bility. This production will support an estimated 743,000 fisherman-days annually. Funds are requested to cover production and distribution of fish, custodial maintenance, and other operational costs. Six permanent positions are requested, an increase of one position over fiscal year 1970.

McNenny, South Dakota $8,000. This unit rears brown and rainbow trout for distribution to Federal and State management programs in Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. The trout production deficit in these States totalled 3.8 million fish in 1965. Hatchery management and production are tied in closely with the Diet Testing and Development Center located at this station. This Center is engaged in development of diet specifications, quality control of manufactured feed (including plant inspections), and testing of various diet components and component levels. This work is based on findings resulting from programs of the Division of Fishery Research. The increase requested is needed to fund the expanding work requirements of the Development Center. One additional permanent position is required to handle routine and custodial jobs. This will enable the other personnel to carry out more efficiently quality control analysis and diet development work. It will also allow more time for the professional staff to analyze final test data and prepare materials for publication. The balance of the increase will be used for increased travel (in connection with plant inspections) and other operational costs of the Center.

Quinault, Washington $7,000. When completed, this unit will produce about 6.0 million chinook, silver, and chum salmon (weighing about 135,000 pounds) for distribution to waters on the Quinault Indian Reservation and other coastal streams of northwest Washington. In fiscal year 1971, output from the unit will total approximately 25,000 pounds, and increase of 5,000 pounds over fiscal year 1970. The Public Utilities District has agreed to install an underground power cable to the hatchery site with costs amortized over a period of years. Contract negotiations with the PUD are being handled by the General Services Administration. The increase requested in 1971 is the estimated amount needed to cover annual amortized costs of the power cable.

Coleman, California - $34,500.

This hatchery was constructed to help mitigate the loss of spawning areas for anadromous fish resulting from construction of Shasta Dam. Chinook salmon and steelhead trout are produced for stocking in the Sacramento River and its tributaries. The program also includes production of rainbow and Kamloops trout for stocking waters on national recreational areas, military bases, and Indian reservations. In 1968, a newly developed water reconditioning system was completed at the Coleman hatchery. That system has greatly increased the potential production capabilities of the station by reducing the incidence of chinook virus disease and thus greatly lowering the mortality in production lots. The system has also increased the growth rate of the fish and led to more effective conversion of food. The increase requested in 1971 will be used to bring production to about 80 percent of capacity. Funds are needed for one additional permanent position, temporary labor, purchase of fish food, and other operational expenses.

Coleman National Fish Hatchery, California. Migrating adult salmon and steelhead are stopped by the barrier dan and diverted by the fish ladder (1) to the adult holding ponds and spawning facilities (2); fertilized eggs are transferred to the hatchery building (3) where the eggs are incubated and hatched and the fry fed and reared to small fingerling; the fingerlings are later transferred to concrete raceways (4) for rearing to proper size for release. Support buildings (5) provide space for vehicle and equipment storage, fish food, and shop facilities.

The role of hatchery production programs is essentially to help support the resource base. Production techniques and methodology vary according to the type of fish being reared. The drawing below illustrates the contribution of hatcheries engaged in the production of Pacific salmon species.

Lamar, Pennsylvania - $25,000. This hatchery produces trout and warmwater fish for distribution to waters in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. A small number of coho salmon have been reared during the past several years as part of the cooperative program with Pennsylvania. In addition to the regular production program, a trout culture Development Center is operated at this hatchery. The increase is requested to expand the scope of studies and investigations at the Center. To date, only a token amount ($10,000) has been available for work at the Center. As a result of this limited funding, it has not been possible to assign personnel to full-time duty at the Center. This has prevented a meaningful program. With the increase requested, one position will be scheduled for full-time work at the Center and funds will be available to cover purchase of supplies and materials, and necessary contractual services (such as fabrication of special equipment items). The Center will carry out basic work in the following major areas: (1) analysis and treatment of hatchery effluents; (2) evaluation of mechanical feeders for raceways; (3) evaluation of automatic fish weighing devices for distribution trucks; and (4) investigation of automatic methods to determine numbers and weights of fish in production facilities, using electrical or electro-mechanical devices and counters.

(c.) Tehama-Colusa spawning channels, California $125,200. The spawning channels and support facilities are being constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation. These facilities will mitigate the loss of salmon spawning areas to be inundated by the Red Bluff Diversion Dam and enhance the anadromous resource. Funds to operate the facilities were first appropriated in fiscal year 1967 and an increase made available in fiscal year 1968. In fiscal year 1970, base operating funds will total $97,900; except for addition of supplemental pay act funds, the operational funding level has remained constant for three years. During the period 1969-1971, extensive additional facilities will have been completed.

These include the administration and maintenance buildings, fish trapping facilities, and a large public recreation park, providing picnic areas, roads, parking areas, sanitation facilities, and boat launching ramps. In 1971 a large visitors' center will be finished, and all fish production facilities completed by July 1, 1971. An increase of $125,200 and five permanent positions is requested in fiscal year 1971. This increase is urgently needed to operate, maintain, and furnish the facilities now in place and those scheduled to come on line during 1971. The work includes acquistion of furnishing and equipment, including laboratory equipment, for the administration, maintenance, and visitor's center buildings; supervision and maintenance of the recreation park, including purchase of needed maintenance equipment; biological tests related to the environmental conditions of the channels, such as general water quality, percolation and circulation, and food availability tests; and general upkeep and maintenance of all physical facilities. A total of 225,000 visitors is expected in 1971, an increase of 135,000 over 1970.

(2) Standby duty

$434,000 Standby duty is scheduled at 88 of the 90 hatcheries funded in this estimate and the Tehama-Colusa spawning channels and the Yakima fish screen project.

In order to effectively administer the programs of fish hatcheries, many employees are required to remain at their stations considerably in excess of the normal tour of duty of 40 hours per week. A substantial amount of the additional official duty is standby in readiness to perform their regular duties as the occasion arises. This requirement exists for designated employees whether or not they are also required as a condition of their employment to reside at the station.

The small number of employees per hatcheries and tight employment restrictions make it impossible to establish staggered tours of duty to provide for almost round-the-clock surveillance needed at facilities including holidays and weekends.

A major consideration at fish hatcheries is to insure that there is no interruption to the water supply. This is vital at hatcheries with water pumping or reuse water systems where mechanical or power failures could be disasterous, or at hatcheries where the water supply is subject to frequent interruptions due to anchor ice, accumulation of leaves or debris, tampering, and other factors.

In addition to this major concern, general surveillance of facilities is necessary to prevent vandalism, theft, and to safeguard confined wildlife, monitor heavy visitor use, and to provide fire and flood protection.

Legal authority for premium pay for regularly scheduled standby duty is in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 5545. The additional annual cost to compensate employees is $434,000.

(3) National Fisheries Center and Aquarium $-218,700 and -1 position. This reduction will result in a delay in contracting for the preparation and/or design of such exhibits as "The Everglades,' a semi-tropical swamp-like area to be located in a greenhouse; the "Trout Stream," depicting a typical mountain stream approximately 100 feet in length; the "Community Pool," to be located in a tank about 45 feet in diameter; also other exhibits of varied shapes and sizes, such as a beaver marsh, orientation theatres, etc. It will also restrict the Fisheries Center from exercising options for one year on existing contracts for the preparation of educational material in the form of visual aids.

Program of Work: The National Fish Hatchery System began with the establishment in September 1872 of a salmon egg-collecting station on the McCloud River in California. The System has two primary objectives:

1. To produce and distribute the species, sizes, and numbers of high quality hatchery-reared fish required to preserve and enhance the resource and provide both sport and commercial fishing opportunities.

2. To demonstrate and develop improved techniques and methods of fish culture in order to advance the practice of fish husbandry in private, State, and Federal hatcheries, and to provide assistance to foreign governments.

The objectives, supporting program, and program results on fish production can be summarized as follows:

Objectives. --To stock waters on (a) Federal lands, (b) cooperative FederalState management areas, and (c) private lands; to support research programs; and to help preserve rare or endangered species.

Program. --Develop, operate, and maintain a national hatchery system; compile short- and long-range stocking requirements; assure high quality of production lots.

Results. --Better sport fishing; maintenance of commercially important fish species; economic benefits to communities and commercial fishermen; encouragement of better soil and moisture conservation practices; greater understanding of resource management requirements; more scientific knowledge about fish; and maintenance of the resource.

For technical assistance, the objectives, program, and results are:

Objectives. --To improve fish cultural practices and techniques; to limit the spread of fish diseases.

Program. --To operate fish cultural development centers, in-service training schools; to provide specialized biological services.