Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-05-16

perch and sunflsh. the large mouth
bass or the carp may be pulled IN.
Another result of flooded conditions
is the danger that is presented often
times by the washing in Of polluted
waters into streams that have been
heretofore suitable for the breeding
and maintenance of fish life. If, for
example, quantities of gasoline or oil
are washed with flood waters into the
Rappahannock. the polluted waters
would be source of destruction to
countless fish life and might easily
destroy fishing for a season in that
area. Fortunately, however, the Blu
reau of Fisheries assures us that to
their knowledge, no such catastrophies
occurred this season and that they
have received no complaints about
the pollution Of streams as a result
Of the Spring floods.
THE bureau has planted quantities
Of sunflsh in time for this year 8
fishing. this little fellow being a IA
vorite in many localities. In Gunston
Cove and Aqua Cove they have set
out numerous bass as well as in estu-
aries all along the Potomac. And
from their shad hatchery at Fort Bel
voir, down the Potomac. they have
sent out numbers of shad and yellow
perch to be planted along the river
in its widest areas, and bass 10 be
planted in small ponds throughout
the Potomac area in Maryland ard
Virginia and the District.
The yellow perch were planted in
the middle of April, and it is probable
the stock was somewhat depleted by
the floods, although an effort had
been made to preserve them by plant
ing them below Mount Vernon in
protected coves at points where the
river Is widest. There are certain
areas where young fish do get stranded
by the flood waters and when damage
occurs to any great extent, rescue
crews make efforts to retrieve the
trapped fish when the waters recede,
Many of the frys. too small to survive,
are lost forever.
This rescue work is a permanent
part of the Fisheries Bureaus activities
in certain parts of this country where
Spring floods are regular in appear
ance and dependable in violence and
high waters Along the Mississippi,
for example, for years the bureau has
been carrying on salvage work to res
cue the fish stranded by the f1ood
waters and trapped in the ponds and
holloWs when the waters recede.
SEEMING crews comb the country
side along the river for sdkeral hun
dred miles, after the annual floods,
and last year 43,500,000 fish were
saved from the land-locked pools and
transferred to the main river or dis
tributed to other waters adjacent to
the Mississippi. More than 100000
Of these rescued fish were utilized for
filling applications at some distance
from the river.
A strong demand, James informs
us, has been built up for these res
cued fish in the Middle West, since
they are Of large lingering size when
seined and are zhighly valuable for
stocking. Future shipments from this
source will be less and less, however,
for the development of the 9-foot
channel up to the Twin Cities is au-
tomatically going to make salvage
work unnecessary. The progressive
oanalization Of the Mississippi is pro-
ducing a series Of ponds at stable
levels where fish can live permanently,
so that eventually flood conditions
and trapped fish after receding waters
will be thing Of the past.
For many years, however, rescue
station has been maintained at La
Crosse, Wis, where for two months
OF the year crews as large as 200 in
certain seasons have been busy SAL
vaging the fish. Gradually this force
has been reduced, but this Spring,
nevertheless, much rescue work was
accomplished.
THE floods in Ohio this year were
responsible for the destruction OF
large numbers OF fish. When the
waters receded they were found in the
cornfields or in the meadows. The
suddenness of the floods in this area
this Spring and the unusual high
waters they brought were responsible
for this destruction, for the personnel
Of the rescue stations Of the bureau
had to give all their attention to saw
ing themselves and others. I'VE were
all too busy saving people this year
to give much attention to the fish"
James states. And he should know,
for he made survey of the devastated
area shortly after flood waters had
subsidized.
The ravages Of the Ohio River floods
particularly affected the Bureau Of
Fisheries station at Louisville, KY.
Here the hatchery was inundated on
January %, on Sunday, and the
personnel had to flee. On February
20 James went over the grounds and
the property.
THE entire station grounds" he
said, were flooded to a depth Of 4
feet or more and the superintendent's
dwelling, pump house, Office and
hatchery building were likewise under
water for number of days.
Probably the most serious conse-
quence IS the loss Of the small-mouth
bass brood stock. Several hundred
adult fish were salvaged, but these
comprise other species. Special effort
will be made to secure q new brood
stock in advance OF the coming spawn
ing season.
I'VE found" added James, "that
the floods had given US q very unfair
exchange. They had taken our fine
brood stock Of bass and when the
waters subsidized we found In their
place an assortment of carp and cat
fish that We promptly returned to the
river"
The Spring ako saw the destruc-
ton Of the Birdsview, Baker Lake,
Washington station Of the Bureau OF
Fisheries this season. An unusually
heavy snowfall in that area resulted
in an accumulation Of snow on the
hatchery roof that caused the collapse
Of that structure. So inaccessible Is
the region that, before Spring had
opened the roads, precautions could