Juniata Reservoir, the drinking water supply for the City of Grand Junction, Colorado, is now closed to fishing because of "high mercury levels" in smallmouth bass.

Instead of making it catch and release for smallmouth and placing advisory signs, they are totally shutting it down. City council didn't make the decision, but the unelected appointees in the water department.

Not only this but now the City and our wonderful Division of Wildlife will be out on the lake removing and killing smallmouth bass, wasting tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of tax dollars.

I am so angry I could spit nails. Our local angling club will be fighting this tooth and nail.

That sucks. I can't imagine killing the bass will solve the problem. Maybe your club could offer to put up warning signage, and allow it to be C&R?

The mercury got in there from somewhere, killing the bass won't solve the problem imho.

Did they consult a marine biologist...?

Sux for you guys, hope you get the water back.

Our fisheries biologists have been wanting to kill this and most of our lakes for years because they want only native species. >

That sucks. I can't imagine killing the bass will solve the problem. Maybe your club could offer to put up warning signage, and allow it to be C&R?

That's the avenue we are taking. They also need to realize that mechanical removal of fish is virtually fruitless in even putting a large dent in a population and is VERY expensive.

Our fisheries biologists have been wanting to kill this and most of our lakes for years because they want only native species. >

That doesn't quite make sense. It's an artificial reservoir. What native species are they interested/concerned about?

Here in Western Colorado DOW biologists use the excuse of fish escaping into the river to compete with native fish, whether or not they actually can escape, as Juniata has no connections to the river.

There are some updates today. The City Of Grand Junction did not want the lake to be listed on a list of contaminated lakes, so they are closing it down and want to kill all the fish. Killing all the fish won't work, as the populations will come back, and the mercury will still accumulate in future fish. Nothing the State or city is doing makes any factual sense.

They even have said they want to stock it with just trout. since they believe "trout don't eat other fish", which is totally bogus, as we all know trout eat other fish and I catch and clean trout with fish in their stomachs all the time from this lake, not to mention catch them on crankbaits or other fish imitating lures when fishing for bass and walleye in the lake. Our state is so corrupt and so dishonest they will do and say just about anything to justify themselves.

Here in Western Colorado DOW biologists use the excuse of fish escaping into the river to compete with native fish, whether or not they actually can escape, as Juniata has no connections to the river.

There are some updates today. The City Of Grand Junction did not want the lake to be listed on a list of contaminated lakes, so they are closing it down and want to kill all the fish. Killing all the fish won't work, as the populations will come back, and the mercury will still accumulate in future fish. Nothing the State or city is doing makes any factual sense.

They even have said they want to stock it with just trout. since they believe "trout don't eat other fish", which is totally bogus, as we all know trout eat other fish and I catch and clean trout with fish in their stomachs all the time from this lake, not to mention catch them on crankbaits or other fish imitating lures when fishing for bass and walleye in the lake. Our state is so corrupt and so dishonest they will do and say just about anything to justify themselves.

Weird. Kill the piscivores bc of mercury, then put more piscivores back in?  :-?

Here in Western Colorado DOW biologists use the excuse of fish escaping into the river to compete with native fish, whether or not they actually can escape, as Juniata has no connections to the river.

There are some updates today. The City Of Grand Junction did not want the lake to be listed on a list of contaminated lakes, so they are closing it down and want to kill all the fish. Killing all the fish won't work, as the populations will come back, and the mercury will still accumulate in future fish. Nothing the State or city is doing makes any factual sense.

They even have said they want to stock it with just trout. since they believe "trout don't eat other fish", which is totally bogus, as we all know trout eat other fish and I catch and clean trout with fish in their stomachs all the time from this lake, not to mention catch them on crankbaits or other fish imitating lures when fishing for bass and walleye in the lake. Our state is so corrupt and so dishonest they will do and say just about anything to justify themselves.

Weird. Kill the piscivores bc of mercury, then put more piscivores back in? :-?

Yep, but they claim TROUT DON'T EAT FISH!

The City has done an about face and re - opened the lake. Unfortunately, there is talk that the department of health will close it on March 9th. >

Our local angling group has kept the lake open and prevented any fish killing activities. Big victory for sportsmen and freedom.

sounds like those smallies need a HOT SHOWR!

It sounds like they are just throwing excuses left and right.

It sounds like they are just throwing excuses left and right.

That's government for you, they act like they own everything and it's not ours.