Copyright © Better Community News 2012.
909 S. Townsend Ave. | Montrose, CO 81401 | (970) 573-
Montrose, Delta, Grand Junction, Western Colorado, Ridgway, Ouray, Telluride, Paonia, Cedaredge, Hotchkiss, Gunnison, Norwood, Naturita, North Fork
GRANBY, Colo. -
Kokanee are land-
Because
many of the state's kokanee come from eggs collected in Lake Granby, increasing their
numbers to meet management objectives is a priority for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
"Lake
Granby kokanee need to produce 1.2 million eggs just to sustain their population
there," said biologist Jon Ewert. "We are well below that number so we won't be stocking
other waters with eggs from here until we can get this situation turned around."
Ewert
says mysis populations rise during high-
While Ewert acknowledges that CPW cannot influence mysis densities in the
reservoir, he says there is a viable solution for the predation side of the equation.
"Based
on the data and information gathered, we believe that the lake trout can definitely
sustain a higher level of harvest in Lake Granby," said Ewert. "We increased the
lake trout take limit in 2006 but have continued to see their numbers increase while
kokanee numbers decrease, so the goal is to manage more effectively."
Ewert adds that
fewer kokanee has led to poor body condition in large lake trout.
"Many of the lake
trout I have seen are very skinny, essentially starving because their primary food
source has become scarce," he said. "This is a clear sign that we need to do more
to address the current predator and prey imbalance in the reservoir."
In March of
2014, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials plan to invite the public to several
meetings where they can review biological data and discuss the direction of fishery
management in Lake Granby with state wildlife officials.
Kokanee Salmon Eggs Decline
By Mike Porras | Wednesday, December 18, 2013