Upper Arkansas River Gets Emergency FryArk Water for Fisheries During Drought

Colorado’s Upper Arkansas River is getting a real shot of water when fish need it most.

The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District approved a cooperative effort on August 6 to dedicate up to 2,500 acre-feet of Fryingpan-Arkansas Project water to the Upper Arkansas River during a historic drought year. That is about 814.6 million gallons moving from Twin Lakes down to Pueblo Reservoir.

The effort brings together the Bureau of Reclamation, Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Colorado Water Conservation Board, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and Colorado Water Trust. Releases were expected to begin as early as August 7 and run from late summer into November, when low flows and high water temperatures can hammer trout, aquatic insects, and the river corridor.

This is the kind of conservation that matters on the ground. Not a slogan. Not a fundraising postcard. Water in the river. Cooler flows. Better conditions for fisheries, recreation, and the people whose local economies depend on both.

Drought does not wait for committees to feel comfortable. When water gets short, fish pay first, then guides, outfitters, small towns, and everyone who cares about a living river. Smart, fast cooperation like this is how a fishery gets through a brutal year instead of becoming another cautionary tale.