Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-10
Fish and Wild Game
Dying From Drought
BY HARDEN COLFAX.

Work which has cost the Bureau of
Fisheries millions of dollars has gone
for naught. Fish planted in streams
and lakes at great expense have been
destroyed and the native denizens of
inland waters have suffered severely.
1t may require years to bring the fish
population up to its former mark as a
result of this Summers extreme heat
and drought
This condition has brought forth in
sistent demands from the States for
the reforeStation of lands adjoining
lakes and waterways and for . plan of
flood protection which will insure a
fairly steady level of water throughout
the year. The War Department is now
studying plans which will not only pre-
vent damage from floods. but will OBJ
viate water shortages.
In the South, East and Middle West.
the drought has taken a heavy toll of
fish. The heat has dried up and killed
off much of the vegetation on which
fish feed and which provides spawning
places and refugees for the young fish.
When the waters dropped, many fish
were left In hollows and shallow pools.
These waters became heated and the
fish died by thousands.
y X +
Many were rescued by being picked
up, placed in cans and taken to places
where the water was deeper and colder.
The glare of the sun on the shallow
water has made many fsh blind, ac-
cording to thhe Fisheries Department.
Many migratory flsh which come up
the streams to spawn have been land
locked and cannot escape.
In the streams running into the
oceans and the Gulf Of Mexico the flow
has dropped until tidewater has ad-
This mixture of salt water has been
fatal to many fresh-water fish which
could not get upstream because of the
shadows.
Clubs and private sportsmen who
have stocked preserves with fish will
face a shortage for years to come and
the replacing OF the fish killed will cost
millions. Even the hatcheries of the
Government, which are fed by springs
in many instances, have suffered Some
saltwater fish are being found amaz-
ing distances inland. 1t may be neces-
sary for the Fisheries Department to
enlarge still further its establishments
and broaden It's program for the next
few years.
Wild game Is suffering almost as
much as the flsh. Grass, trees and
underbrush are burned brown and are
without sustenance In most cases. The
noImal watering places of wild game
have been deserted and many wild ami
mails are clustering around the farm
houses and even the cities for relief.
Small relief can be afforded them
because domestic animals also have
suffered. In some sections Of the coun-
try farmers have their springs and wells
padlocked and are guarding their water
Ing troughs and streams with shotglinS
Long strings of hungry and thirsty cat
tie are being driven along the roads
to the rivers. Automobiles can ford
streams which normally boil bank full,
with danger even to the stoutest SWIM
mer.
Pastures are as bare as Mother Hub
bard's cupboard and some farmers are
unable in their districts to buy feed
of any kind. Some killed their stock
because they could neither feed nor
sell them. In the East, where each
farmer normally raises or feeds a few
cattle. sheep OF hogs, beef on the hoot