Laserfiche WebLink
Below Paonia, the fish fauna shifts predominantly to suckers and min- <br />• <br />Wows, with dace, sunfish, and northern pike occurring in reduced numbers. <br />Below the Hotchkiss National Fish Hatchery and at the confluence with the <br />main stem of the Gunnison there are popular fishing spots. Rainbow trout <br />and brown trout along with a variety of other species are taken in these <br />areas. The North Fork supports an estimated 2,000 angler days annually in <br />the Paonia Reservoir-to-Somerset section and approximately 500 angler days <br />annually throughout the rest of the river. <br />The river flows from east to west along WSC's southern property boun- <br />• <br />dory through a deeply incised canyon. With the exception of 1.2 miles of <br />stream which cross national forest systems land and public land west of the <br />lease site, the North Fork channel is entirely privately owned. <br />Water flows in the North Fork are strongly influenced by storage and <br />release in Paonia Reservoir, diversion for irrigation, and irrigation <br />return flow water. Water quality of the river is good in the section above <br />Paonia, but it deteriorates rapidly below Paonia. Significant dewatering <br />occurs below Paonia, and the total dissolved solid content of the water <br />increases rapidly. Sulfate and dissolved iron are high in the lower sec- <br />tion of the river also. <br />Surveys assessing the condition of the aquatic environment as indi- <br />• <br />Gated by macroinvertebrate populations show that the section of stream <br />above Somerset is in good condition. Both numbers and species of aquatic <br />organisms indicate an unstressed environment. Less than one mile below <br />Somerset an irrigation diversion for the Fire Mountain Canal dewaters the <br />river during low-flow periods. The water quality and physical habitat con- <br />dition of the river from Somerset to Paonia could still support a fishery <br />2.04-65 <br />