Saturday, June 17, 2006

Don't eat the Pike Mercury levels are up at Vallecito reservoir, according to the Durango Herald. From the article, "... mercury has again reached serious levels in Vallecito Reservoir north of Durango. At a public meeting Tuesday in Vallecito, a research scientist from the health department will explain her findings on mercury in fish from the reservoir and why the reservoir will be posted. She also will make recommendations on limiting the consumption of northern pike and walleye caught there. According to Lucia Machado, a physical research scientist at the state health department, routine sampling in Vallecito Reservoir shows that the level of mercury in some northern pike and walleye exceeds the 0.5 parts per million allowed by the department. Mercury poisoning can affect anyone, but pregnant women and children younger than 6 are particularly susceptible. Mercury affects the developing nervous system in fetuses and children. Mercury can cause cardiovascular problems and affect the central nervous system in adults. Consumption recommendations for northern pike and walleye pike are based on the type of fish, its size and whether the person is a woman who is pregnant, nursing or planning to conceive; a child younger than 6 years old; or a member of the general population. The recommendations don't cover trout or kokanee salmon, which also can be found in Vallecito Reservoir.... "Anglers still are going after northern pike and walleye, Sanders said. After all, fishing for pike is one thing, eating them is another, he said. Mercury levels in northern pike and walleye are a concern because they are predators that eat other fish, according to Joe Lewandowski, a spokesman for the Colorado Division of Wildlife in Durango. The larger the predator, the more mercury it accumulates, he said. Kokanee salmon eat plankton and trout eat plankton and bugs mainly, he said. Pike, which have reproduced naturally since they were stocked in Vallecito decades ago, abound in Vallecito Reservoir, Lewandowski said. Trout and kokanee salmon must be stocked every year, he said. Trout are the favorite prey of northern pike and walleye, he said, because kokanee inhabit deeper water." Category: Colorado Water 10:15:35 AM     Water Sentinels The Sierra Club is starting a citizen program to monitor pollution in Fountain Creek, according to the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article, "The Sierra Club plans to begin monitoring Fountain Creek from Colorado Springs to the Arkansas River beginning in August, and is looking for volunteers to help with the program. A $4,000 grant from the Sierra Club will establish a Water Sentinels organization in Pueblo, said Jenny Kedrick, who will coordinate the program... "Kedrick, who graduated from Colorado State University-Pueblo with a degree in biology this year, said testing will be for E. coli bacteria and possibly other pollutants. Tests will be made using laboratory equipment at CSU-Pueblo. A training session with Scott Dye, head of the national Water Sentinels program, will be July 22, although a site has not been selected, Kedrick said. Training will cover water sampling, analysis and interpretation of the results. About six people have contacted her so far through recruiting at CSU-Pueblo, but others are welcome to participate." Category: Colorado Water 9:52:22 AM     Drought news Here's a short update on the return of drought from the Rocky Mountain News. They write, "Colorado agricultural counties expect a 50-75 percent reduction in wheat and alfalfa harvests this year because of drought, high winds and heat. The grim assessment by the Federal Farm Services Agency led to Gov. Bill Owens' request this week for federal disaster assistance for 25 Colorado counties, bringing the total number of counties up for emergency help this year to 28. In May the governor sought the designation for Morgan, Adams and Weld counties, after 440 irrigation wells were shut down because they were not in compliance with a new state law. Extremely dry weather since April has left farmers in southern Colorado and on the eastern Plains struggling to irrigate their crops. The situation isn't as dire as in 2002, though, when the governor declared the state - all 64 counties - a drought disaster area. Dan Hopkins, Owens' spokesman, said the governor has asked for disaster designations for counties every year since 1999. The designation qualifies farmers and ranchers for low-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and and for some income tax relief. 'The significance here is that the drought has persisted since 1999,' Hopkins said. 'The point being that we haven't seen an end to the drought.' State officials said it would take at least six to eight weeks to determine whether the emergency status would be approved. Jim Miller, policy director for the Colorado Department of Agriculture, said the hot weather and high winds that have prevailed during the past two months may mean 2006 will be the second-worst for agriculture since 2002... "Flows in the river, which covers the metro area and the Northern Front Range, are roughly half of what they were forecast to be as recently as February. And in the Arkansas River Basin, flows have fallen from a projected 112 percent of average to just 70 percent in the same time frame, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service. At the same time Colorado has re-emerged as a hot spot on the U.S. Drought Monitor. The monitor indicates that all of the state has re-entered a drought classification, with the entire Front Range identified as being either severely or extremely dry." Category: Colorado Water 9:45:31 AM

© Copyright 2006 John Orr. Last update: 12/29/06; 11:48:48 AM.