Colorado Parks and Wildlife has removed all bag and possession limits for anglers at McKay Lake in Westminster [1, 2].
The emergency measure aims to prevent a total loss of the lake's fish population as severe drought conditions threaten the fishery [1, 3].
Officials issued an emergency public salvage order for the McKay Lake Open Space [1, 2]. This order allows fishers to keep any amount of fish they catch, bypassing the standard regulations that typically limit the number of fish an individual can take from the water [1, 2].
The decision comes as drought conditions put the resident fish at risk of imminent death [1, 2]. By encouraging the public to harvest the fish, the state hopes to salvage as much of the population as possible before the environment becomes uninhabitable [2, 3].
Similar actions have been observed in other regions facing extreme water shortages. Reports indicate that fishing limits have also been lifted at various reservoirs in Oregon and other parts of Colorado to manage fish populations during drought crises [3].
Anglers visiting the Westminster site are now permitted to keep their catches without the usual restrictions [1, 2]. The agency said it has not specified a date for when the standard limits will be reinstated, though such orders typically remain in effect until the immediate threat to the fishery subsides [1].
“Colorado Parks and Wildlife has removed all bag and possession limits for anglers at McKay Lake.”
This emergency salvage order reflects the increasing pressure that prolonged drought puts on inland freshwater ecosystems. By shifting from conservation to salvage, wildlife agencies acknowledge that the environment can no longer support the existing biomass, using public harvesting as a tool to prevent mass die-offs that could otherwise lead to water quality degradation.
