Drought forces CPW to order fish salvage at Wahatoya Reservoir

Officials from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife issued an emergency fish salvage at Wahatoya Reservoir, due to the decrease in water caused by drought conditions within Huerfano County.

Located in La Veta, which is about an hour southwest of Pueblo, the cold water reservoir is known for its rainbow, brown and cutthroat trout, according to the release. 

As of Oct. 19, anyone with a valid state of Colorado fishing license can fish without limit, or fly-and-lure restrictions, as long as legal fishing measures are used, according to the release. 

"This is what we do when the fishery is threatened, rather than just let the fish die, we want people to salvage them," said Bill Vogrin, the public information officer for the southeast region of the agency.

Drought conditions are hitting small reservoirs throughout eastern Colorado, where rain has been rare for months.

Wildlife and city officials from Walsenburg are working together to protect the water still in Daigre Reservoir, to assure they still have running water.

After the salvage has concluded the state wildlife agency plans to drain the remaining water from the Wahatoya reservoir into Daigre Reservoir, according to the release.

As of Wednesday evening, 99% of Colorado is experiencing drought like conditions, and most of Huerfano County was classified as being in extreme drought, according to the National Interrogated Drought Information System.

While temperatures are dipping this week, with freeze warnings in much of southeastern Colorado, no showers are predicted in the coming days, the National Weather Service said.