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Plowing Lake Saves Fish?
This is the first I've ever heard of anything like this. Apparently the fish in Antero reservoir that have grown so big over the past couple of years are in jeopardy of dying from low oxygen levels. There has been so much snow over the last month that the plants in the lake that produce the O2 that the fish need are not getting enough light. The Colorado DOW has decided to plow parts of the impoundment to save the fish.
DOW Biologist Jeff Spohn says it's an effort they hope will keep the fish population from dying under a thick layer of snow.
"We have some pretty low oxygen readings because of the lack of sunlight that's getting to the plants," said Spohn.
Strange huh? Whatever it takes, I guess...
Click here to see a video of the DOW in action.
They should just set up some snow fences around it. I drove through that area yesterday on my way back from skiing Monarch (big powder days down there) and the wind was howling at a good 60mph in that valley. Fences would keep parts of it clean.
That would certainly be the extreme opposite of hell but still hell: ice fishing on Antero with only a 5-gallon bucket and an ice pick.
Posted by: Peeet | February 01, 2008 at 01:02 PM
i suppose they can do whatever they want with their giant aquarium.
Posted by: joey | February 01, 2008 at 03:21 PM
Good idea. We lose 95% of aquatic veg in winter. Average 5' snow, 10-15' in big winter. I'm still convinced that ice fishing is a personality flaw.
Posted by: Brian T | February 01, 2008 at 06:27 PM
the point is: two wrongs don't make a right. they f**ked up by putting the reservoir there in the first place, second, they are stocking some b***sh*t fish in there presumably...now they are trying to 'save' those fish. who cares. waste of time and energy IMHO.
Posted by: joey | February 01, 2008 at 09:56 PM
Joey,
I don't know about that. Two wrongs!? This reservoir wasn't put there for fishing purposes. It's water retainment for Denver water. Granted the DOW stocks it now. I will agree that it seems kinda silly to be wasting time and resources on a fishery that continues to have problems. If the fish die this winter let it be. Obviously it wasn't meant to be...
Posted by: tim romano | February 02, 2008 at 12:29 AM
I agree with Brian bacause we get the same problems up here in N Minnesota. Brain where are you from?
Posted by: Evan | February 02, 2008 at 02:28 PM