Monday, May 7, 2012

Ed's Fly Fishing News for the Week of May 7, 2012

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The Bureau of Reclamation has postponed the beginning of the Navajo Reservoir spring peak release until at least May 21st. This decision was made with assistance of the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center (CBRFC), which has indicated there would be a 75% probability the Animas River peak would occur after May 18th, which was the date of the center of the previously announced release hydrograph. The goal of the Navajo spring peak release is to match the timing of the peak of the Animas River in Farmington.  A 7-day peak release of 5,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), with a ramp up and down over 3 days will be scheduled. At the end of the peak release period, the release is scheduled to return to 500 cfs. Reclamation is still finalizing the operating plan and will send out the daily release schedule chart as soon as the plan is finalized. If the forecast remains unchanged next week, the spring peak release will be finalized next Monday, May 14th. The release should remain at 500 cfs until the start of the ramp up.



The Truchas Chapter of Trout Unlimited is seeking volunteers for their Truchas Chapter Youth Education Program. There are several Mondays coming up for their afterschool programs at Pecos Elementary School where they need your help. Please see the TCYEP's blog at http://tcyep.blogspot.com/ or please contaact John Wright at jwwtwe@gmail.com for more information.

The Valles Caldera National Preserve fishing program will not reopen for the 2012 Spring Season. They had hoped to reopen their fishing program on May 12, 2012, despite the damage from last year's Las Conchas Wildfire. A review of their stream monitoring program indicates the fishing program will need to remain closed until restoration efforts have been implemented. They do not anticipate these efforts to take more than a few months, but they cannot guarantee an opening date at this point. "We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to restore the quality fishing program we are known for. We apologize for the inconvenience, and encourage you to check out the other experiences offered on the Preserve."

The Fishing Program at Pecos National Historical Park has ended until June 21st. The summer season runs from June 21st through August 6th. You can make reservations for the summer season starting May 21st. To take part in the fishing program, you can make advanced reservations for the two beats available per day (six anglers total) either by emailing the park at peco_visitor_information@nps.gov or by calling the reservation line at 505-757-7272. If those spots are filled for the day you seek, you can try showing up at the Visitor Center to see if there are spaces available on the third beat, which has three spots and is always reserved for walk-ins. In order to get a fishing permit at the Park, you must possess a valid New Mexico Department of Game and Fish fishing license and Habitat Management and Access Validation.