Fishing News
Fishing industry reeling from drought as falling water levels kill fish
By Judith Kohler
DENVER (AP) -- Drought and searing summer heat have dropped rivers and reservoirs to dangerously low levels, dealing a serious blow to fish populations and forcing wildlife officials to order anglers off rivers.
Officials say the situation will only get worse if there isn't enough snow and rain before next summer.
In Colorado, where the fishing industry's economic impact is $900 million, monsoon rains and cloudy days have helped. But conditions are still not as good as usual, and state officials are urging anglers to fish in the morning, before it gets hot.
Anglers in Nebraska and Utah are being urged to fish as much as possible in some spots before fish die from falling water levels. In Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park, the famed Madison, Firehole and Gibbon rivers have been closed to fishing because of high water temperatures. The problems in Yellowstone are aggravated by geothermal activity that warms the rivers.
Dry weather in Southern California is sapping several popular fishing streams and creeks in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, said Steve Martarano, spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Game. "Flows are so low, they're close to being dry," he said.
State officials have started discussing possible restrictions to allow fish to recover, Martarano said.
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