Colorado Parks and Wildlife is calling on anglers in southwestern Colorado to help remove fish from a rapidly draining reservoir during an emergency public fish salvage.
Officials said Thursday water was quickly escaping Summit Reservoir in Montezuma County because a headgate valve on the dam was not closing. Water managers needed to lower the lake’s water level in order to inspect the headgate and outlet, which would result in poor water quality conditions and a loss of habitat for fish, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
“Because of the rapid drawdown, accessing whatever dead pool remains to salvage fish alive to stock elsewhere is going to be extremely difficult,” Jim White, senior aquatic biologist for CPW’s Southwest Region, said in a news release. “The public salvage is being announced in order to optimize use of the fishery resource in accordance with Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission regulations.”
Summit Reservoir, at Summit Reservoir State Wildlife Area, captures water from Turkey Creek, Joe Moore Reservoir and the Lost Canyon irrigation ditch. Summit Reservoir and Irrigation Company operates the reservoir as part of a larger system of ditches and pipelines that distributes about 5,000 to 7,000 acre-feet of water per year to farms and ranches.
The small reservoir was not at its full capacity when the leak started. One acre-foot roughly equals the water used in two to three households in a year.
Summit Reservoir and Irrigation Company could not be reached for comment.
The reservoir, located about nine miles northwest of Mancos, includes channel catfish, crappie, largemouth bass, perch and rainbow trout.
All bag and possession limits for the reservoir are removed for the duration of the salvage, which means anglers can keep all of the fish they catch, and they can also use two fishing rods, according to CPW.
They must still use lawful angling methods allowed at the lake and have a valid 2025 Colorado fishing license. Commercial angling is not allowed as part of this salvage. It is illegal to capture and transport live fish from one body of water to another, the state agency said.
“The dead pool area where fish will be salvageable will be near the dam,” White said. “We recommend anglers utilize that area to avoid slogging through the mud.”
CPW said the reservoir cannot maintain a viable fishery until the reservoir is refilled. It will restock the reservoir once there is enough water. The agency will also issue a notice when the salvage operation ends.
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