trout was passed, the impounding of the water in Fallen Leaf Lake, the diversion of water from the tributary creeks for domestic purposes, the loss of fish several years ago by an epidemic during the winter and early spring have all been con- tributing to a general depletion of the trout in Lake Tahoe. For reasons that we can not account for the white fish that formerly abounded in the lake l)y the thousands, have been gradually becoming less and they have not been caught by anglers ancl fishermen. Years ago, during the breeding season in the fall, these fisli would approach the shores in schools of thousands and ascend the Upi^er Truckee River where they deposited their eggs. There has been a great falling off in the number of fish of these species, for reasons as above mentioned, that are unaccountable. While there has been a fair run of fish in the creeks during the spring months, not many have been caught in the lake during the summer months. The hatcheries have planted an aver- age of 2,000,000 fish each season, but we have not obtained the results that Ave do in other lakes and streams. A close study of conditions must be made to determine the cause of the apparent shortage of the native species. The MackinaAV trout were introduced into Lake Tahoe in 1895 at the request of the market fishermen and others, so the writer was informed at the time the eggs were shipped to California. The Nevada State Fish and Game Commission also hatched and planted Mackinaw trout in Lake Tahoe at approximately the same time. The exact date that the Nevada Commission introduced the fish into Lake Tahoe is not known. Some persons claim the Mackinaw trout were introduced TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 59 first by the Nevada Commission. As near as the writer can determine the Nevada and California commissions introduced them at about the same time. Some of these fish were introduced into Fallen Leaf Lake where they found suitable breeding grounds as the young of the Mackinaw trout were caught frequently. Very few were taken from Lake Tahoe. Occasionally a Mackinaw trout would be caught, but they were so rare for many years after their introduction, that the writer was of the opinion that they could not find suitable grounds on which to spaAvn and that the few that were taken, descended from Fallen Leaf Lake to Lake Tahoe. Mackinaw trout do not ascend the streams to s])awn, but deposit their eggs on reefs in water from 4 to 6 or 8 feet in depth. As such places are unknown in Lake Tahoe, it was supposed that the Mackinaw trout would never be taken in any numbers, but during the last seven years, 24 years after their introduc- tion into the lake, they are appearing in ever-increasing numbers, n^his summer they were being caught at many different places in the lake. They have evidently found suitable breeding grounds and are increasing rapidly. The Mackinaw trout is one of the large charrs, native of the lakes of northeast America. The type introduced into Lake Tahoe are natives of Lakes Superior and Michigan. They are a good food fish and afford sport for those who enjoy trolling for fish in deep water. Occasionally they reach a weight of from 50 to 60 ])onnds, but the average weight of the adults is about 20 pounds. As tliey are piscivorous in their habits, devouring a large number of other fish, they will have an abundance of food in Lake Tahoe because of the countless millions of minnows and chubs. As they inha])it deep water during the greater portion of the year, they may not devour as many of the native species of trout as is generally supposed, but a biological survey and a study of their habits will be carried out this coming summer to determine what proportion of their food is com- posed of the native species of trout and what proportion is minnows ai]d chubs. Hat Creek and Fall River. Considerable comment has been made i-egarding the conditions on Hat Creek and Fall River and the absence of screens in the canals leading to the power houses operating on these streams. This department has always contended that the trout in Fall River and Hat Creek were nonmigratory and that they do not descend tliese canals and pass through the impulse wheels of the power plants and thus get destroyed as is claimed by others. The nature or physical condition of these streams, in our .judgment, has changed the habits of the trout to such an extent that they do not migrate from one portion of the stream to another or pass out of the streams into Pit River. The water in these streams comes from large springs that furnish the entire flow of Fall River. A greater portion of the water in Hat Creek above the Power Company's canals comes from Rising River, a short river that rises from a large spring in the lava. .Rising River is only two miles in length from its source in one of the largest springs on the coast to where it unites with Hat Creek, a stream that rises on the north basal slopes of Mount Lassen. The fish in Hat Creek above the confluence of the two streams, do not descend the stream to where the main streams flow into the junction, nor do the fish in Rising River ever leave the main stream, except the emaciated and dying spawn fish that die each year after their efforts to propa- 6f) FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. gate tlicir species. Tiieii the -weakened and dying- fisii drop down the stream -where they are found on the grizzlies at the head of the canal. The same condition exists in Fall River. The reason, in the opinion of the -writer, for the nonmigratory habits of the fish in these two streams, is that the temperature varies only slightly in comparison wdtli the Pit River and other streams in this region and the flow is constant. There is but a very small difference between the maximum and mini- mum flow in each of these streams. The water is not affected by the flood conditions as the streams are short, receiving their supply from the large springs which have a constant head throughout the year. The aquatic insects and crustaceans on which the fish feed are abundant, the water is nearly all clear, seldom, if ever, getting riley. All these and many other physical conditions relating to the stream beds, velocity of the water, etc., all have a tendency to cause these fish to acquire habits that make them nonmigratory. The writer has studied the conditions in these streams and the habits of these fish for many years and is satisfied, that his judgment is correct. But to make an absolute test to either prove or disprove that the writer has not made an error regarding the habits of the trout in these two streams a rack-screen will be installed below Power House No. 1 of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. For this experiment, the Commission is working in conjunction Avith the power company. The cooperation of the Bureau of Fisheries has also been obtained and the foreman of the Baird Hatchery has been instructed to assist in the investigation. Members of the sportsmen's associations will be requested to assist in checking up on this experiment to determine beyond any question of a doubt w-hether there is any loss caused by the trout passing through power wheels, and if so, to what extent. This experiment will be carefully checked by the biologist of this department, Mr. Geo. A. Coleman, so that if any fish are found on the rack-screen, the cause of death can be determined. If only emaciated and dying spawners show up, which can be easily determined by dissection and study of the anatomy of the fishes, it will be unnecessary to screen the canals leading to the power houses that receive their w^ater from Hat Creek and Fall River. But on the other hand if healthy fish in normal condition are found on the racks, it will be necessary to have proper screens installed at the intakes to the canals leading from these two streams. It is planned to keep the rack -screen in place for a period of aj^proximately one year so that every condi- tion of seasonal change that might possibly cause the fish to descend into the canals can be observed and data gathered. Spiny Bayed Fishes. Owing to the great demand on our trout streams, we deem it advisable to establish p'ond rearing systems for the propagation of such food and game fishes that will thrive in the warmer waters of the state. Properlj^ constructed ponds and nurseries for this purpose will be built and the rearing of these fishes placed in the hands of experienced pond culturists. Several millions of the spiny- rayed fishes can be raised each season and distributed in suitable waters the same as trout are distributed. This would add greatly to the fishing attractions of the state and relieve the rush of anglers to our trout lakes and streams. Holding Ponds and Rest Stations. Owing to the demand of a number of sportsmen's associations, for the raising of trout to a larger TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 61 size before being distributed, arrangements are being made where these associations may construct ponds and hold the tisli until late in the fall before making the distribution. This experiment will be care- fully watched and a check made to determine whether the system is practicable and whether better results are obtained than the system of planting No. 1, 2 and 3 fingerlings directly from the hatcheries. Several of the sportsmen's clubs have established rest stations or small holding ponds in the mountainous parts of the state where the tish are delivered from the distribution cars and held for several days to enable them to recuperate from their trip from the hatcheries. They are then taken by pack animals and other conveyances to the more inaccessible lakes and streams. This system has been carried on with good success, particularly by the Fresno County Sportsman's Club who have placed the work of distributing the fish in the hands of experienced planters. Other associations as well as some of the boards of supervisors are planning to adopt this system of resting the fish l)efore carrjdng them to the waters in the higher elevations not access- ible to the trucks. In conclusion, the demands on this department of the Commission as well as on all other departments, makes it necessary that we have a great deal more money than is now available and it is up to the sportsmen if they desire to maintain good fishing in the lakes and streams of tlie state, to increase the licenses and to protect the spawn- ing fish by a later opening season and a shorter one in most districts. 62 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES. By N. B. ScOFiELD, In Charge. Since making our last biennial report there have been a number of changes in the Department of Commercial Fisheries. In July, 1924, it became necessary to employ an attorney for the impending litigation witli a few canners and reduction plants in their attempt to have the fish reduction act declared unconstituional. B. D. Marx Greene was employed as special counsel for the department, where he remained until January, 1926, when he was appointed to the position of executive officer of the Commission. I can not praise Mr. Greene too highly for his quick grasp of the highly technical details of the sardine canning and reduction industries and his knowledge of the rather special field of fish and game litigation. Added to this was his excellent handling of all the cases in the courts. One of these, in tlie State Supreme Court {State of California vs. The Monterey Fish Products Company) resulted in a decision by that court which is nation wide in its importance. After Mr. Greene's appointment as executive officer, the Commission was reorganized. This reorganization was of consideral)le importance to the department of commercial fisheries, in that it brought al>out a more business-like arrangement whereby the departments reported through the executive officer instead of to each separate commissioner according to which part of the state was in C[uestion. This did away with one policy in the enforcement of laws in one part of the state and a different policy in another part of the state. A department of patrol was formed which took over the commercial fisheries patrol in San P'rancisco and on San Francisco Bay which had been in charge of the department of commercial fisheries. The Depart- ment of Commercial Fisheries kept the commercial patrol which operates out of the department 's offices at Monterey, San Pedro and San Diego. The department also gave up its work on bay and harbor pollution which was taken over by the new Bureau of Bay and Harbor Pollution. Captain H. B. Nidever is in charge of the commercial patrol for southern California with headquarters at our San Pedro office. Mr. Nidever is especially well qualified for this position. He has been with the Commission on fisheries Avork for eighteen years, and has been with this department since its organization. Our last biennial report told of the rapid growth of the sardine fishery in this state during the time of the war, reaching its peak in 1919 ; and of the slump and decline of the fishery in 1920 and 1921, due in large measure to marketing conditions in foreign countries; how the lowest ebb was reached in 1921 and then the rapid rise until in 1923 the sar- dine catch was equal to that of the banner year of 1919 and the state's fisheries as a whole were likely in a short time to equal the mark reached through the stimulus of the war. This prediction has been fulfilled and during the past two years the total production of the fisheries, during either of the years, has exceeded that of any year in the history of the state. The total catch of all fish for the year 1924 TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 63 was 327,645,017 p.ounds and in 1925 it was 414,753,312 pounds. The fluf'tiiatioii in total catch for tlie past several years has been caused by the fluctuation in the sardine catch. The total catch of fish, other than sardines, remains fairly constant. This is well illustrated in figure No. 11. The total catch of all species of fish together with the amount of the fish pack and of all fishery products is given in the appendix to this report. We are quite sure that California's fisheries for both vol- ume and value of the products exceed that of any state b}^ a good margin. SARDINES. The sardine fishery is now the most important of our fisheries indus- ti'ies. It is the most varial)]e in ([uantity of fisli eauuht and it presents more complicated problems to the state's administration than any other. The large profits to be made on fish meal and oil from sardijies, together with the state's policy of confining the use of sardines to the production of human food, has caused most of the trouble. Each cannery had its own by-products plant and the more sardines they turned into fertilizer and oil the greater their profits. The law prohibited the use of food fish for reduction purposes, but provided that sardine canners could use up to 25 per cent of the catch in their by-products plants, the ])ercentage to be allowed each season to be determined at hearings lield before the Fish and Game Commission. It was found that this law was very difficult to enforce, for there were too many ways in which its pro- visions could be avoided. We therefore recommended in our last report that this law be redrawn and that the hearings before the Fish and Game Commission be eliminiatecl and the amount of sardines which it is legitimate to use in the by-products plant be definitely fixed in the law. It was also recommended that the penalty for violation be quick find severe. In the fall of 1924, before this law could be amended by the legis- lature, the Monterey Fish Products Company, an independent reduction plant, attacked its constitutionality on the ground that it permitted a canner to use sardines in a reduction plant but did not permit a reduc- tion plant not operated by a canner to receive sardines direct from fishermen, and was therefore discriminatory. This case went to the State Supreme Court where it was decided that the law was constitu- tional. This decision was not rendered until March, 1925. In the mean- time the canners and the Fish and Game Commission had agreed that the law should be amended and with that object in view one or two conferences were held and it was agreed with the canners that the law should he amended so as to do away with the hearings before the Com- mission and to put teeth in the law so that a violator could be stopped at once. The amount of overage was to be 25 per cent based in some way on the capacity of the cannery. The Commission's attorney was to draw up the bill and submit it to a future conference or to repre- sentatives of the canners and the canners were to stand with tlie Com- mission against those who would exploit the state's supply of sardines for the making of fertilizer and oil. Two other factions were asking that the law provide for them. One was a company which wished to use a reduction process to produce fish flour for human consumption. 64 FISII AND GAME COMMISSION. WO Million Pounds. 350 ■ Sardines n All Other Fish 300 250 200 yj"o 100 so 05 I 00 en 2} CM CO CO cvi in 05 Fig. 11. Graph showing the catch of sardines and all other fish from 1915 to 1925. In 1925 the sardine catch amounted to more than three times the total catch of all other fish combined. TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REBORT. 65 The other faction wished to use a reduction process to extract sardine oil to be used in connection with vegetable oils for human consumption. At the legislature of 1925 the out-and-out reduction interests, backed by state organizations Avhich wished a cheap fertilizer, showed a great deal of strength and before the bill of the canners was put in final form by the Fish and Game Commission's attorney, the canners became alarmed and entered into a compromise agreement with the reduction interests under which an independent reduction plant could receive five hundred tons of sardines per month for reduction purposes, and the canners were to get sardines for their reduction plants up to 25 per cent of the canning capacity of their canneries. The manufacturers of sardine oil and fish flour for human food were also to be taken care of. The Fish and Game Commission was asked to agree to this compro- mise with the explanation that if the Commission did not agree to this the reduction interests would go after a wide-open reduction bill and that the canners would join with them. This stand was backed by all of the southern California canners and by about lialf of the Monterey canners. It was the Fish and Game Commission's belief that under the circumstances its opposition would not prevent the passage of a wide-open reduction bill, so it elected to remain neutral with the understanding that the Commission's attorney should put the teeth in the bill for its easy enforcement. The attorney also drew up the entire bill in accordance with the agreement between the canners and reduction interests. When the bill came up before the Senate Fish and Game Committee the Commission stated its attitude of neutrality. The committee, however, showed itself to be opposed to the idea of allowing independent reduction plants to exploit the sardines and a subcommittee was appointed for the purpose of amending the bill. The final result was the elimination of the provision whereby independent reduction plants could use five hundred tons of sardines a month. The bill pro- vided that canners could. use sardines in a reduction plant up to 25 per cent of their canning capacity and the capacity was to be determined by the number of pound oval can closing machines installed and intended to be used during the season. For each such machine installed they were to get one hundred and fifty tons each month for reduction purposes. The bill also provided for the manufacture of food from sardine oil and from fish flour. This bill passed and became a law. When the question of enforcing this law came up in the fall of 1925 it was found that many of the canners 'believed the law gave tliem the right to run one hundred and fifty tons of sardines a month in the reduction plant for each line of pound oval closing machines installed whether they ran them or not, and a number of them put in extra lines of closing machines to increase their capacity and enlarge their reduc- tion plants accordingly. The Commission believed the special privilege to canners was based on the good faith of the canner and that he must run his machines to capacity to get his capacity allowance for reduction. In an attempt to reach an agreement with the canners on this matter, all canners were invited to a conference at the Commission's office in San Francisco, but it was poorly attended and no agreement was reached. The Commission finally decided to enforce the law on the theory that to be entitled to the 25 per cent for reduction purposes the canner 5—48323 66 FI§H AND GAME COMMISSION. must operate each machine to capacity and that if he operated it at less than capacity his allowance was reduced accordingly. To make it simpler of enforcement, the Commission notified the canners that it would consider they had complied with the law if they canned what would amount to 75 per cent of the catch. This was apparently satis- factory to the canners at Monterey, where the sardine season com- mences in July, but when the season began later in southern California the canners in the Los Angeles district organized to contest the Com- mission's interpretation of the law. The litigation lasted throughout the season, during wdiich time the canners adhered very closely to the Commission's order. The first decision of importance was given by the appellate court in Los Angeles, which declared the allowance of one hundred and fifty tons for each line of closing machines to be unconstitutional; but the decision did not state whether the whole special privilege to canners was unconstitutional or just the method of determining capacity. A later decision in the superior court of Los Angeles County was to the effect that canners were still entitled to 25 per cent of their capacity, but did not enlighten us as to what constituted capacity- — whether it was what they actually canned or what they could can. This matter of what constitutes the capacity under the law came up still later in the superior court of Los Angeles County. The judge's decision was still somewhat ambiguous, but he did say that the essence of the matter w^as the good faith of the canner, and that if his machines and other necessary equipment were not ready and intended to run, his capacity was reduced accordingly. Both sides have claimed a victory as a result of this decision. It would appear, however, from the decision that if a canner was prepared in good faith to run at his claimed capacity he would have to operate up to that capacity before he would be entitled to any overage. This interpretation would gi^o the canner less overage that he would have under the Commission's old order giving him 25 per cent of the catch. During the past sardine season of 1925-1926, we were able to hold down the percentage of sardines used in reduction plants much better than any previous season in spite of the continued litigation. The amount used in reduction plants was a little less than 25 per cent of the catch, and the pack of canned sardines was greater than the season before although the total catch was less. A good market has developed for our sardines and the canners, most of them, have changed their attitude in regard to the amount of over- age they should have. The time seems right to fix in the law a definite limit to the amount of sardines a canner can divert to his by-products plant, and this amount should be made as low as is possible. What the canners need more than anything is to organize and through a selling agency, or some other legal means, stabilize the price of canned sardines. During the sardine season of 1925-1926, which lasts from July to March at Monterey and about November to March in southern Cali- fornia, the sardines were abundant during the .first two or three months at Monterey but thereafter at Monterey and during the entire season in southern California, the fishermen had difficulty in getting enough to keep the canneries busy. If it had not been for the purse seine fishermen, the season would have been about a complete failure in southern California. These boats being larger can fish farther away from their home port. They had not operated on sardines to TWENTY-NINTPI BIENNIAL REPORT. 67 any extent before, but wlien the smaller boats with their lampara nets could not supply the canneries tliey took a hand. They located sardines near Santa Cruz Island, eighty miles to the north of San Pedro, and from this distance delivered enough sardines throughout the season to save the day for the canners. In the negotiations between the fishermen and the canners over the price to be paid for sardines during the coming season of 1926-1927, the purse seines have been used as a threat against the lampara fisher- men to keep the price down. This more especially applied to Monterey. The price last year was $10 per ton. The fishermen asked $12.50 a ton this season, finally compromising on $11, but not until after tAvo purse seine boats had been brought to Monterey, where purse seines had not been used for quite a number of years. The comparative efficiency of these two methods of catching sardines will be watched with interest. The provision in the law whereby a reduction process may be used to convert sardines into human food, provided one-half of the wet weight of the fish is used in the process, was taken advantage of by the Bayside Fish Flour Company at Monterey. The fish flour has so far been exported although the company hopes to create a home demand. This process is about the same as in the manufacture of fish meal for fertilizer or stock feed, but it differs in that the ground meal is pressed through fine boulting screens, thus eliminating the bone and all but the finely pulverized muscle fiber. This process is looked upon more or less with suspicion by some of the canners, for it is a reduction process and not much more expensive than the process of making fish meal for fertilizer. The provision in the law under which sardines may be taken for the oil, provided the oil be used for human consumption, was taken advantage of by two companies — the Globe Cotton Oil Mills of Los Angeles and the Hauser Packing Company of Los Angeles. We believe that this provision of the law is dangerous and contrary to the legislature's policy of confining the use of food fish to the production of human food. The amount of oil in sardines averages about 15 per cent of the wet weight of the fish and so long as this small percentage is used for human food the rest of the fish can be and is used for fertilizer or stock feed. The demand for animal fats such as sardine oil is almost without limit so that there is danger of an immense }"eduction industry getting started in the state which will seriously deplete the supply of fish and injure the canned sardine industry, the first to be established, the one giving the most people employment and the one which the state has sought to protect. We are confident that if sardines can not be taken directly for this purpose, means will be employed to utilize the oil from the by-products plants of the canneries and we believe that the best policy for the state to pursue, from the standpoint of conservation, is to confine the production of sardine oil to that which may be obtained from the bj^-products of the sardine canneries. SALMON. In our report of two years ago we told of the failure of the law which was designed to stop salmon trolling during certain closed seasons in the sea districts. As recommended in that report, the legis- lature amended the law but this law has again proven defective. The 68 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. superior court in Llarin County decided that a law is not good which closes one district to the possession of salmon caught outside the three- mile limit while an adjoining district is open. One uniform closed season for the entire coast Avould not give the salmon the desired pro- tection, for the fish "run" progressively later from Monterey Bay north. The closed seasons for salmon trolling in the ocean were established in an attempt to save the salmon from destruction, but as has been explained, the law has twice proven defective and the salmon have not received the protection so greatly needed, so that even if those closed seasons could now be made effective the protection would lie far from adequate. There are not sufficient salmon remaining to support com- mercial fishing both within the bays and rivers and in the open sea. Either the outside or the inside fishing should be stopped and to delay further will be fatal. Of the two alternatives, the outside, or sea trolling, should be the one to go. There are many good arguments on both sides of the question, "Should the outside or the inside fishing be stopped?" but the better arguments are for the inside fishing and against the outside fishing. The three main arguments are: 1. The great destruction of immature salmon by sea trolling. 2. Impossibility of regulating the catch of salmon belonging to any one stream so as to maintain the supply of that particular stream race of fish if they are caught in the ocean without knowing to what sti-eam they belong. 3. The industry first started on the river where fishing villages have been built up and where other kinds of fishing can not be turned to, while the fisheries of the ocean are undergoing rapid development and where there are other fisheries to which salmon troUers can turn their attention. Observations relating to the life history of king salmon have been systematically continued since 1919. A considerable amount of informa- tion relating to growth, age, migration, and general habits has accumu- lated. Some of this has appeared in published form from time to tinie and other reports are in process of preparation. Both ocean and river catches have been under observation and information has been obtained that wil] presumably assist in matters of conservation. The work has been under the direct supervision of J. 0. Snyder of Stanford L^ni- versitv who has been ably assisted in field work by E. C. Seofieid and G. R' Clark. In cooperation with the International Pacific Salmon Investigation Federation an effort was made last j^ear and again this season to place metal tags on adult salmon caught and released at sea. No success followed the first effort, but the second was more fruitful. King salmon to the number of 130 were tagged by Paul Bonnot and C. Rogers in Monterey Bay and off the coast in the vicinity of Eureka. If tagging operations of this kind could be successfully carried out, the results sliould inform us as to the origin of the ocean catches and furnish data relating to sea migrations, growth, and other matters of importance. The Commission was represented at the meetings of the Federation which were held in Seattle. Representation here insures cooperation on the part of the state in its investigations. An outstanding feature of the salmon investigation is the experi- mental work, part of which has been designed to better acquaint us TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 69 with the return migration of fishes which have been artificially propa- gated. An experiment which promises some results of interest and value is now approaching completion. The experiment was initiated in 1922 when, under the direction of Captain Lambson, eggs were collected, fertilized, and placed in the hatchery at Fall Creek, a tribu- tary of the Klamath. The resulting fry were placed in ponds where they were carefully reared by Mr. E. V. Cassell who afterwards superintended their distribution. The distribution of the fish previously marked, was performed in such a way as to give the probable results of the experiment an opportunity to demonstrate whether or not returning fish will seek out and enter certain tributaries in which they were reared or introduced. Upwards of 500 marked fish were secured during 1926, all of which will serve to contribute largely to our knowledge of the migratory habits of king salmon both in the ocean and rivers. Equally good results are expected in 1927 when fishes of the ages of 4 and 5 years will return. This experiment, full details of which are given in California Fish and Game, Vol. 10, No. 1, involved the marking of 153,000 yearling salmon. The successful completion of such an experiment depends largely upon cooperation on the part of those engaged in fishing, as also officials of the Commission, and results to date have been very satis- factory. That work of a similar nature may be carefully controlled and kept under more constant observation, it is desirable that an experimental hatchery be provided. It is not necessary that such a hatchery be given over entirely to experimental work of such a nature as to pre- vent or even seriously interfere with its immediate function as a regular station for artificial propagation. Such a station should, however, be under the direct supervision of an investigator who may plan and supervise the execution of experimental work relating to propagation and distribution. Work on species other than salmon might also be carried on to advantage in such a station. For example, in the pursuit of the salmon investigation, advantage has been taken of every opportunity to study the trout, particularly the steelhead, and some data of value has accumulated. A correct interpretation of some of this data rests upon experimental work and stream observation of an inseparable nature, which might be accomplished with profit, if the facilities of a properl^^ located hatchery were made available. SHAD. Shad in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers Avere greatly depleted by heavy fishing during the war, at which time there were no closed seasons or other measures to give them protection. A closed season was adopted which was first in effect during the shad run in the spring of 1918. This protection and later the addition of two more weeks to the closed season has resulted in the steady increase of these fish. The quick response of these introduced fish to restrictive fishing measures is remarkable and almost unique. We know of no other fishery where the recovery has been so quick and so unmistakable. STRIPED BASS. Striped bass have been given a great deal of added protection during the past ten years and at the 1923 session of the legislature a very 70 FISH AND GxVME COMMISSION. great added protection was given by adding two weeks to the spring closed season. Each two years, when the legislature met during that I'eriod, some measure was passed to give striped bass more protection without waiting to see the result of the protection given two years earlier. As the striped bass do not spawn until they are four years of age, no noticeable effect of a protective measure could be seen in two years, except possibly in an increased number of very young fish. The measure of 1923, adding two weeks to the closed season, did not go into effect that j^ear until late July, which was after the spawning run /6 9) >■ 00 X \ 0^ 0 "V. c^ CH CH M o> 31 32 29 28 3 25 4 22 2 22 1 9 7 10 11 26 8 8 37 16 17 363 Sierra 6 Siskiyou 1 35 2 2 45 4 25 1 1 31 2 9 .... 9 1 7 4 3 1 2 1 .... 1 1 3 14 17 12 2 1 2 2 9 14 1 5 6 3 280 Sonoma 25 Stanislaus 3 13 Sutter- 1 22 15 5 4 2 2 Tehama - . 3 9 .31 ^6 6 6 1 1 19 34 8 10 6 25 32 11 5 4 10 22 4 2 6 2 27 14 3 1 5 13 10 2 1 4 4 8 7 7 1 3 8 11 1 3 2 4 6 8 6 12 11 9 2 17 13 23 4 8 18 21 17 15 4 14 19 22 13 1 4 11 15 11 8 1 14 16 45 4 15 1 2 15 9 1 15 4 228 Trinity.. 855 lulare . 226 Tuolumne . 128 Ventura.. 91 Yuba 10 Totals 4r 482 361 333 233 275 260 204 162 179 188 214 52 48 243 58 42 219 52 48 256 52 48 299 46 54 225 52 48 285 47 53 225 48 52 4 680 Male lions, per cent. 51 Female lions, percent 49 TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL, REPORT. 113 REPORT ON CATCH OF FUR-BEARING MAMMALS. Summary Data Furnished by 1,933 Trappers of a Total of 2,984 to Whom Trapping Licenses were Issued for the Season of 1924-1925. Species Number Price average Estimated value Skunk 18,811 7,132 5,379 5,212 3,527 2,180 2 022 1.987 1,493 817 704 296 231 219 147 92 44 42 29 2 $1,265 3.28 1.852 4.412 2.24 .476 .463 4.635 2.018 1.949 10.677 1.578 .6.34 .792 8.50 12.26 36.784 15.80 18.583 10.00 $23,795 91 Raccoon. 23,392 96 Gray Fox : 9,961 91 Coyote. . ._ 22,995 34 Wildcat 7,900 48 Civet Cat 1,037 68 Muskrat .- . . 930 19 Mink . 9,209 75 Rinejtail Cat . _ . . . 3,012 87 KitFox 1.592 33 Marten.. 7,516 16 Badger . .__ 467 09 Opossum - . 146 45 Weasel.. 173 45 Bear 1,249 50 River Otter. 1,127 92 Fisher 1,618 50 Mountain Lion 663 60 Red Fox.. 638 90 Wolverine _ 20 00 Totals 50,336 $117,356 99 ESTIMATED VALUE OF CALIFORNIA PELTS, 1924-1925. Species Estimated number Average price per skin Estimated value Skunk .....\. 29,092 11,006 8,301 8,043 5,443 , 3,364 3,120 3,066 2,304 1,261 1,086 457 356 338 227 142 68 65 45 3 $1,265 3.28 1.852 4.412 2.24 .476 .463 4.635 2.018 1.949 10.677 1.578 .634 .792 8.50 12.26 36.784 15.80 18.583 10.00 $36,721 65 Raccoon. 36,099 88 Gray Fox 15,373 45 Coyote . ._ 35,485 72 Wildcat.. 12,192 32 Civet Cat 1,601 26 Musltrat.. 1 444 56 Mink 14,310 91 Ringtail Cat . 4,649 47 KitFox... 2,457 69 Marten . . 11,599 70 Badger . 720 15 Opossum 225 70 Weasel 267 70 Bear _ ... 1,929 50 River Otter. 1,740 92 Fisher 2,501 31 Mountain Lion _ . 1,027 00 Red Fox__ 836 24 Wolverine . 30 00 Totals 77,724 $181,115 13 The above is an estimate based on reports furnished by 64.8 per cent of the trappers to whom licenses were issued for the season 1924-1925. Number of trapping licenses issued, 1924-1925 2,984 Number of trappers reporting 1,933 8—48323 114 PISH AND GAME COMMISSION. CANNED, CURED AND MANUFACTURED FISHERY PRODUCTS OF CALIFORNIA FOR THE YEAR 1924. (Compiled by the Department of Commercial Fisheries, Fish ami Game Commission of California.) Canned. Species of fish Size of cans Northern California district Monterey district San Pedro district San Diego district Total .\balone 1-lb Cases Cases 2,928 Cases Cases Cases 2 928 Albacore l-lb._ 35,286 211,440 32.088 41 25 4,764 7,231 30,109 5,229 15,847 79,299 11,812 51,133 290 739 y2-ih.. H-\h 43,900 41 Albacore flake 1-lb.. Bonita 1-lb 25 Vi-lh 327 5,091 34-lb.. 7 231 Fish cake (Kamaboko).. 1-lb 30,109 Mackerel filet.. 1-lb. oval 5,229 Salmon 1-lb. flat H-lb. flat 1-lb. oval 4,456 11,788 4 456 11,788 Sardines 631,286 488 16,162 466 6,788 693,133 12,135 1,336,554 1-lb. tall 488 '2-lb. oval. 523 2,359 53,297 16,685 J^-lb. square 515 3,976 17,864 3,340 J^-lb. square. - 63,061 Sardine paste M-lb.- 17,864 Shad 1-lb.tall J-2-lb. oval Vj-lb.... .... 1,248 885 1 248 Shad roe 885 3,995 3,995 Steelhead 1-lb. flat H-lb. flat 1-lb... 251 1,281 251 1,281 Striped tuna 2,697 28,671 12,833 6,433 62 31,401 22,155 1,807 14,904 6,180 2,630 31,250 16,170 1,686 9,368 725 802 4,763 2,180 8,940 101 455 6,916 1,394 3,153 J^-lb._ 35,587 K-lb.. 14,227 4-lb..-. 6,433 1-lb 62 }^-lb.. 982 8,005 30 21 61 1,401 4,922 507 32,383 M-lb.. 30,160 Tuna, bluefin 1-lb.. 1,837 i. 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' "^^ "^^, ' 1 o' Ico" 1 It-'co" 1 »o"— 'oo"co" It-hcT I o" I 1 os'co'co'oo'o' I I'*" 1— 1 '.■^ "5 lOCO— CSiO lO OO COUtf^COOSi-H — 1 I 1 ,Cl|CO |CO , .I'^COCOCOO,, , , 1 1 1 1 1 I III cOi-i^' 1 ' 1 ' Alameda, Contra Costa 1 ' 1 1 1 no CI iCO icoco 1 1 lO 1 1 icsio 1 1 1 iCO i i i i i i i-i O cO 1 1 1 1 1 lOcD lOs lOS^ 1 1 no ' 1 .OS— ' i i iCO i i i i i i-t*OSiO 1 1 1 1 1 i-*CO I"— 1 i>OTt< 1 1 iCs 1 1 iiO-— 1 1 I 1 1"+^' ' 1 1 ' nCGO-rf ! I 1 I I Icfi-n" I 1 oTcf I 1 1 CI 1 I I ■^'" I ', 1 I "^ ', 1 1 I I Icfi-H-rtn" So C3 "^11 1 1 *^ . 1 1 1 *M "^1 «0 1 1 1 1 I ! ^ I 1 \ I X 1 1 ! 1 ! 1 I^„ ! I t I 1 1 »ot^ Sacramento, ^ San Joaquin lili.iOSCDiiiiiiiCOiiiiit-iiiiOOi COGOCO lltlllCO'^lllilI'Cl CSllllCOi OSi-H-rf 1 1 1 1 1 1 t— t^ 1 O ' 1 ' ' 'CO 1 1 1 ' ^ ' O CO C3 ! I ! I 1 lio'O I 1 I 1 1 I ! os" 1 I I I I I I I 1 "^ 1 1 I I I Ico'^os'co" T-i OO ; ; ^ 1 1 1 ; ; I I I ! "^ I I , 1 I , ^ « 1 1 1 1 1 1 '"' 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ^ 1 1 I 1 1 1 Solano, Yolo 1 1 \ 1 I icoeo 1 1 lO ' 1 1 ' ■ 1 1 ' 'CO ' I 1 ''^ 1 ' ll 1 'COCOCl t 1 1 1 1 1 ■•rt* lO 1 ' 1 OS 1 1 1 I t— 1 1 1 1 CO Tt< CO CO iiOt-^ 1 1 1 O 1 1 1 1 1 . 1 1 11-H 1 1 1 1 Os^ 1 1 1 1 1 1 O IO_t— I I I I I IcTcT 1 1 |co'~ 1 I I 1 I I I I 1 I I I I "^^ 1 1 I I I 1 t-h"— 'go" 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ^ 1 1 1 1 1 1 "^ '^ ,1,1,1 III 1 1 1 1 t 1 t 1 1 1 1 1 1 ^^ 1 1 1 1 1 1 Marin \ 1 CO 1 1 1 ' 1 ' i • Cv| 1 'T-H 1 CO I ' It- ' 1 r CI i CO t »0 i i CO i i I i II 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1— 1 tco it- 1 ' ICD 1 1 ICO x:^ >^^ 1 <^ 1 1 1 1 II III II 1 OS 1 ' ■ »0 ' ' 1 "^ no 1 CO 1 1 OO ' ' ' ' 11 1 ! 1 I 1 1 ! ! 11 1 'f^' I ! 1 '^ I I 1 •— *" I 1 1 1 os" 1 1 1 I II !!!!!!!! 11 1 I 1 'c^ 1 I 1 ! 1 I l-^ 1 1 ■ . Mendocino, Sonoma, Lake . . t OO CO 1 CI 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 no 1 1 1 — 1 0 O >0 i it- i i i ' 1 1 1 t 1 1 CD OS 1 CI 1 CO 1 1 CO ' 1 1 1 ' r— 1 1 1 lO 1 "^ CO (M 1 1 i-H 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 CO O^ ' OD__ 1 T-i ' ' =^^ ' ' 1 ' ' OO ' 1 ' '^^ ' '^^OO '-H 1 1 ^^ 1 1 1 1 ! 1 ! 1 1 l-^'c^i" lo" 1 1 1 c^"^ 1 1 1 ! 1 I I 1^ l'^'^' 1 1 — '" I I I 1 CO T-H ■— ' CO f— 1 1 I ! I I 1 I I ! 11 1 ! 1 ! 1 III 1=^ 11 I I I 1 Del Norte, Humboldt- I 1 1 lO ' 1 ' 1— lO 1 'O ICO 1 ' lO 1 1 1 CO O CO II 1 1 I iT-H 1 1 1 lOO 'CO 1 'CI iCS 1 1 lO 1 1 iT-^OCO 1 lilt 1 1 1 1 OS 1 1— 1 1 0 no 1 1 1 OS 1 1 1 1— >— 1 cO^ I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 I I I 1 I I I 1 Ico" Ico' 1 Ico" Icf 1 I Ici" 1 1 Ico'— "co" 1 I 1 I I 1 I 1 I I I t I I 1 I I ^ I "^ I I '-' I I I I '* I I I '-"M o^ 1 1 I , 1 I , I I I I I I till 1 II 1 III III CI 1 1 • 1 j3 "S ; I ; I ; ; I I I I ; I I ; I I I : I I I I : I I ; I : I ij^ ■ i i i '''''''•'''''''''■' ' o.T^ ' ' ' ' ' • , 1 1 1 1 . 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 L 1 ^_- 1 1 1 1 I ; I 1 ; I 1 1 J J I I 1 1 I I I j 1 I 1 1 I ; I I 1 1 I ; 3 ^ I I ^ I iiiiil UM ''Mi NiyiJ \ iilii^iiJill iff TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 119 O iiOC-l-H 1 i 1 1 1 'b- iO>i i"^t^>C rp i-^cor- 1 1 I 1 1 ico ico 1 ii-Hcoio 00 i^.CO_CD . 1 . . • '^. '=0 ' '"^^'-i.'*. I th'co'cd' ,' ,' ! ! ■' 1 '— •" I i^i 1 I M '— ' 05 C5 O OO (MO \^ I 1 1 1 I ! I^^ I 1 oo^ iCvf- 1 1 . 1 I 1 I(m" • « ^ Oi 1 -^ 1 , 1 so 0 t I 1 t , lira 0 ■ 1 1 ■ ■ 1 1 ' ' • 1 i05_ o_ 1 ' 1 ' ' 1 1 ' ' ' ; 1 (nT icT I ,' J ,' ,' J 1' I 1' ! ' '" ; i i i i i i i : i 0 CO -+* O 1 CO -^ '-H 1 1 1 1 1 r 1 1 (M 1 1 (M lO . iiiiiiii'^ii '^ Oi co" CO "*. 1 1.0 1 1 I 1 . 1 1 1 1 11 1 I iq 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ! CO I I I 1 I I 1 1 1 11 i 1 1^ III 00" OS t6 I IcsiooO I 1 1 I I It^ It- 1 l(M-" ; ! (M'fMio ] ; CD 111,,! 1 ^^ 1 1 "^_ 0 t- 11^ 0 I I 1 1 I 1 1 I 11 1 1 00 0 1 1 1 II . iCO CD ' 1 ' I 1 I ■ 1 II 1 i-r "^" ; 1 1 I 1 1 I ; 1 ; : I I 1 ! I 1 1 I 1 1 1 10 CM h-l>-cDOO'— th-»OCO"^CO'— lOOiGOCOCOfMCO (MCOMOOOOt^r-OOCOMOOO^U^OOO^IO^CO ^^^(MCOOt^OOOiOO'^ .--^t- 00^Tt<^O_O o_ Co'"'-<"':d'"»o"oO*Co' t— '(M'^tM'l-'io'^^ O 1-H (M O CO Ci (MCOiO — M -^ CO 'Tf QO CC -rti OO (M»OcOCO ^ CO r- OO <^ Tji (M CO 1— 1 (M oo_co ^ oo' co" (m" CO o_ »c 00 00 co- co COCOCO CS'-^OiCn-rt^'— ICOICOS (Mt— 1 '-^OOiO ^H"rt^r^TjH(MOsCMI>->\ cm i^ 0 co co'^r-T^" ^"cD'"a5"co'co''^'a5"co"i-H'" "* OiOOl -^ •^Oi-rt^COTfC-ICO IJOIO CM C^l CM C0 00_^ ^"i-T cm" ^ '^^ ' '^'^^^'^^ •—T ItN-'aTco" 1 I I -^"^ I I I Oi CO I ! t— < co o ,-1 Oi'-H^ ,r-t ,00-^ , ,CDCO(M 1 111 1 1 1 ■'^ 1 I '^ 1— 1 CO '^ 00 1 1 iC t If- 1 i>0 < 1 1 11 , t-^ 1 1 CO I ' 01 1 I I 1 ' 1 !■<:*< It 1 ) 111 t 1 11^ 1 I ! I III II 1 lo 11 11 III 1 1 00 CO 00*" ^ 1 l-rjl-^ 1 ! 1 1 1 I-^ C^b- ^ 1 i^CO 1 1 I 1 1 ICO 1 1 1 1 ■t^'** (M 1 1 lO ':0_^ 1 '<■'"-*'''' ' '=^,CO^ 1 loo" lO ! I 1 1 1 1 ! I 1 I I^t-- , ,t— 1 1 1 1 »ra »o 00 1 1 »0 1 1 CM 1 f 1 »0 I 1 II 1 1 CO 1 1 Cvi 1 1 1 CM 1 1 11 iicO iicOi>icOii II I l'^" II I 1 l^^l" I I II 11'-' 1 I I t 1=^ 1 1 (1 CO t- ■^ 0 CO 11.613 7.435 1,252,318 225,945 40,968 "'*485',267" 3,201,703 537,221 189,186 1.224,566 127,936 - 1 t ^- 11 1 1 CO 1 0 ^ « 1 t 1 1-1 II co^ co" CO 00 co" OO 1 1 "^ -^ 1 1 I 1 1 t O -rt* '-H io.i-^COii..iiii'riOCvit- in ' 1 as t--^ 1 1 1 1 ' > 1 ' ' I . -H ^ c^i I ■ 1 o"cra t^ 1 i-^i lO-M t 1 1 --< 1 1 to -^ 1 1 T-H 1 10 1-— 1 1 1 >o 1 1 ai_ i-H 1 > !-!__ 1 CO 1 1 1 ! ! c-f oS 1 1 co" 1 111 , I I I<^i I II I i iOI--t^ iCO 1 1 1 ' ' ' ' '"^ ' 1=^ I iCOOO-^ 1-rt^ 1 I > I 1 t ' ip 1 lOl II 'TtH t-- 1 CO ' 1 (M 1 1 CO_^ I 1 "jTo" It-t 1 I ; 1 I ; 1 I 11'^' II 1^ oi ; 1 , 1 1 1 1 I 1 1 1 "^ T— 1 00 10 (M' CO Ol 0 0 1 1— 1, 1 era 1 1 CO 1 1 CO 1 CD -^M 1 >ra II C> 1 1 CO^ 1 1 'CM,"^. 'OO. ' ' T-T ' ' co'' I ! l»co6 ',ai ',\ tM CO , , , Oi ,1-^ , , 2 I 1 c^l 1 I 1 |i~-.. 1 1 1 1 (M 1 1 1 1 CO II CO 00 a>^ 0" co^ oT CM i»OCO'-H»-H 1 1 1 it^ 1 1 1 I lO 1 iGO it^oo-rHio 1 1 1 100 1 1 1 1 1 1-< 1 ia> ! im'-xTco"'*" 1 I I loo' I 1 ! I I ! 1*^1 ; ci IT- ; , I , 1 1 1 1 1 II CO CO CM CD GO 1 1 . lO 1 1-* 1 1 1 11 Oil 1 i»C> 1 lO 1 t 1 11 (Ml. 1 ,^ , ,^ 1 1 , II c^" 1 1 1 1 I I c^' 1 I I 11 "M 1 "^ 1 1 1 II a> j 1 1 j J , III II 10 CO^ co" CO I— ^ ii^ ir-io lOO 1 )i>- 1 1 1 1 icD 1 iio lO-l lOOi-H 11— 1 1 li-H t 1 i 1 l05 1 i-^ ICO "C^^O^ '^ ' "-1 ' ' ' ' "—l ' "^- '^" JVoi" Ico" I I-^' I I I I I<^i" 1 I^ (M iM t^ CO CO , , , , «0 , ,1:0 1^ !'-<-COI>-i It .-(COl lllli-lr-1»0»-1t 11 Oi-ll IlllCOb-r-ICOl II oo'ifi ! 11! I i>ri>ri>rc-i" ; i ^ 00 >0 Tf <^ 11* 11 "^ 1 II 1—1 co_ oo" co__ 1 1 I 05 1 i-H >0 1 1 0 1 1 I 1 « 1 1 1 >0 1 1 . 1-* 1 CO iCi I 1 CM 1 1 ' I ' I 1 1 00 1 1 1 »0 1 Tt< CO i 1 1 Cn^ 111 I co' I I 1 1 I 1 I 1 1 1 ^'^ III I ■* 1 I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 CO CM Id co__ CO CM 1 1 1 1 1 1^ ia> 1 1 II C> I 1 1 I 1 t CO 1 o- CO 1 CZ)_ I C 1 1 1 1 1 C-D 1 CO CO o_ 05" 00 i i i i i !?? i i i i i I is ; i is I , 1 I 1 ,S 1 1 1 . . 1 iOO_ • ■ ICM I I I I I I^' I I 1 I I I I*-*" I I I 1 I II I !*^ I t 1 1 > 1 1 III CM CO ill i I i i I 1 I i I i i C<1 CO 00 co" t^ 1 1 1 01 00 1 b» I 1 1 I 1 I 1 1 »o 1 1 ' 1 1 loow lira ^ , , 1 1 t >-* 1^ 1 1 It- 1 1 1 1 1 1^' '.ccf 1 1 ! ! I 1 1 Ico' 1 1 ; I I Ico ; .' I I 1 1 1 I 1 t 1 CO 0 oocn 1 ifM'cH I'rt^co ico 1 1 1 C-1 ^H 1 1 CO t^ 1 0 GO 1 »0 1 1 1 r-HOii icO»Oii-i iTt. 1 1 1 1 1 1 i <—( 1 1 0O_^ I I Il>''"'*" I ^ I I I 1 1 I 1 I 1"^' J J 1 CO ; I I I 1 1 I 1 I 1^^ CO CO 00' en •^11 iT:t^iX)|- E F nr o o o u. •s (n 4_i \- E o rt o Q. cc Q. Q > rr o u I V) E F u. o f 1 I UJ cc 11. E O •n < c ca z .c (£ to o U. u. >i _l .a < •n o Total Mexican brought into California — ' 'O 1 .00 I ' 1 1 ' ' 1 ICO iOO?05000 ii-'5^:0 < ' t t (OOCOJS ■ 1 t oo 'C5 1 .Ci 1 I 1 ' 1 « 1 'O lOiO-— lOt- iCvIC^-^ ^^OO I 1 1 en 1 OS ' 'CM 1 1 1 I 1 1 . ICC r 00 CO *— ■ 00 I -^ (T^l 00 i i l I i ^- t^ CS I i I ^ I C75 I I :d' I I I i I ,' I lO '.C-i ^iT^CO I ^o'co' I I I I I tD*co'o^ I 1 1 lO , o_ j ; 1 1 1 1 I 1 1 1 ^. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 cs III 1 cm" 1 1 III .-,'■ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 III Mexican, brought into California via San Diego__. CO 1 05 1 ICO 1 1 I 1 1 1 1 i^H lOOt^OO iiOOOO 1 1 1 1 iCo">c"'— 1 o"'*"co"oo"co" -rti" c^fc^i" Co" --t'"cvi"ccro''-roo"io"oi"o" OS cm'io'c^T"^ cd"cm"i^"cm"co"oo'od" OOC^1-t^COCOt^OiOt^OO Cit^C-a^C-lCOCOOC-lCO ^COCMCMiOC^C^IiOOO t^iOO CD^r.H O^ l^ t^ CO T^ CO »0 CO nO OO »0 »0_ CM CO ^t^ i0^05 C^l^CM ^ OO i^- ^. i-T lo" ^' co~ •*" aCy~-iXo ^" San Diego, Imperial CD lOO 1 iCTjiO 1 1 1 !<=> CT) >tr^ iio:OiOO-lCD it--iO-^ i i i-*^C5COiO-* ■ ' ■ Oi ICT> 1 i(M»0 1 ' 1 iTtHCO lOO iCDCMMCO^ it-OOOO ■ i iCOO'^^^ > ■ ' CZ> lOO t "-'^'M ' ' 1 ' CCi ii-i iO"tiO(MI>- 1 Oit^i 1 1 ^ I-- -^ CO^Tj* 1 . t icT ! o' I I >o 1 1 I I ^ I "o" I ctTci'io'io'io' I i>.'"io I I 1 ^^ (m'o'co T-T 1 I I CD Oi CO 11 to »Ci OO T-( OO »0 ' to (M CO CO ,11 '^I'^ll'-' llll'-'|C^l| *0 l'-'*^!!,'^ "-^ III ^^ 1 i 1 1 1 1 I II , ^ 1 1 iio" ! 1 ; Orange.. ^00 1 1 iGO 1 1 iiiO iCDt^ iCO 1 ib-t— iOCOt^ i ■ r 1 OS'TtS 1 1 ICD 1 1 100 It-— 1 ICD 1 ilMO lOi 1 lUOiO 1 iCOO-"c> I I Ico III I ! ^^ 1 I a^ c•_ 0^ ; ; CD , , ; ; 1 "^ i 1 '^ t^„ I '"' °°. 1 "*-^ ^^ ' i co" u:r ' ' ' ' ' ' . 1 1 ,_r 1 ^ 1 'TtT 11 ,— ( 1 1 1 1 1 1 III 1 1 !>• 11 1 1 1 1 1 ( III 1 1 1—1 11 San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura O ICO i-^cD 1 1 1 fCO 1 1 lO lO i>0 lO t I1-IC5CO 'OCOCOCO-rtt . i i i CD 1 (M IC3CD ' 1 1 ' *-t 1 1 1 »0 lOO iCD 'O i i CO --l i 00 --i O CO OO i.' ' ' 0_ "O "-'^y^_ 1 1 1 ri-l 1 1 1^^ I'tJH^ iO_ ■•-*_ 1 1 CO^ 1 ^ Tjl '^^'O^ 1 1 1 1 tjT ' (m' I ccr-io" ', 1 1 I 1 ! 1 co" I i-T 1 io" 1 (m" I I --*' 1 T-Tr-T 1 1 1 I OS ~f^^:ii 'OO itO ii-^'M^CO'-'lr- I'M i ' ' i l--^ ,^^,^ , ico-r^ iTt< 1^ 1 '^_'^^ ' t^ ' < ^ -^ O C-1 '^^■^^ "^1 ' ' ' ' r-'i-T I ■^'~00''rp'" I l^'io" I 1 ^' I CO*"--**" ', --i' ', ',iOoi-fO »« -rf^ i CO ' i i OO iM CO -^ i (M it^ i i i i t^ 1 ICOCOCO 1 i-*CO iCO»OiM(M i(M^(M it- i ' it-tOt-i^tH HO i"^ i i i i lO 1 itO00»O 1 <»C-* iCOOOi— 'to It— iTt* ' 1 iC5»OtOOO ' ICO ' 1 1 ' i-T I Ico'o'^" I I'-rt^'oT 'to" »oo i oi »o t- >o tO Cvj,_( , i,_,,_,»0 itOt^COCriCOCfifM iO00"r*l It— c i i i»— '"-fi— iiOOi.__uo^-^ io^^__oo__ci^ 1 ^^oo__Ti^ ■'^^ ' ' "^^'*.^.^oc>„'-' "^^ ^'^^^^ o-cd" I 1 o" (m" 1 '^^"tD'' *-H''co'"to''i-^'~ I co'co" I ^'" 1 I 1 co^oo^o'co'co"" I to" . O^ 11!!! lo'oo ! ! ! CO 1 ! I ! 1 1 ! !>'*IIlIIll- 1 1 1 1 100 lO ' 't- 1 1 ' ' II 1 i i»0 1 I^H il^- 1 1 i05 1-1 lOi 1 ICO lilt I 1 I * 1 ' T-i 1 ' 05^ ' oo^ ' ' ' ^-_ ' ' ' ' • "M 1 1 o_ 1 1 ' ' !!!!!!!!!!! 1 1 '^^ I w*^ I 1 ! i^" I 1 1 ! 1 1 ■ 1 oT ! 1 I ! : ; : ; ; 1 ; ! : . 1 , : . . . .^ . . . . i . . . ; ; ; ; Mendocino, Sonoma, Lake _ . 1 t 1 it^ i(M'35 ICO lO 1 iiO^H fi 1 i05 1 1 i05 i-rHO 1 1 lOS ' 1 1 ' 1 1 1 ItO '»CCO '-^ '03 1 '»OCO • ' 1 lO 1 1 lOO i05»0 1 1 ' 1 1 1 1 "^„<^i. '00_ 'b-_^ ' "Cfi^"- t (M 1 C=> 11* 1 1 1 oo lO C>1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 iT-H 1 II iiM 1— 1 1 lO i(M lO lO 1 1 ii*r-tD t 1 1 II 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 . 1 ' iCO ' O^ ' 'CO_ iC^3_ 1— * ' "^„ ' ' '"^"-.^^^^ ' ' 1 I I I ! I 1 ! oo" I c-i" 1 1 to" ! co" ', I oo" I 1 1 b-' ^"lO I I 1 ! I 1 1 I 1 1 1 i 1 I 1 ! 1^ 1^ 1 !o ; J ic-o J, ,co^o5 ;;;;;;;; ; 11 1 11 1 1 1 III co" 1 I < t 1 1 1 1 1 o ax 1) '5 a> Q. 03 ; i ; ; i i i i i ; : ; i i ! ; i ; i ; ; : i i ; : i : i iji i I ; i ; ; ; ; 1 ; ; ; ; ; ; ; 1 ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; 1 1 ; ; ; ; ]_gj3 1 ; , 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 J 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 , 1 1 iffl^ ' '-^ 1 ^lliio' i-^l^ II im-^4 ' ii«ll§|s.siil ^t TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 121 !>• t-- 05 CD Oi t-^ r^ 05 (3 O CO o O CI o ai t— CT> OO Tj< .-< C^J O lO CD• O '— ' O C^l tC l-^ fM CM CD CO iM lO l>--<#i— it^COiOI>-l--tD»OCJ-^cD:DOai'rrcDO r--.cooooicocDt>>to»o-^ rj* 00 CD "^ »0 CO (M t-H ^t-l>-I>- oo lOCOCOCO-OCSCDiO 00 O CO l^ — I oo T-H CO 00 cr3_ (M lO CM oo O CnoO 00 CI l^ OS >J^ -^ GO CO t^ CO "Tt* *^ t>- CM I>- CO''*^ CO -* C5 ic »o'co" oo CM OC *o OO-^CMQO CM ■^ cDb- CO CO C^l >f^ CD 1-H 05 CO -3 c3 I-- »c tc t— >o oo -— 1 -rt^ C^l CM CD Ol 1— t O CM ^ O .-H CO o ^ CM ^ Oi CM 00 CM CO -*« a ^ CQ o coco CO »0 CO ^OO 00 C5 oo'c^a" CO CM CO O"^ CO'^b- co^ca^o 00 CD TTf CO t— 00 CO a-8 1 to CO en b- — .»o O 1-" c^i CO 1—1 CD T-«CftCO »OQ0 t^ T-H lO CD l>- «D,C^1 ■<^' •-Tc^f CO »0 CO T-H CO ^-1 OcDCO CO t^ O CO -^ 00 '-T o" CM OeD oo 'TtH O C^l CO CO CO CM -^ Tj^ r-Hi-H-^lOCDTtHCMCOIQO cDc:icO"rf»rac^'rti(^cDC^i CO_Ci__^-_CM C5 co__c:5 ^„'~* '^l c-a"cM'~'— rco'-rtH"~co">o"or 1— r »0 COCMCOCOCMCO 05 CO CO c-1 .— I lO oo CO CT> CM CO cjTc^r Oi»0 O CD J'S fe^ 8^ ' I I o .Hs-n" 3i OiCO oo (M to CO -^ Tt* CO r-- oo CO CO o CO CO oo O »0 CO C-1 i^ -^ S I ^ a» a m ^-^ CO b- ^H l^i HZ I I ^ oo co«. CO O b- QO ^ Jrf :5" S "o ^'iS § & o £ ;3 3 3 ^C-^'a?-^ 20a3a2'o /^OFt Calif ^89Z cues Mo/vrefi e Y i i BIJo io e^sfi SA/v PePRo ^^^^^™ ^■^^^ ^■^■H S8'^8S£ CAiti 3 A /I0O,O m len To// 6 OIL PRODUCTION L400000 %ooooo Atof} CaliP J.6i9 aALi llta9S3 £fAi-!> .SA/V P^n we, ^^^^^^* w^m 66'88n dAi-i Sa/v -DifTc^c, P H3S9S ^/'^(^,6t tS^) 5-3, ^/ £iL>- ^ ^.4:^ ^^^S%Vtf>f 4/>r, ^~>-f.3j c. ?x. ''"^lv^?>.^^ 1 '^'^j'i'^^jO %^ i^JL^LS^ 3^>rqr ^ (^^(e;^^ 3 ^ f.^bl^U ^<;-^V4.. / /, (e 0 ;> 1 i / ' r>^^; i.^t /(^ Cj io) )f ^o^^^^.fi Vv-tA'v. w. . ^1 L 4.r^. f> tx:^^^3^~ /(i 5 V, B>-V, \