This season, for the first time in its history, DOW will include only natives in its stocking of high lakes. After having spent the past five years reclassifying its wilderness waters, the agency has cut its stocking of rainbow trout to absolute zero.
"We're excited about this shift to native fish for several reasons," said Robin Knox, DOW's acting hatchery supervisor. "They're beautiful, they give us more diversity and, most of all, they're part of Colorado's heritage."
For more than a century, the Colorado wildlife establishment, along with run-amok local operatives, participated in a haphazard pattern of stocking that placed non-native species - primarily rainbow and brook trout, but also cutthroat subspecies from other regions - in habitats originally occupied by natives.
Rainbows and brookies proved relatively easy and inexpensive to grow, but yielded a predictable result, extermination of the cutthroat.
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"We're excited about this shift to native fish for several reasons," said Robin Knox, DOW's acting hatchery supervisor. "They're beautiful, they give us more diversity and, most of all, they're part of Colorado's heritage."
For more than a century, the Colorado wildlife establishment, along with run-amok local operatives, participated in a haphazard pattern of stocking that placed non-native species - primarily rainbow and brook trout, but also cutthroat subspecies from other regions - in habitats originally occupied by natives.
Rainbows and brookies proved relatively easy and inexpensive to grow, but yielded a predictable result, extermination of the cutthroat.
Full Story Here
Oak
