Fish at Sweitzer Lake State Park are gasping for more than just attention due to unusually low dissolved oxygen levels. As obtained by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Sweitzer Lake has been suffering from a fish-kill event that has left anglers with slim pickings and several aquatic species pushing up daisies, metaphorically speaking, of course. Despite the grim scene, CPW isn't calling for a fishing halt just yet, with whispers of better days ahead for the fish that remain.
After locals spotted dead fish decorating the lake's edges and boat ramp like some morbid ornamentation, CPW's aquatic biologist, Eric Gardunio, investigated and confirmed what had been feared: the oxygen in the lake had dipped sometimes lower than a catfish's belly on a mud-bottomed river. With the water levels reduced to a puddle's cousin during spillway construction, coupled with the lake's nutrient-rich shallow waters, "we measured levels low enough to kill fish," Gardunio told Colorado Parks and Wildlife. And so it seems, the lake's fish have been swimming in a watery version of a desert.
Not all hope is lost for Sweitzer Lake's aquatic life. When water refilled the reservoir, it also soaked a buffet of dead vegetation, which has been depleting the oxygen as it decomposes. This natural process, however, choked the life out of the lake's residents, including black bullhead catfish, bluegill, common carp, green sunfish, and largemouth bass. According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, only a partial fish kill has been observed, with a few determined fish finding respite in fresher waters at the lake's inlet.
With the promise of sunny skies and continual fresh water injections, there's a glimmer of hope for the fishy inhabitants. However, without the pomp and circumstance, Scott Rist, the Park Manager at Sweitzer Lake, is urging anglers to strap on a virtue of patience. The fishing is likely to be poor for a bit until the conditions improve, Rist explained, hinting that restraint now will reap benefits later. "Hopefully, this is a one-time event." Echoing Rist's call for consideration, Gardunio will be keeping an eye on the oxygen levels in the coming weeks to see if fish populations need more than just crossed fingers to thrive again.
