The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-07-16
DEATH OF TROUT IN
BATTENK|LL DUE
TOL|TTLE OXYGEN
Early and Continued Hot Wealth
er Was Cause
ONLY BROWN TROUT DIED
Native Trout Active Enough to
Find Their Way to Where
Water Is Aerated
ONLY BROWN TROUT DIED

Editor Of the Banner:-I have read
several articlel in the Banner within
the last few weeks in regard t. The
mortality Of trout In the Battenklll
river aad as the same conultion has
existed In many other streams IN the
East during the present summer, my
purpose in writing this ,etter Is to en-
deayor TO explain as briefly as possible
my belief as to the cause.
There Is no question in my mind
that the trout IN the Battenkll d ed
because of an, insufficient supp OF
oxygen In the water and for this bel ef
] have the following reasons:
have been registering the tempepa-
ture OF the water in the Battenki
river during the last five years and
ind that during the recent heated
period 1t was ten degrees higher than
during the sumner five years ago. d
change undoubtedly due to the denuda-
ton Of forest land resulting in higher
water In the spring lower water IN
the summer and consequent higher
temperature In extremely warm wealth,
er.
II is a recognized fact that warm
water Will throw off oxygen more
rapid y than cold water and that any
foreign or organic matter will absorb
oxygen from the water. As the water
In the Battenk'l !. at the time the fish
were dying was the lowest and the
warmest (nearly 20 degrees) within
my memory. and as morC waste such
as marble dust. sawdust and shavings.
AS well as domestic sewage. was be
Ing permitted to find its way into the
ftream, there must have been but
little oxygen left in the water
Al the time the dead fish were Icing
reported | went to Ar inston at the
request of officials of the Arlington
Fish and Game cub. to make an In.
vestigat on, and as far al | was able
TO learn not a single brook trout or
sucker had been found among the dead
fsh. To my mind this circumstance
is sumo ent evidence that the mortality
Is not due TO disease. Native trout are
more susceptible to seasa than the
other variety found in the stream
and from my knowledge of the habits
OF the brook and brown trout. | am
convinced that the brook trout either
asoended the small spring brooks O.
sought safety In the deep snring
holes In the bottom OF the stream
while the brown II n neglected to leave
the deep still holes until r. was too
late.
Had any poisonous substance found
Its way into the stream Il would have
killed the brook trout and suckers
q we'll as the brown trout. All of the
dead fish discovered were lac brown
trout weighing from one 70 four
pounds. A large fish iequices more
oxygen to keep alive than small one
fact that consider another nrgu
ment in favor OF my conteatlon tnat
lack OF oxygen was respon ible. for
the deplorable condition.
Al the mill at West Arlington where
nearly all OF the dead brown trout
we're found, the water was not run.
ing over the dam at the time | sit
ed the stream A of the Mater was
being taken through the fume to the
wheel. | was Informed that only 81
FISH had been taken from the grating
1T the head OF the fiume, which would
Indicate that the morta ity was not
SO large was rumored at the time.
According TO reports made 10 Inc
there has not been ngle dead fish
found in the + yer nee the heavy
lain which followed the long dry spell,
fact, | lelieve, VIII ch goes Tar TO
nrove my claim that an absence Of
oxygen was responsible.
Just n word in regard to the po'
luton which has already ruined
some OF the best trout streams in the
state. believe ! am safe in saying
that more pollution has been created
in our rivers and brooks Turing the
list five years than during the scnre
Of years preceding, and II is evident
that unless some corrective measures
are adopted In the near future We are
going to pass on to coming generations