The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1924-10-31
ANOTHER CANARD
NAILED To MAST.
Game Department Made
Effort to Save
Fish.

II. f. Samuels. Progressive candi-
date Tor Governor, in attempting TO
make political capital out OF the drain
age OF the Magic Dam. bids for the
sportsman's vote by deploring the
wasicful destruction OF fish. magnify
ing many-fold the true situation.
In order TO give the sportsmen OF
Idaho the exact truth OF the Magic
Reservoir drainage. Mr. John Z. Bad
ley. Manager OF the Big Wood canal
Company. insists on registering a pro-
test against Mr.. Samuels misrepre-
scntation The letter is self explana-
tory and is as follows:
ShoShonc, Idaho.
October Fl. 1924.
Mr. r. f. Thomas.
State Game Warden.
Boise, Idaho
Dear Sir:
As there has been considerable I'M
just criticism directed against the
Game Department. regarding the loss
OF fish in the Magic Reservoir when
it was drained on July Sth. last; all.
mile wide and twenty feet deep in
conditions than anyone else, wish to
give the facts to the public
Knowing that Magic Reservoir
would be emptied this season. you and
your deputies in this district. took
the matter up with me personally ..
couple weeks in advance of the tiTe
the reservoir was drained, and asked
me to keep the Department informed
as to the date the water would go
out, and asked il | could suggest any
way to prevent a loss of fish As had
occurred in every short water year.
informed your department that al
that could be done was to pull the
trash-screen in front of the gates her
the water got low enough. so we could
reach the screens with graphing
hooks. This was done. Your De
putty was there and assisted in this |
work and stayed at the dam until the
next day. When the screens were
opened on the evening OF July 9th.
there wasn't dead fish in the reser-
voir and there was plenty of fresh
water running in and out. The next
morning there were great number
of dead fish floating down against tn :
tower. The reservoir was drained as
much as il is possible to drain il. but
there still remained a body of water
a half mile long and quarter OF 4
mile wide and twenty fee deep ~
places. with 81 second feet running
through, and there has never been
less water there than that this sea-
son. Now, why should the fish die
The reason is as follows: Every |
fisherman knows that when a stream
drops the trout start upstream. When
the reservoir started dropping so rap |
idly the fish went upstream and when
the water receded below, the mud |
fats that have been formed about
mile a bove the dam. running v7ter
cut channel through that mud, and
the trout attempting to go up was
smothered with the loose flowing 1
mud and foaed down against the
tower, or went through the open
gates. | personally examined many ot
the dead fish and found the gills filled
with mud, and am sure that was the
cause OF their death, as the loss I'll
occurred that first day.
The fish that died were 50 few in
comparison to those that got psircam
and down through the gates :: they /
are hardly worth mentioning 1t
would have been impossible to N1vc
seined that lake a half a mile long
with all the debris in the bottom, ole
trees, stumps, rocks, etc.
Now Mr.. Thomas, you may use any
part or all OF this letter, and am
willing to make affidavit to the same,
or meet any man or group of men
in defense OF what / say.
Why so much ado about this mat
ter at this time, when in 1920 the
loss was so many times greater and
nothing was said.
Very truly yours.
(Signed) John f. Bailey.