Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-05-26
WASTE Or TROUT
IN UTAH STREAMS
Rancher on Provo River Explains
How Thousands OF Fish Are
Lost Every Year.
SCREENS NEEDED ON bitches
Law Has Been Eladcd and Ignored
While Vast Number. Of Trout
Have Been Killed.

The awakening 90 mtcres. IN Salt
Lakes fishing future is bringing proni-
nenty forward the question OF what
Kind Of FISH protective association win
get protection whore it rs needed.
The answer seems 90 be after careful
investigation, that II won't be a Salt
Lake society, however powerful but a
state society. which viii get in touch
with the principal fishing streams in
Ilah. learn the exact and detailed con-
dl'ions prevailing along them. and keep
constantly IN touch with them through
the raneners who live along the banks.
I'M situation Is that the state aI-
ready has well developed hatchery,
when stocks the streams. and the
farmers have irrigatng systems that
uhslotk them as fast as the work il
done, or market fishermen have Gyna-
mite thdJ arcompIlshes the same pur-
pose and that could be prevented il
there was anyone taking the initiative
ln securing punishment of the guilty.
Inc fishermen need not figure on the
hostility OF The farmers in their work,
Tor ola ilshermen know that residents
along streams seldom fish them for
the reason that their farm work keeps
Them too busy and that the charm of
outing and recreation Is not there 10
make the thing worth while. The loss
through the irrigation ~ because the
farmers cant help 1t. rather than for
any other reason. according 10 oxpana-
IONS made by one who has watched the
waste along the Provo for some time,
TO FATTEN HOGS.
The FIRST time noticed the waste Of
fish along the Provo said visitor
from that section today, was last
spring Up above my ranch farmer
lives who Keeps number of hogs, and
when the nigh water came II left pool
near MS barns ! noticed the hogs
ont IN IL, eating fish, and said well,
What you got IN the pond, carp?
Nope. came the answer. trout. and
] don't see what can do about b..
They came up with the high water. and
We're LETT there.
ION looking over the pond ! found
there must have been 200 big game fish
| IN ID, that had been seeking spawning
\ grounds. Early In spring, when the
! first irligating water is taken out the
| big FISH are making their way up tn
spawning grounds. and come out In the
bitches IN great number. because there
is no protection.
Last summer when / turned In my
FIRST irrlgatug stream. ] gathered up
several buckets full OF big fish and
carried them back TO The river. bur /
didn't have time to keep up this work.
! notified the game warden about IT,
but he paid no attention Besides the
big hsh there were thousands OF little
ones HAT were spread out on the
ground and lost track or Later In
the season women who We're acquainted
with the situation came out 10 the lrri-
eating bitches and gathered up ash by
The basketful'
The statement here IS typical OF he
situation. The Legislature planned for
screens but the farmers did not want
to undertake the expense and objected
10 anything that obstructed the natur-
al fow Of the water" one veteran de-
clared today that FISH Win not go under
an ordinary water wheel, and il these
wheels We're installed in the intake OF
the canals along the big streams IL
would serve the purpose Of the screen
without I'm any way blocking up Of the
water
Another bit " work that ought 10 be
done. is to provide fish runways over
waterfalls and distractions that pre-
vent them from getting far enough up
the stream In the spawning season, for
the spawn 90 he protected.
IL Is thought by many who love fish.
ing as a recreation. that N the present
association win extend Itself AN over
,hc state, ana then prepare sketches of
the streams. and keep in touch With the
people living along them. by means 81
correspondence, reports Oh waste or
depredatious can be had at frequent I'm
tervals. and IN this way tho prcsen,
evils can be partially eliminated.