Economic Evaluation and Sustainable Management Recommendations for Fishing Regulations in Eleven Mile Canyon on the South Platte River in Colorado
Longmont, CO
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Economic Evaluation and Sustainable Management Recommendations for Fishing Regulations in Eleven Mile Canyon on the South Platte River in Colorado
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Longmont, CO |
Project Focus
Every five years, The Colorado
Division of Wildlife (CDOW) revises and changes
fishing regulations on a statewide and/or fishery specific basis. The changes
for the year 2001 have caused many debates as to the fate of Eleven Mile
Canyon. Many special interest groups have great stakes in the outcome
– notably the Colorado Fishing Federation and the Cheyenne 
Mountain Chapter
of Trout Unlimited. The heated ongoing debate has the CDOW in the middle
of a messy political battle between these two groups. Current regulations
are: fly and lure only with a daily bag limit of two trout over 16 inches
for the upper 2.5 miles of the canyon; in the lower stretches of the canyon
any fishing technique is allowed with a daily bag limit of 8 trout of any
size. The Colorado Fishing Federation would like to see more bait fishing
allowed and fewer tackle restrictions. Trout Unlimited would like just
the opposite.
My thesis research focused on the economic impact that fishing has on the region, and the optimum management of the Eleven Mile Canyon fishery. I investigated issues such as stocking, whirling disease, the cost of the entrance fee, and the effects different fishing regulations have had on rivers similar to the South Platte in EMC. From this information I examined different sets of possible regulations for EMC and made management recommendations to the Colorado Division of Wildlife.
Summer 2000 Internship
This past summer I personally surveyed 250 fishermen and women in Eleven Mile Canyon. I obtained information on anglers’ attitudes about different fishing regulations for the canyon, as well as looking at use patterns of different groups of fishers. Analysis of this data will help determine what set of fishing regulations would most sustainably manage the fishery and satisfy anglers, while still providing a large part of the region's economic base.
The internship funds helped me live and work in Lake George, Colorado, just 8 miles from my research site. I lived on a ranch near Tarryall, Colorado for the seven weeks I did my field research. The funds allowed me to concentrate on my research instead of working at a full-time job.
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On August 11, I helped George Schlister, Post-Doctorate Research Fellow from Colorado State University, with his Whirling Disease research. We collected "young-of-the-year" rainbow and brown trout with the electro-shocking device shown in the picture on the right.
CDOW response to research and results
