Animas River one of our 'greatest resources'

by Dale Rodebaugh
Herald Staff Writer

Article Last Updated; Thursday, October 29, 2009 2:49AM

Photo by JERRY McBRIDE/Herald photo

Meghan Maloney, with the San Juan Citizens Alliance, and Buck Skillen, with the local chapter of Trout Unlimited, examined water quality last week at the confluence of Lightner Creek – to the right – and the Animas River.

The quality of a community’s waterways reflects its dedication to the environment, says Buck Skillen, an inveterate fly-fisherman and board member of Trout Unlimited who keeps track of water quality for the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

Of particular interest to Skillen is the stretch of the Animas River from its confluence with Lightner Creek near the Durango Dog Park to the Rivera Crossing Bridge behind Home Depot. Since 1997, the division has designated that reach of the Animas as a gold-medal trout fishery – its highest rating.

But silt entering the Animas at Lightner Creek causes turbidity, which can compromise the quality of the gold-medal waters.

“The silt affects the fishability of the reach and the overall river experience,” Skillen said. “Further, it reflects negatively on our community’s stewardship of the river.”

A gold-medal fishery must have, per surface acre, on average a minimum 60 pounds of trout biomass, including at least 12 14-inchers, which can be taken on flies or lures only. Bait fishing isn’t permitted. Only two trout, 16 inches or more, can be kept.

Upstream from Lightner Creek to 32nd Street, the Animas qualifies as a gold-medal fishery but is not so designated, Skillen said. It’s designated as general trout water where bait fishing is allowed and four trout of any size may be kept.

The DOW stocks the 32nd Street-to-Lightner Creek stretch of the Animas with trout in the 12- to 14-inch range as well as fingerlings. The designated gold-medal fishery is stocked with fingerlings only, which for practical purposes are wild because they grow up in the river instead of a hatchery.

“The Animas River is one of our community’s greatest resources, so its quality shouldn’t be allowed to deteriorate,” Skillen said. “Some of my fisherman friends the last couple of years have noticed turbidity which, while intermittent, could lead them to question our stewardship and commitment to the river.”

daler@durangoherald.com

Thursday, October 29, 2009
at 3:07:58 PM

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Douglas Tooley says...

Like the Animas the Los Pinos near Bayfield is a treasure, a treasure difficult to access due private property and the history of legal navigable waters issues in Colorado courts.

The Animas shows the benefits of enlightened public access, much like its trail network. This is a model of success, a model that will hopefully be emulated in the remainder of La Plata county with a balanced model of development that includes public access as the part of smart, community friendly development.

This can be done, if we are mature enough to avoid all too common temptations to slide towards regulatory or private sector abuses.