{"id":74441,"date":"2019-09-22T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-23T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/animas-river-suffered-80-die-off-after-416-fire-ash-flows\/"},"modified":"2019-09-23T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-09-23T00:00:00","slug":"animas-river-suffered-80-die-off-after-416-fire-ash-flows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/animas-river-suffered-80-die-off-after-416-fire-ash-flows\/","title":{"rendered":"Animas River suffered 80% die-off after 416 Fire ash flows"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Colorado
Colorado Parks and Wildlife\u2019s Pete Deren, center, throws an anode to shock fish last week as Ryan Votta prepares to net them, while Jim White walks the raft down the Animas River during a fish count. The anode is used to shock fish so they can be collected, counted and then released back into the river. CPW says fish populations are down about 80% because of 416 Fire flooding in 2018.<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Colorado wildlife officials have confirmed the fish population in the Animas River has been severely depleted by flooding and debris flows from the 416 Fire burn scar.<\/p>\n

The 416 Fire in 2018 scorched an estimated 54,000 acres of mostly U.S. Forest Service land in the Hermosa Creek watershed, historically one of the Animas River\u2019s cleanest tributaries.<\/p>\n

After the fire, heavy rains hit the burn scar in July and September 2018, bringing down runoff filled with ash that suffocated fish.<\/p>\n

Wildlife officials suspected significant losses of fish<\/a> in the Animas, and a small survey last year wasn\u2019t encouraging<\/a>. Last week, Colorado Parks and Wildlife conducted its first full-scale survey since the flooding, giving a better picture of the situation.<\/p>\n

\"A
A bluehead sucker was collected last week during a fish count on the Animas River by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The suckers were caught in record numbers this year.<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

In 1996, a 4-mile stretch of the Animas River from the confluence of Lightner Creek down to the Purple Cliffs, by Home Depot, was designated a Gold Medal fishery, a label that highlights Colorado rivers and creeks that provide outstanding fishing opportunities.<\/p>\n

To qualify, a waterway must meet two criteria: a minimum of 60 pounds of trout per acre and at least 12 trout measuring 14 inches or longer per acre.<\/p>\n

The survey last week, however, showed the fishery didn\u2019t come anywhere close, said Jim White, an aquatic biologist with CPW.<\/p>\n

Researchers found just 28 pounds of trout per acre, a 64% decline from the Animas River\u2019s historical average of 78 pounds per acre.<\/p>\n

And, only one 14-inch fish was found per acre \u2013 a 95% decline from the river\u2019s historical average of 22 per acre.<\/p>\n

\"A
A year after flooding from the 416 Fire burn scar, only one 14-inch fish was found per acre \u2013 a 95% decline from the river\u2019s historical average of 22 per acre. Colorado Parks and Wildlife\u2019s Pete Deren, center, throws an anode to shock fish last week as Ryan Votta prepares to net them, while Jim White walks the raft down the Animas River during a fish count.<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

White said that among all fish species in the Animas, populations are down about 80% because of 416 Fire flooding.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I crunched all the numbers, that was the take-home,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s not surprising.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, there is some good news to report, White said.<\/p>\n

Heavy snowpack this winter led to high and sustained runoff this spring and summer. The runoff cleaned the river bottom, home to many fish and the insects they like to eat.<\/p>\n

Native bluehead suckers were caught in record numbers. In 2016, for instance, 37 suckers were captured. This year, more than 160 bluehead suckers of various ages were caught. White speculated that because suckers travel long distances, they likely escaped the 416 Fire runoff and have returned.<\/p>\n

Ty Churchwell with Trout Unlimited said despite the fish die-off, anglers are catching quality fish in the Animas.<\/p>\n

\"During
During a fish count last week, the lead Colorado Parks and Wildlife raft shocks and nets fish in the Animas River as the second raft follows up to measure and weigh them. A year after flooding from the 416 Fire burn scar, the count found just 28 pounds of trout per acre, a 64% decline from the river\u2019s historical average of 78 pounds per acre.<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cWhile the Animas definitely suffered as a result of the ash flows from last year\u2019s fire, local anglers are reporting they are catching fish, and that\u2019s encouraging,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

For various reasons, trout are unable to reproduce naturally in the Animas, so fish populations rely on regular stocking by CPW. Churchwell said Trout Unlimited supports those efforts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile it was a horrible setback, we\u2019re on the road to recovery,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Trever Garfield, a retail associate with Duranglers Flies and Supplies, said the guiding company and other businesses took a hit because of the die-off.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot having that as a fishery in our backyard impacts a lot of businesses in town,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Mike
Mike Japhet, right, a volunteer, along with Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff Pete Deren, left, Jim White, center, and Ryan Votta measures and weighs fish collected during a fish count on the Animas River last week.<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

But when the Animas is out of commission, Garfield said there are plenty of other fishing opportunities in Southwest Colorado.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re used to shuffling things around,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

White said that since the flooding, CPW has stocked about 6,000 10-inch rainbow trout. He said CPW would continue to monitor and stock fish in the Animas, which could return to Gold Medal status in two to three years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s worth mentioning the Animas River is not in threat of losing the Gold Medal status just because we don\u2019t meet the standards for a couple years,\u201d he said. \u201cIf it was looking more like 10 to 15 years, then it would be more of a discussion to pull the status.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Colorado
Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff members Pete Deren, center, throws an anode to shock fish last week as Ryan Votta prepares to net them, while Jim White walks the raft down the Animas River during a fish count. The anode is used to shock fish so they can be collected, counted and then released back into the river.<\/span>Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

jromeo@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

aquatic population severely depleted through Durango<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":74442,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[2838,304,885,2043,13,28,29,603],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-74441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-416-fire","tag-animas-river","tag-fishing","tag-fishing-industry","tag-frontpage-lead","tag-headlines","tag-newsletter","tag-wildlife"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74441"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74441\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74441"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=74441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}