Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-10-05
GAME DEPARTMENT
MAKES STATEMENT
Say That They Were Not Notified
of Turning Of OF Camas
Reservoir Water
Boise, Idaho.
Oct. 3, 1928

PbiotB ludHbs
Oct. 3, 1928
Publishers, Mountain Home Republi-
Mountain Home. Idaho.
Gentlemen
Our attention has been called to
an article appearing upon the first
| page OF your September 2Sth issue,
wherein reference is made TO a con-
| siderable loss of trout and other
game fish at the Camas Reservoir
and wherein, also, reflection is cast
upon the Game Department for not
| having salyaged these fish, and COM
| pairing the large loss of fry ocea-
stoned by the shutting off of the
water from this reservoir with the
zeal of the department in prosecut-
ing certain of our citizens for hay
in their possession even one under
sized trout.
While your article does not so
state, il probably implies that we had
full knowledge of the condition at
the point referred to and, yet, did
not take ordinary precautions to take
care of it. / believe, therefore. a
frank statement of the facts is in
order.
This particular reservoir and the
canals tributary thereto have been
one Of the problems of this depart
ment for several years in that the ax-
tremely high pressure at the mouth
)t the reservoir has made its SCREEN
ing an impracticability The best
that we have been able to do Is to
rely upon the cooperation of the ir-
rigation company and the sportsmen
n pttFa af Z q
tiee of the shutting off OF this water
and then, by putting men on the
ground salvage as many of these
fish as possible, placing same back
into the reservoir, where, of course.
here is large volume of water.
AS a rule, these gates are not shut
down until from two to three weeks
later. In this instance, neither the
iame Department, nor any man con-
nected with such department, was
notified that the water was to be
turned out of the canals. We re-
eeiyed no word whatsoever in regard
to the matter until Friday night,
It which time Mr.. Charles Faraday,
who happened to drive In from
Mountain Home, 'phoned the office
relative thereto, advising at the same
Time, however, that the damage had
lready been done and that there was
10 possibility of salvage. In order,
however, not to overlook any action
that would tend to save even few
fish, we dispatched the Chief Depu-
ty, and several volunteers to the
Camas Reservoir, which party took
boots, seines and fish cans, but found
conditions to be just as were repre-
5ented by Mr. Faraday in that it was
entirely to late to take acion
! might add, however, for your in
formation, that a certain citizen of
Mountain Home received three days
notice as to the shutting down of
he reservoir. This he has admitted.
It appears that the impression was
rife that this gentleman (although
entirely without authority was re-
the Game Department,
or not he was responsible
for this impression is a question. We
know also that the day the water
was turned off, or day or two pre-
,eding, he 'phoned another enthusias-
tic fisherman at Boise inviting him
over on a so-called fishing trip. This
after party claims not to have been
advised as to the true condition.
Being asked just why If he had
inNAft VI bht tOlLtIhDiditu dtbiCu Ol
he irrigation company, he did not
notify the Game Depart
nent, the Mountain Home citizen
made the statement that he put in
call for w. Van Iorns, Deputy
lame Warden at Gienns Ferry, had
his call in for three, in fact, but
without being able to communicate
With Mr.. Van Iorns. Does 1T not ap-
ear reasonable to you that the log
2al course for this man to have pur-
ued would have been to call up the
lame Department at Boise (Which
ould have been done with no ex-
ense to himself) when he found
hat he could not communicate direct
nth Van Iorns? This knowledge
yas in his possession three days, and
we had been notified even a few
ours before the contemplated action,
re could have had on the ground
rom SO to 100 good, reliable sports
len of this community who would
ave been able TO salvage and place
ack into the Camas Reservoir not
My all the fish that this citizen,
company with the Boise gentle
an referred to, secured, (which we
nderstaud amounted to several hun
reds of pounds) but could have
wed, also, the countless gunny sacks
,ferred to in your article, and
ore than probably, thousands of
le smaller fry.
This letter is not written in a spirit
criticism of your article. as had
e knowledge of the irrigation COM
iny's intentions and failed to inn
take proper precautions;
e certainly would have deserved to
ave been censored, but since the
cts are just as have been outlined
this letter, we feel that in justice
the department our constituents
ould be entitled to the truth and
e feel that we can rely upon your
irit of fairness TO see that same is
ven as much publicity as the article
ferred to.
Very Truly Yours,
r.. p. THOMAS,