kokanee64
Well-known member
First the good news. Driving by BM on Sunday we watch 25 boats working the Cebolla Basin and 10ish boats working Sapinaro. The vast majority were trolling. Friends from Gene Taylor Sporting Goods report fishing is "OK". Inspections station, ramps and a courtesy dock are in place.
Now the bad news. The concessionaire notified us yesterday that the Elk Creek marina store, docks, restaurant and showers will not open this year. The cost to move all the infrastructure is over $80K and they fear moving everything, the water drops, and they move everything back. Too much cost for too few benefits is appears. A decision regarding lake fork facilities has not yet been made.
With the lake at under 30% full and 82 ft below high pool, there is little water in Iola. Plans are for increasing the level this summer but a water call could change all plans. I get the impression the plan for now is to draw down BM, FG and LP to the point of destroying the fisheries and lake infrastructures, and then try to figure out what to do about too much demand and too little water. It is hard to watch this happen but we have learned by now that fisheries and infrastructure don't count for much in water decision making.
I am starting the 2022 BM reports so that out-of-towners can get info about the current situation at Blue Mesa. We don't plan to fish BM much this year but we'll provide what info we can. Fishing the last several years has been poorer and less predictable than in the earlier years -- and it breaks my heart to see the lake like this. We plan to leave for LP in a few days and repeat if we can later in May. Then we head for FG. Not sure where we'll fish for salmon if FG does the proposed 500,000 acre ft release early in the summer. Navajo water level appears to be protected but fish are smaller, though plentiful. Have been watching reports from Idaho. Sometimes almost feels personal -- getting chased off one lake after the next.
Good 2022 fishing for all.
Kokanee64, aka, Roger
Now the bad news. The concessionaire notified us yesterday that the Elk Creek marina store, docks, restaurant and showers will not open this year. The cost to move all the infrastructure is over $80K and they fear moving everything, the water drops, and they move everything back. Too much cost for too few benefits is appears. A decision regarding lake fork facilities has not yet been made.
With the lake at under 30% full and 82 ft below high pool, there is little water in Iola. Plans are for increasing the level this summer but a water call could change all plans. I get the impression the plan for now is to draw down BM, FG and LP to the point of destroying the fisheries and lake infrastructures, and then try to figure out what to do about too much demand and too little water. It is hard to watch this happen but we have learned by now that fisheries and infrastructure don't count for much in water decision making.
I am starting the 2022 BM reports so that out-of-towners can get info about the current situation at Blue Mesa. We don't plan to fish BM much this year but we'll provide what info we can. Fishing the last several years has been poorer and less predictable than in the earlier years -- and it breaks my heart to see the lake like this. We plan to leave for LP in a few days and repeat if we can later in May. Then we head for FG. Not sure where we'll fish for salmon if FG does the proposed 500,000 acre ft release early in the summer. Navajo water level appears to be protected but fish are smaller, though plentiful. Have been watching reports from Idaho. Sometimes almost feels personal -- getting chased off one lake after the next.
Good 2022 fishing for all.
Kokanee64, aka, Roger
