Wednesday, July 5, 2006

Unwanted fish Here's an article about non-native exotic fish species in Colorado's waterways, from the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. From the article, "Have any idea what these fish have in common? Northern pike in Crawford Reservoir, smallmouth bass in the Colorado River, yellow perch in Blue Mesa and Rifle Gap reservoirs and burbot in Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Give up? They're all illegal aliens, transported somehow from their home waters to locations they don't belong but have learned to love. In fact, most of these fish pose serious threats to the native fish and/or the fish that were stocked legally to supply recreation for the million or so anglers who purchase a fishing license each year... "It's nearly impossible for biologists to trace the origination of exotic fish, although some research by the Colorado Division of Wildlife on non-native fish in the Colorado River is showing promise by tracking chemical markers in a fish's makeup. It's all very preliminary now, but it's hoped the research might allow biologists to pinpoint where the fish came from and work at preventing further escape into the river. It also could track fish back to the home waters and enable law enforcement to tighten inspections on boats and trailers suspected of illegally carrying unauthorized fish. Unexpected appearances of unwanted fish cause serious grief among fisheries biologists. Managing a fishery is a delicate balancing act involving food sources, habitat, fishing pressure, anglers desires and many other factors. A new face in the crowd can mean more competition for food sources and habitat, increased predation on desired species, and upset anglers who see their favorite fishery turned upside down. Of all the number of Colorado's lakes and rivers suffering illegal fish plants, DOW senior fisheries biologist Mike Japhet called Blue Mesa's entanglement with yellow perch the worst problem facing the state's fisheries managers." Category: Colorado Water 6:00:05 AM     Monsoon moisture Here's an update on the current drought from the Rocky Mountain News. They write, "Denver International Airport recorded 2.89 inches of precipitation from Jan. 1 through Monday, meteorologist Jim Kalina said. That's the second-driest it's been since the weather service began keeping track in 1921. It's only an inch more than in 2002, when drought devastated much of Colorado. Other areas aren't doing much better, weather service data show. From Grand Junction to Burlington, precipitation levels from Jan. 1 through May 31 were well below average, with communities such as Colorado Springs and Montrose receiving less than one-third their typical rainfall... "This year's monsoon season, which brings heavy rains from Mexico via Arizona and New Mexico, started June 28, the National Weather Service said. That's earlier than the July 3 average and nearly three weeks ahead of last year. Heavy rains scattered across the Denver area Tuesday night, causing minor flooding in some spots and postponing fireworks displays. The heaviest rainfall was reported in Denver's Cherry Creek neighborhood, which had received 1.6 inches as of about 10 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Boulder. Parts of southeast Aurora, Arvada and downtown Denver also received an inch or more, Kalina said." Category: Colorado Water 5:52:44 AM

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