Inside Colorado Parks and Wildlife's Roaring Judy Hatchery, the staff is working to save and breed 158 unique cutthroat trout rescued from Hayden Creek during last year's devastating Hayden Pass wildfire, southwest of Canon City.
Arkansas River Headwaters
New research from Colorado Parks and Wildlife and its partners shows that treating prairie dog colonies annually with a flea-killing dust or an oral vaccine can prevent their complete collapse when confronted with plague.
In a three-year study conducted in northern Larimer County, dusted or vaccinated prairie dog colonies survived during plague outbreaks while nearby untreated colonies were devastated. Neither treatment was completely effective at preventing plague, but some prairie dogs did survive in the colonies treated prior to plague outbreaks.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff is starting work to update big-game management plans in the Gunnison Basin and in the Paonia/North Fork areas. The public is invited to meetings where the planning efforts will be discussed.
At 6:30 p.m., June 27 at the Gunnison County Fairgrounds, 275 S. Spruce St., CPW staff will present information regarding elk management in the West Elk Mountains for Game Management Units 53, 54 and 63.
Winds of more than 70 miles per hour at times pushed the Dead Dog Fire 10, located miles north of Rangely, to more than 5,000 acres today. U.S. Highway 40 has been reopened, and an evacuation of Blue Mountain has been lifted.
Fire crews are fighting three fires under Red Flag conditions in northwestern Colorado.
More than 40 firefighters, five engines, four heavy air tankers, six single engine air tankers, and a helicopter are working the 500-acre Hunter Fire about 20 miles southwest of Meeker. Smoke from this fire was visible Saurday afternoon from the Colorado River corridor and Craig. The fire was reported Saturday and is likely a hold-over from lightning several days ago. Oil and gas infrastructure is in the area. Firefighters do not have a containment estimate.
Adobe Creek Reservoir
Fishing has slowed for crappie, with anglers not catching as many as on Memorial Day weekend. The catfish fishing is slowly picking up and anglers are catching a few wiper, drum, saugeye, and largemouth bass. The carp fishing has picked up quite a bit and fair numbers are being caught recently.
Arkansas River
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is inviting anglers of all ages, novice or expert, to begin planning now for the Elkhead Reservoir Fishing Classic, June 24-July 2. The week-long fishing tournament at Elkhead Reservoir State Park near Craig offers great fun, great fishing and big cash prizes.
For the first time in nearly 40 years, a new source of water is flowing into the fish and wildlife conservation pool in John Martin Reservoir. That pool, which has historically been minimally maintained through the purchase of Colorado River water, is intended to provide a permanent pool of water to protect the reservoir's world-class fishery.
