Conservation
From the December 2014 Newsletter New Mexico's Interstate Stream Commission voted to notify the U.S. Interior Department that it wants to take advantage of federal funding to build a diversion and storage system along the Gila River. The Commission also decided that some of the money should go toward municipal conservation efforts and other projects aimed at stretching the drought-stricken region's water supplies. State Engineer Scott Verhines, New Mexico's top water official and a member of the commission, said the point of regional water planning is to identify and implement strategies to balance supply and demand. He said the options ... Read More
by Jerry Burton, NMT President from the December 2014 Newsletter The Vivegash fire in 2000 burned approximately 38,000 acres in the headwaters of Cow Creek. While some of the headwaters tributaries were not devastated by the fire, it did wipe out most of Cow Creeks' trout population. After a few years the stream slowly was repopulated with Rio Grande cutthroats, cut-bows, rainbows, and brook trout that had managed to survive the fire in a few small headwater streams. None of these small headwater streams contained brown trout. I started to guide at the Cow Creek Ranch in April of 2004, ... Read More
by Jerry Burton, NMT President From the October/November 2014 Newsletter Ever wonder how trout in a small high elevation stream survive when in the winter temperatures are below zero for weeks at a time and three feet of snow cover the stream? Some don't. Those that do have found a deep spot where the ice cannot reach the bottom. Winter can be tough on trout in small high elevation streams. If the flow is not strong enough, the stream may freeze to the bottom and if the trout have not found a deep hole they die. While the water continues ... Read More
This wild rodent, favored for its fur and at one time reviled for its destructive habits in riparian areas, has received new respect from environmentalists. These creatures are being welcomed into the landscape as a defense against the withering effects of a warmer and drier climate. Recent studies have shown that beaver dams have beneficial effects by raising the water table alongside a stream, aiding the growth of trees and plants that stabilize the banks and prevent erosion. They improve fish and wildlife habitat and promote new, rich soil. And perhaps most important in the the arid Southwest, is that ... Read More
Ron Loehman, Conservation Chairman From the October/November Newsletter For the past several years Noah Parker has been working to have the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMG&F) designate parts of the Rio Chama as a catch and release fishery. He has received support from most, if not all, of the people who guide on the Chama, as well as a number of the local residents and many of the anglers he meets on the river. However, Noah has not received any encouragement from the responsible staff at NMG&F. Noah convinced me that catch and release would significantly improve ... Read More
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced that New Mexico's state fish, the Rio Grande cutthroat trout, is no longer a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act. According to the report, aggressive conservation efforts by the department and its partners have enhanced or restored pure-strain native cutthroats in 127 streams that are open to public fishing. Rio Grande cutthroats now occupy about 700 miles of stream habitat. According to the commission's report, the most impressive restoration effort has been the ongoing project to restore pure-strain native cutthroats to the Rio Costilla watershed, which consists of more than ... Read More
by Jerry Burton, NMT President From the October/November 2014 Newsletter After trout eggs that have been buried in the stream gravel hatch, the emerging fry need areas with cover and low water velocity. They need the cover to escape being a snack for larger fish and the low velocity to be safe from being washed downstream into areas with less cover. The mortality rate during those first days and months after the eggs hatch is tremendous and can have a major impact on a trout population. When fishing in late summer or early fall and I see fingerling trout darting ... Read More
by Jerry Burton, NMT President From the September 2014 Newsletter The size of the trout population in a stream greatly depends upon the success the fish have when they spawn. To be successful they need flowing water that circulates oxygen and is free of sediment. They also need the right size gravel that they can easily move when building redds. Stream gradient is also important because it will determine whether a stream has boulders and cobble or the gravel they prefer. Spawning substrate can be a factor limiting the size of a trout population. The number of eggs a female trout ... Read More