Rifle Gap may be poisoned by DOW

[Ambystoma]

I saw this in the Free Press today. Pretty stupid idea! 
http://www.gjfreepress.com/article/20071119/SPORTS/71118006

BY DOUG MILLER
FREE PRESS OUTDOORS CORRESPONDENT
In Western Slope warm water report dated this year, funded by Great Outdoors Colorado, Colorado Division of Wildlife biologist Pat Martinez has sug­gested poisoning Rifle Gap Reservoir.
Rifle Gap Reservoir, located about 45 minutes from Grand Junction, has long been known for its quality sport fishery for trout, walleye, bass, yellow perch, crappie, and recently its fantastic northern pike fishery. It is also known as the only boatable walleye fishery on the Western Slope.
These fish are self- sustaining with no stocking required.
Not only is Rifle Gap the most popular warm­water fishery on the Western Slope, it is also a pop­ular ice fishing destination. Proceeds from the annual winter tournament for trout benefit the Colorado Sportsman’s Wildlife Fund, along with providing Rifle- area businesses an economic shot in the arm.
Currently, Rifle Gap reservoir is in excellent shape as far as quality, size and health of fish that it has ever been.
The thought of killing a lake of this caliber has many sport fisherman in the area in a state of shock, not only warm water fishing fanatics but cold water trout fisher­man as well.
“ This is to send a message to anglers and the public that illicit introductions will not be tolerated in the future,” Martinez said in the report.
However, there is no evidence that any illicit introductions have occurred.
Whatever has happened made Rifle Gap Western Colorado’s premier warm- water fishery.
Now, it’s a target for destruction.
Should the poisoning be commissioned, it will take many years to re- establish the lake back to its pres­ent caliber.
If the poisoning doesn’t occur, the next plan of action would be a mandatory kill of pike. In this scenario, if an angler catches a pike and does not kill it, but releases it, the angler would be cited and fined similar to the illegal release of wildlife from exactly the same impoundment the fish came from.
Many concerned individual anglers and fishing groups that have found out about Rifle Gap’s poten­tial poisoning have contacted State Sen. Josh Penry, Gov. Bill Ritter, and the wildlife commission.
Some people are concerned that if the poisoning is done at Rifle Gap, it will then move to near­by Harvey Gap following the same proce­dure.
Warm- water fisheries are rare on the Western Slope. Many local anglers hold these fisheries dear to their hearts. With over 300 lakes on Grand Mesa, thou­sands of miles of creeks, rivers, streams and thou­sands of other trout lakes, many sportsmen are taking the destruction of our warm- water fisheries very seriously.
Access these reports by logging on to the Division of Wildlife’s Web site: www.wildlife.state.co. us under search type Western Slope warm water. The Rifle Gap plan is on Page 54 of the report.
PHOTOS.COM
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[grncreek]

Man that makes me sick..  I think a few guys from WSA and CF should put together some sort of petition.   And definitly make sure Josh Penry, Gov. Bill Ritter, and the wildlife commission knows that private party's have offered to completely fund a project to keep pike from exiting out of rifle gap into the Colorado river system.

[X-Rap]

Glad to see this posted here but please comment so it stays active. I encourage anglers from all over to send emails to our colorado media as well as your own. Also school yourselves on the ESA as much as you can. In the Colorado basin they are killing thousands of game fish in the name of ESA to save suckers and chubs.

After the above article was printed the DOW has started a full court press denying the proposal and saying we are a missinformed fringe group that doesn't represent the rank and file angler.

[jimmygunns]

Glad to see this posted here but please comment so it stays active. I encourage anglers from all over to send emails to our colorado media as well as your own. Also school yourselves on the ESA as much as you can. In the Colorado basin they are killing thousands of game fish in the name of ESA to save suckers and chubs.

After the above article was printed the DOW has started a full court press denying the proposal and saying we are a missinformed fringe group that doesn't represent the rank and file angler.

I hope that's not true!

[X-Rap]

I hope that's not true!

It is very true and you can see some of the discussion on www. westernslopeanglers.co m. There is some bad blood between this group and the CDOW as far as fishing goes because of the warm water fisheries management or lack of. The fact remains that thousands of L&SMB,Pike,Walleye,and Cats are being removed and sent to the landfill or left on the bank for the birds to eat. The USFWS and CDOW has a fleet of shock boats that regularly float the rivers here when the fish are most vulnerable (low water or spawn) and shock and remove them from the river and since there are few reserviors with screens they are killed and wasted instead of transplanted. Lakes and reserviors are the new targets and even high country trout lakes are targeted so that so called pure strain cutthroat trout can be established.
Every body please help spread the word on this, we are all anglers and need to help each other.
Send letters to outdoor media, politicians, whoever you think might care and see if we can't get this reversed.
There is a SAG meeting at the DOW NW Offices on monday at 6:30 pm in Grand Junction, all who can show up please do and tell your friends.

[JohnnyO19]

So put a frick'in screen on the lakes so the fish don't get out!!. It makes me sick to see good fisheries destroyed.

[TroutFishingBear]

So put a frick'in screen on the lakes so the fish don't get out!!. It makes me sick to see good fisheries destroyed.

members from western slope anglers (who I hate btw so this is not singing their graces by any means) actually offered to pay completely for the screen but dow refused. now they say they don't have the money for the screen (dow) and that's why they aren't building it...seems obvious to me what they are doing.