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Show Winter Time Active For Fish & Game Specialists Cedar City is the hub of the Southern Regional Division of the Utah State Department of Fish and Game. What does this mean to Iron County residents? Perhaps Per-haps the principal advantage is that a regional office is located here, giving a boost to the economy, econo-my, particularly during the hunting hunt-ing and fishing seasons. Hunters and fishermen who might otherwise pass through Cedar City, now stop to obtain licenses, permits, and obtain authentic au-thentic hunting and fishing information. Under the regional operation, established about four years ago, departmental activities are decentralized de-centralized and brought to the public on a local level. The "game warden", as all male employees em-ployees have been called in the past, no longer exists. Why? Because Be-cause most of the fieldmen, except ex-cept hatchery and refuge employees, em-ployees, are now responsible for informing the local public, fish and game management, as well as liaison officers with various other state and federal agencies. Thus the "game warden" is now rightfully called a "conservation officer." To assist the conservation officer of-ficer and other field men in the region, specialists in law enforcement, en-forcement, public education, game and f isheries management work out of the office in Cedar City. Game and fish management is no longer a seasonal occupation. For a moment let's take a look at the winter activities of the Regional Fisheries Manager, one of the specialists at the regional office. Variety is the rule in this job. However, the ultimate goal is to "sho. ten the time between bites" for the angler, as well as provide the maximum amount of recreation. recrea-tion. One of the major duties in winter is analyzing physical, chemical and biological data collected col-lected during the angling season. This includes such items as water wa-ter supplies and temperatures, fish species composition and general gen-eral abundance, angling success, water chemistry data, annual growth of fish, disease analysis, watershed geology, and basic productivity of microscopic plants and animals. These things are constantly in a dynamic environment, environ-ment, and must be monitored continually for good management. manage-ment. Encroachment upon public fisheries by private and public interests occurs year-round and must be checked out. Water filings fil-ings by individuals andor companies, com-panies, highway construction ' along fishing streams such as the At right it an example of what happens to some of the streams where road improvements improve-ments are made. Streams become be-come unable to support fish life and require considerable work to rehabilitate. proposed Interstate 70 in Sevier and Millard counties, water po-lution, po-lution, and closing of public lands to angler access are but a few of these items. A tangible result of protests in highway construction con-struction and destruction of fish and wild-life habitat has finally I come about; a written agreement now exists between the highway and fish and game departments, whereby the latter has a voice in how new highways are built (where wildlife Is involved). Reservoir p re-impoundment and water purchase investiga-tions investiga-tions to develop new public fisheries fish-eries are year-round activities. Again, field data is collected in summer and worked up in win- Biological tests are conducted conduct-ed on the lakes during the winter month by chopping through the Ice as shown at right. Tests help evaluate waters and their ability to support fish during the winter win-ter months. ter. In Iron County the department depart-ment has attempted to purchase water in both Newcastle and Paragonah reservoirs for fish culture. cul-ture. Two Important reservoir sites on Cedar Mountain (Sydney I Valley and Louder Ranger Pond) I have been studied, and will eventually be built either privately pri-vately or for the public. About ten other sites are being worked on, and two of these (Johnson) Valley reservoir in Sevoir County! and LaBaron reservoir in Beaver' County) are scheduled for con-1 struction In 1964 by the depart-1 ment. Few persons realize that' the finished fishing lake is the. culmination of months or even years of investigations and ne- gotiations of water rights, landi access, water supply studies, biological bio-logical feasibility for raising fish, I engineering, etc. Much of this is winter work. A vital activity of the fisheries specialist during the winter is assistance and supervision of the I four stale iiatviictitrs located t Beaver, Glenwood, Loa ard Hatch. Fish disease diagnosis j and treatment, water chemistry i analysis, record keeping, fish genetics ge-netics and general hatchery tech-niques tech-niques are coordinated with each 1 hatchery superintendent. Winter j I and spring months are critical at the hatcheries, for this is the time eggs are hatching and fish numbers are at capacity. Record keeping and report Is best summed up by the phrase writing are important winter "you don't know where you're functions. The importance of this going, if you don't know where you've been." A backlog of good r . X - t U J ' IWdWrteafc V V x -Nlini lilt it lur-r' -1 -frnt . mirMtmniitin i imi I. ,2 (?' il .,? ,,J - ' , i. i. .. ..- .. : i ' ' ' : ' " information assures answers tomorrow to-morrow when public pressure do- r mands it. v Travel over the entire region, which covers all or pnrts ci ten counties, goes on continually as -the need arises. This often re-C(iiires re-C(iiires loni; hours extra work, without the benefit of overtime pay. There are approximately 155 fishing waters in the region that are stocked by the department, each one requiring individual attention. at-tention. It is interesting to note that, like people, no two water are alike biologically, chemically or physically. We are well aware that good fishing isn't the result of propaganda pro-paganda in newspapers or "bally hoo." Results must speak for themselves. If your fishing trips i were successful In 1963, we're I glad. If not, tell us and let's j find out why. i |
