NM News - Gila and Cutthroat Restoration Updates

New Mexico Game Commissioners at a Nov. 1, 2007 meeting in Raton where problems with the state Game and Fish Department's native trout restoration projects were revealed.

The state Department of Game and Fish’s efforts to restore Gila and cutthroat trout to portions of their native territory has been marred by setbacks including the use of an impotent poison to try and kill off non-native fish in one stream and the apparent restocking of another with impure, native fish.

State game commissioners were advised of the problems during their most recent meeting in Raton on Nov. 2, 2007.

Department officials discovered during a recent follow-up inspection of Comanche Creek in the Valle Vidal that at least 25 fish had survived attempts to eradicate all fish from the stream this summer, reported Mike Sloan, Chief of the Fisheries Division of the state Department of Game and Fish.

The creek’s fish population underwent unlimited angler harvesting, physical removal through electro-shocking and then an application of the chemical rotenone to poison any remaining fish before the sterile creek could be restocked the following year with pure-strain, native, Rio Grande cutthroat trout.

The effort is part of an overall, restoration scheme to remove any non-native fish from most waters throughout the region and reintroduce the native cutthroat back into its historic habitat.

The plan is expected to reduce threats to the Rio Grande cutthroat trout’s survival and eliminate the need for protection under the Federal Endangered Species Act which could result in land use and sport fishing restrictions.

Sloan told game commissioners that department officials were surprised to see any fish remaining in the stream. He speculated that perhaps the small fish had survived because at the time of the treatment they had yet to spawn, were hidden deep within a gravel bed and possibly protected by a fresh supply of spring water to ward off the poison.

A cutthroat trout caught by the author in Comanche Creek of the Valle Vidal sometime in the early 1990s.

Sloan said two fish seen in the stream during the follow-up inspection were thought to have escaped and their continued existence poses a problem for the department, as it wants to reintroduce a pure strain of trout to those waters.

After Sloan gave his presentation to commissioners, Jim Baker, Wildlife Manager for Ted Turner’s Vermejo Park Ranch, which is located next door to the Valle Vidal, reported yet another problem with the cutthroat reintroduction effort on its property.

Baker said a shipment of cutthroat trout provided by state Game and Fish to the ranch several years ago to replace trout in a cleared out section of Costilla Creek is now thought to have been “contaminated.”

“We’ve seen a lot of hybrids in the upper stream,” he told commissioners.

Sloan responded that the department’s cutthroat rearing hatchery at Seven Spring from which the load of tainted trout had originated could be the culprit as rainbow eggs were used to test the facility before it came online.

Cutthroat and rainbow trout can crossbreed to produce a hybrid known as a cut-bows and it’s possible some such fish hatched and later made it into that load.

Sloan said the department would “make it right” with Vermejo Park Ranch before proceeding with any other reintroduction plans on the private ranch.

Turner has long pursued his own wildlife conservation and reintroduction efforts on his private ranches and is cooperating with state Game and Fish officials to reintroduce the cutthroat throughout the shared watershed in the Valle Vidal area.

After Baker’s remarks, another department official reported to commissioners that there was yet another problem with reintroduced native trout, this time in the Gila Wilderness in southern New Mexico.

A Gila trout.Photo courtesy of New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

Dr. David Probst, Native Fish Biologist with the state Department of Game and Fish told commissioners that they have since discovered brown trout in the recently treated upper west fork of the Gila River.

“A few browns survived and reproduced and have spread throughout the system,” he said.

Probst blamed a batch of “poor quality” antimycin used to chemically clear the steam of fish for the problem.

Probst said in an interview after the hearing that antimycin is a bacteria derivative grown in a lab and the batch they used was found long after it had been used to have had substandard potency.

Probst explained that the difference between the two pisticides, antimycin and rotenone, is that the first breaks down rapidly and requires less to use while the latter, which is derived from a plant root, has longer life and requires a greater amount.

Their uses are dictated by conditions such as the amount of water to be treated, its location, temperature, turbidity and other factors.

“Sounds like there’s been a lot of complications,” Commissioner Dutch Salmon, said following Probst’s remarks. He and fellow commissioner, Jim McClintic, both voiced reservations about chemically re-treating streams a second time due to the controversy surrounding such work.

Both Sloan and Probst said after the meeting that they intend to weigh their options and see what course of action they can take to get their programs back on track.
Officials are striving to obtain a sterile environment in which they can reintroduce native cutthroats so they can rule out the possibility of cross breeding with rainbows and eliminate competition from hardier breeds such as brown trout, both introduced breeds of fish.

In other action the board approved a measure create a special bag limit of two Gila trout so the department can use Gila trout from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s fish hatchery near Mora to stock Gila waters with the native fish and allow anglers to catch and keep them.

Gila trout dart about in a holding tank at the US Fish and Wildlife Service's fish hatchery in Mora, NM.

The hatchery produces an estimated two to three thousand excess Gila trout each year from its rearing population of pure strain Gila trout. About 300 brood stock of 12-inches or more are scheduled to be stocked in the Forks area area of the Gila rivers in upcoming weeks.


See related story for more info on the Gila trout recovery and restoration project. Also see related story regarding the Rio Grande cutthroat restoration project on the Valle Vidal.


Originally published Nov. 7, 2007 in the Santa Fe New Mexican's Outdoors section.

Road Trip NM - Paliza Canyon, Jemez Mountains

Wren Propp and Karl Moffatt are the first to wed at the newly remodeled Paliza Group Campground in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico with Rev. Milton Propp officiating on Sept. 29, 2007.

Towering red rock cliffs, cool ponderosa pines and a brand new, covered pavilion make the newly remodeled Paliza group shelter in the Jemez Mountains the perfect place for a wedding, family reunion or large camping party.

Tucked away in the Santa Fe National Forest’s Jemez Ranger District canyon off State Road 290 above the village of Ponderosa the group shelter and adjacent family campground have been closed for remodeling for the last four years.

But with construction and final inspections recently completed, the campsite and group shelter will be now available for the next camping season.

“It was heavily used before for weddings, family reunions, by moon worshippers, all sorts of groups,” said Joan Hellen, landscape architect for the Santa Fe National Forest. “It should be even more popular now with all the improvements.”

Hellen, designer of the project, said the renovation work has provided improved vehicle access, brought in new site and unit amenities and meet accessibility guidelines without compromising the character of the landscape.

The group shelter and campground now has a large covered pavilion with an oversized grill and a serving table. Trails from the surrounding campsites to the pavilion helps minimize the need for vehicular traffic within the area.


There are 16 campsites surrounding the pavilion in an area called “Owl Loop”, five of which are double sites which can accommodate up to two vehicles and feature two picnic tables per site.

A lower section of the group campground designated “Red Tail Loop” features eight “walk-in” campsites, three of which are doubles featuring dual picnic tables and large, graveled tent platform areas.

“And the views to the red cliffs here are amazing,” Hellen added.

The group campground sits atop a hill with views of the Jemez Valley below and was originally a depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps base camp, Hellen said.
The renovation replaced the site’s vintage Forest Service wooden, pit toilets and picnic tables with newer, better units. Each site also features a metal post with arms from which lanterns and other items can be hung.

“They’re there to keep people from hammering nails into the trees to hang things,” Helen said.

Work at the adjacent Family Campground just up Forest Road 10 from the group shelter and campgrounds retained and reinforced three, rustic, CCC built rock and timber, three-sided shelters while also increasing the number and size of campsites and maintaining walk-in sites across Vallecitos creek.

Water will be supplied to the Paliza group and family campgrounds but there are no electricity or sewer hookups available.


A “host” site with its own shelter including water, electricity and sewer line vault has also been installed at the family campground and the District is looking for someone to staff it next year, said Derek Padilla, Acting Recreational Staff Officer for the Jemez Ranger District in Jemez Springs.

Anyone interested in serving as the volunteer host at the newly renovated family campground can contact him at the office at (505) 829-3535.

Hosts live rent-free, on-site in exchange for performing routine maintenance and other tasks related to the campground’s operation such as assisting guests.

“We’re looking for folks with good people skills,” he said.

Padilla said the two campsites should be available for online reservations starting Jan. 1, 2008. Visit the at Fe National Forest website Santa for more information.

Half the sites at the Family Campground will be available for reservations online while the group shelter can be had in its entirety or can be split up to accommodate up to two groups at a time with one group using the pavilion and the upper “Owl Loop” campsites while another group can use just the lower “Red Tail Loop” walk-in, tent sites.

Check the online reservation site for more information regarding fees and availability, Padilla said.
Those who find the online reservation service doesn’t satisfy their needs can contact Padilla at the Jemez Ranger District for further assistance.

Padilla said recreational activities in the Paliza Canyon area of the Jemez Mountains include sightseeing. He said the views of the Valles Caldera and the Sandia Mountains that can be found from Cerro Pelado are striking on a good day. The mountaintop lookout can be found by taking Forest Road 10 north out of the campground and then heading east on Forest Road 270.

Those who are more adventuresome and equipped with a high-clearance, four wheel drive vehicle can find another strikingly, scenic overlook by taking Forest Road 266 north out of the campground and heading southeast to above the Tent Rocks National Monument near Cochiti Pueblo.

Visitors to the campgrounds can also stop at the nearby village of Ponderosa and visit the local bar and for beer, ice and inquire of the proprietor about the village’s legendary blond haired, blue eyed descendants of early Spanish settlers.
Visitors to the village can also sample locally produced wines at the Ponderosa Valley Vineyard & Winery where Shannon Grenier says she’s looking forward to the reopening of the group shelter and campgrounds.

“It’s a little piece of paradise up there,” she says. “And we have so many people looking for camping in the fall and early winter because of our warmer weather here. There’s the balloon-a-tics, the cyclists, you wouldn’t believe how many people are on vacation this time of year. It’ll be great for business when they finally open that back up.”

Paul "Dino" Sarrategui of Chelmsford Mass., who served as Karl Moffatt's best man, found a little time before the ceremony to get in some fishing on the Guadalupe River just a few miles upstream of the Paliza Group Campgrounds.

Hellen and Padilla said the family campground couldn’t be utilized this fall due to a lack of a campground host, a finished water system and ongoing road construction.
A number of issues contributed to the project’s lengthy construction process, Hellen said, including a two-phase bidding, award and construction process required by budgetary limitations. And construction crews who typically work during the summer season lost several months of work due to administrative delays.

But now that the work is finally done and the campgrounds are slated to come back online in the spring, Hellen expects campers to find their way into Paliza Canyon for a quiet, scenic and memorable stay.

The Jemez Ranger District’s next project will involve renovating the San Antonio campgrounds near the village of La Cueva on the road to Fenton Lake, Hellen said.

Editor's Note: Karl Moffatt and Wren Propp had to obtain a special use permit from the USDA Forest Service to use the Paliza Group Campground for their scheduled September, 29, 2007 wedding. The campground was completed but still closed at the time. Special thanks to then Acting Jemez Ranger District Ranger, Mary Bean, for her approval of the permit and NM Rep. Tom Udall and Sen. Pete Domenici for their assistance in navigating the process.


























If You Go:

From Santa Fe head north on US84/285 to Pojoaque and take State Road 502 to White Rock and then follow State Road 4 up the mountains and past the Valle Caldera and down through Jemez Springs, continue by the Walatowa Visitors Center and then turn onto State 290 to Ponderosa and follow Forest Road 10 to the campgrounds. About 90 miles. An alternative route involves heading south on I-25 to Bernalillo and taking State Road 550 west to the State Road 4 turnoff at San Ysidro, passing through Jemez Pueblo and turning at State Road 290 to Ponderosa and Forest Road 10 to the campgrounds. About 80 miles.

Road Trip NM - Sugarite Canyon

If Sugarite Canyon is the crown jewel of New Mexico’s state parks, then volunteers like Dan Schamber are the ones who put the shine on it.


“We wouldn’t be the great park we are without them,” said Bob Dye, park superintendent. “We just wouldn’t be able to offer the services and quality programming we have.”

Dan and his wife, Lorene, work nearly full time at the park’s visitor center during the summer tourist season and share the job of leading guests on a guided tour of one of the park’s key attractions, the abandoned Sugarite coal camp.

The camp was just one of many that were once located along the 100-mile-long and 60-mile-wide, underground, coal seam that runs from Cimarron, NM, up to Huerfano, Colo., Dan Schamber explained during a recent mid-day tour.

Coal was used to power the many railroads’ steam locomotives and to heat homes and businesses in the early 1900s and the St. Louis, Rocky Mountain and Pacific Company built the company town to attract and keep workers at its coal mining operation in the canyon.

Located on the outskirts of the plains about six miles east of the city of Raton, the camp once employed up to 1,000 people and featured a post office, company store, school house, clubhouse and dozens of homes built in tidy rows along the hillside.

The company dug three mines into the hills on opposing sides of Chicorica Creek and utilized a gravity operated cable system to lower, fully loaded coal cars to the valley floor while pulling empty ones back up to the mine’s entrance, Schamber explained. The coal was then sorted according to size and loaded into waiting railcars and then shipped by rail to market.

The mines cable drums are still in place and can be seen the at the top of the mountain near the mine's entrance.


But over the years the coal market waned as the railroads adopted diesel/electric locomotives and oil and natural gas became more preferable for home heating, Schamber said.

In 1941 the camp closed, most of the town’s buildings were salvaged and the land was handed over to the city of Raton. The state then leased the land and opened Sugarite Canyon State Park in 1985, with Dye serving as its first and only superintendent since.

Now all that’s left of what had once been a busy mine and company town are the stone foundations, some rusty equipment and a great story.

And 73-year-old, Dan Schamber, tells it well as he leads park visitors on a hike through the hillside ruins and brings the coal camp back to life by recounting its history.

Schamber uses a series of large, plastic covered photographs he carries in a satchel slung across his shoulder to help illustrate how the camp looked during its heyday. His presentation covers a wide variety of subjects including camp life, mining equipment and techniques, site reclamation and any questions visitors might have.

Those who can’t handle the two-mile hike and 400-foot climb can enjoy the tour back in the comfort of the visitors center where Schamber or his wife, Lorene, use in-house exhibits and their oral presentation to enliven visitors.

In over five years of volunteer work at the visitor center the couple have also conducted numerous interviews with former camp residents and other people with knowledge of camp life. They have collected material and many artifacts to help record the camp’s history and Lorene Schamber has authored a 15-page booklet, “Life in Sugarite Canyon Coal Camp.”

The couple also collaborated in the creation of CD documentary about camp life titled ‘We Were Poor but We Were Rich.” Both research works are available at the visitor center.

“We’re just fascinated with history and people,” Schamber, a Korean War era, Marine Corp veteran said when asked about the retired couple’s work.

The two have been married 46 years and are classic snowbirds, having ditched their house and three kids for a big motor home and life on the road, Dan Schamber said.

“I like to tell people we spend our winters in Arizona and our summers in paradise,” he said “This is our kind of country and our kind of living. We love it.”

Superintendent Dye said the public is lucky to have volunteers like the Schambers and others who serve as campground hosts and perform maintenance and other tasks in exchange for nothing more that free camping in one of the state’s finer campgrounds.

Among Sugarite’s other notable assets are trout-filled lakes Maloya and Alice and the hilltop campground, Soda Pocket, which features great views of the valley below.




The park features numerous hiking trails including two, half-mile climbs to the mesa tops surrounding Soda Pocket campground that offer even better views.

The park is such a hidden jewel that Woodall’s Camping Life in April 2006 ranked it among the top-ten, state parks in the entire country, citing it’s abundance of wildlife viewing opportunities as one of its top draws. See the article at Camping Life.

It should be noted that Sugarite is located in prime bear country and campers need to practice precautions to avoid confrontations like the recent case in early July, 2007 where a 13-year-old boy was bitten by a young bear.

The youth slapped at what he thought was his uncle goofing around outside the tent wall in the early morning hours. It turned out to have been a bear snooping around the tent and it bit back before running off.

The boy wasn’t seriously injured but had to undergo rabies vaccination as a precaution, said Dan Williams, a spokesperson for the Department of Game and Fish.
A bear suspected to have been involved in the case was later found and killed and tested negative for rabies, Williams said.

Bears are common visitors to the park because of its mountain location, and the park emphasizes safety by using bear-proof trash cans and educating campers about the importance of keeping a clean camp and not feeding the animals.

Campers are cautioned to keep campsites clean, lock up all food and cooking utensils, and never take food inside a tent. Those who’ve been cooking also should change out of those clothes and store them away from their tent.

For more information about Sugarite Canyon State Park check them out at their website.

IF YOU GO:

From Santa Fe, NM take I-25 north to Raton, head east on State Road 72 to State 526 north to Sugarite Canyon State Park. Stop at the visitor’s center for more information and to take the coal mining camp tour. Showers and ice available across from the visitor’s center. Several RV sites with sewer, electrical and water available at Lake Alice Campground. Soda Pocket Campground has no such services and is first come, first serve. Call ahead for more information at (505) 445-5607.



















NEWS - AUG 2007 - THE SUGARITE SCARE!

Sugarite state park’s alluring peace and tranquility could soon be disrupted by the roar of drilling equipment if a Texas energy company has its way.

TDC Engineering of Abilene, TX. has served notice on the city of Raton that it intends to drill five exploratory wells for coal bed methane gas on city owned land in the Lake Dorothey Wildlife Area, according to Pete Mileta Jr., Raton’s city manager.

The wildlife area is located upstream of Sugarite Canyon State Park, just across the Colorado state line.

Raton owns the surface rights in the wildlife area along with those found in Sugarite Canyon State Park in New Mexico. The area comprises the watershed that feeds reservoirs to supply the Raton’s drinking water.

But while the city may own the land and lease it to the two states for the wilderness area and state park, it’s a mining company, Newmont Mining of Denver, that owns the mineral rights.

And Newmont has since leased those rights to TDC, according to the city’s attorney Lance Astrella of Denver.

TDC wants explore for gas in the coal seam running through the area and in order to do so needs to use New Mexico State Road 526 running through Sugarite State Park to haul heavy equipment up into the wilderness area, Astrella said.

From there TDC would then have to carve out a 4.5 mile road to reach the proposed drilling sites as there is presently no other access to the sites available.

The city is opposed to the proposal primarily out of concern such drilling activity could threaten the quality and quantity of its water supply.

New Mexico State Parks is opposed to the drilling venture on the grounds it’s incompatible with the park’s mission of providing people and wildlife with a sanctuary, said Superintendent, Bob Dye.

An estimated 150,000 people utilize the state park each year and it is home to a wide variety of wildlife including bear, elk, deer, mountain lions, birds, fish and butterflies, he said.

The narrow park road is unsuitable for heavy equipment traffic and competition between those using it for recreation versus construction could create an unsafe situation.

Noise, dust and other impacts associated with drilling could also intrude upon the park’s recreational activities, disrupting those seeking solitude fishing, hiking and relaxing in a natural environment.

The impacts upon wildlife and their habitat could prove be especially damaging, he said.“I understand the nation’s need for energy,” Dye said. “But state parks and water supplies need to be protected.”

A citizens group has since formed to fight the drilling and has set up a website, Save Our Sugarite, where more information can be found.

Calls to Scott Taliaferro Jr. of TDC engineering seeking comment were not returned.

Astrella said his legal strategy to combat the proposed venture is simple.

“The best way to stop them would be to make them do it right,” he said.

While TDC may have a right to drill, the city also has a right to ensure its water supplies are protected. Requiring the company to do that could prove costly enough to make the venture unprofitable, he said.

“But the city needs to be proactive,” he said. “Because even if these guys don’t do it, someone else might.”

Astrella said there has not been any discussion with Newmont regarding purchase of the mineral rights lying under the city owned land.

In the meantime it remains to be seen if TDC proceeds with its plans to pursue drilling near Sugarite State Park and what opponents can do to stop it.





NEWS UPDATE - SEPT. 2007 - SUGARITE SAVED FOR NOW:

Recreational users of Sugarite Canyon State Park near Raton can breath easier now knowing that a Texas energy firm has dropped its plans to drill for gas in an adjoining state wildlife area.

“That’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time,” said Dan Schamber, volunteer and tour guide at the popular state park. “But just because they’ve given up doesn’t mean someone else won’t try.”

TDC Engineering of Abilene, Texas, notified the city of Raton last week that it is dropping its plans to drill five, exploratory wells for coal bed methane gas on city-owned land in the Lake Dorothey Wildlife Area just across the state line in Colorado, said the city’s attorney, Lance Astrella of Denver.

TDC notified the city that its lease with Newmont expires on September 16, 2007, and in light of their lack of progress in drilling is asking the city to drop its lawsuit against them, Astrella said.

Raton had filed suit in district court this summer to stop TDC from proceeding with its drilling plans citing the potential threat to its water supply. A citizens’ group was also formed called Save Our Sugarite to pursue options in opposition to drilling in the state park and wilderness area. See their website at Save Our Sugarite for more information.

Astrella said he will seek to have the city's lawsuit dismissed now that TDC has backed off.

Meanwhile the city has issued a press release stating its intent to remain “proactive in opposing any future drilling activities which do not accommodate and protect its water rights from depletion and contamination.”

Astrella said the city has several options it could conceivably pursue to include seeking to restrict or retire Newmont’s mineral rights, protect them under some kind of a conservancy plan or purchase them outright.

It remains to be seen what direction the city pursues and Astrella said he expects the fight over coal bed methane drilling and its impact upon water quality and quantity in the Raton basin to continue because of the high stakes involved on both sides.

These articles were originally published in the Santa Fe New Mexican's Outdoors section.

Piedra River - The Ute's Build a Mean Stream

Tired of crowded campgrounds, rivers overrun with anglers, the same old scenery?
Consider a trip into Indian Country, some place like the Southern Ute Reservation just across the Colorado state line.

The Southern Utes have four great rivers running through their territory, the San Juan, the Piedra, the Pine and the Animas.

The Ute’s six-mile stretch of the Animas below the popular college town of Durango draws the most visitors to fish for a good population of rainbows and the chance to snare a large brown trout, said Ben Zimmerman, fisheries biologist for the Southern Ute Tribe.

But if one is looking for solitude, spectacular scenery and plenty of good fishing, they may want to try a trip to the less traveled areas of the San Juan and Piedra rivers in Indian Country.

“You’d be lucky to see anyone else out there with you,” Zimmerman says.

Both rivers’ headwaters can be found in the mountains ringing the town of Pagosa Springs and then they flow south to Navajo Reservoir. The 20-mile long Navajo Lake straddles the Colorado and New Mexico state line and the San Juan River re-emerges from below Navajo Dam as the blue ribbon trout fishery well known to many New Mexico anglers.

But it is the stretch of the San Juan River above Navajo Lake that many may not be familiar with as it flows south out of Pagosa Springs through Indian Country.

Taking Archuleta County Road 500 out of Pagosa Springs one will travel a gravel, country road along the river with several promising fishing holes beckoning anglers.
The countryside is dotted with farms, high piñon and juniper dotted mesas and great stands of cottonwood trees along the river bottom, which would make for a great drive during the fall.



Those in possession of a Southern Ute Indian Tribe fishing permit can stop at any number of fishing access areas posted along the road and try their angling luck.
This stretch of river looks very like much like big, brown trout country where streamers, nymphs, bait and lures might work.

The Utes’ permits can be purchased in Colorado at shops in Durango and Ignacio where the tribe’s headquarters are located. They can also be purchased in New Mexico at stores in Farmington and at the Float and Fish fly shop at Navajo Dam.

However the tribe’s fishing permits cannot be purchased in the town of Pagosa Springs nor online and those venturing out of Santa Fe might want to contact one of the participating vendors and make arrangements to purchase one by mail. For more information about permits and rules and regulations check the tribe’s website at http://www.southern-ute.nsn.us/WRMWeb/fishing.html.

It should be noted that signs posted at the Utes’ fishing access sites state alcohol, drugs, firearms and dogs are prohibited while utilizing these areas. It's unknown how strictly regulated these prohibitions are but visitors should exercise extreme discretion while on Indian lands.


This long, lonely stretch of road eventually passes through the abandoned railroad town of Pagosa Junction where a magnificent, whitewashed, adobe church still stands upon a hill overlooking the town’s ruins.

Here one can wander among several still standing buildings, a great stand of cottonwood trees and wonder about the history of this former, bustling railroading town.

Continuing south on County Road 500, visitors will encounter the top end of Navajo Lake which features numerous pull offs for recreation. Camping and other services are available at Navajo State Park and more information can be found at http://parks.state.co.us/Parks/Navajo.

County Road 500 ends at the intersection of Colorado State Road 151 where one can head north to access the Ute Tribe’s six-mile stretch of the Piedra River up Fosset Gulch off Forest Road 613.

This stretch of river was rehabilitated back in 2000 with the installation of hundreds of tons of large boulders to shore up the riverbanks, re-channel the river and create healthier habitat for fish.



The characteristics of this stretch of the Piedra River are so appealing to the angler’s eye that it almost looks like a movie set, it is that well constructed.
So far the Utes’ plan seems to have worked with the area now attracting the occasional discriminating angler and stream surveys showing a good population of rainbows and some large browns trout lurking in the depths, Zimmerman said.

Anyone catching a rare, red-bellied, round-tailed chub from Southern Ute Reservation waters is asked to handle the fish carefully and return it unharmed immediately to the water, Zimmerman added.

This stretch of the Piedra River flows through a heavily forested, cottonwood canyon flanked by rolling hills, some rocky mesas and an occasional pasture on the far bank and once again should prove to be a spectacular drive in the fall.

Wildlife viewing opportunities are abundant with raptors in great numbers including owls swooping over the road and a coyote jogging ahead of the vehicle during a recent trip. At one point a horse emerged from the woods, walked up to the vehicle and allowed a quick rub of its velvety nose before running off in a clatter of hoofs and cloud of dust.

Visitors will see by map that Forest Road 613 cuts through to Colorado State Road 160 between Durango and Pagosa Springs, but should note that a private property owner has since installed two locked gates across the road blocking access.

It’s unknown if and when this issue will be resolved to the public’s benefit.
From this stretch of the Piedra River visitors can also see the twin spires of the Chimney Rock Archaeological Area in the San Juan National Forest located between Durango and Pagosa Springs.

This hilltop Indian ruin is a great side trip off State Road 151 and features a guided, interpretive walking tour and spectacular views from the mountain top fire tower. The site is open May 15th through Sept 30th and more information can be found at http://www.chimneyrockco.org/mainnew.htm.

And on the far end of State Road 151 visitors to the area will find additional fishing and camping at the Southern Utes’ Capote Lake.

Overall this area of southern Colorado in Indian Country offers much for those seeking to get away from the crowds and constrictions found on public lands during summer months.

Also see this article as it appeared in the
Santa Fe New Mexican

Maps - Where to Get Them and Why

Richard Atkinson, manager of the Public Lands Information Center at 1474 Rodeo Road in Santa Fe, N.M. displays the popular and informative BLM Land Status map in Sept. 2007.

Maps.

Face it, if you live in New Mexico, sooner or later, you’re going to need one.

And Santa Fe boasts two great shops for finding maps, books and other information about the state.

With almost half the state under public ownership one of the best maps to illustrate that may be the BLM’s (Bureau of Land Management) color-coded “surface management responsibility” or land status map available at the Public Lands Information Center at 1474 Rodeo Road in Santa Fe, N.M.

Richard Atkinson, the center’s manager, says the map is just one of many in the information center has available to the public and it’s a handy tool for those exploring the state especially those preparing for an upcoming hunt.

Atkinson uses an overlay on top of the land use map to shows the state’s hunting units and then the associated BLM or Forest Service maps that are needed for that area.

The same system is available online at www.publiclands.org , just pick New Mexico from the pull down list of states at the maps center, click on the hunting unit index tab and the maps you need will pop up.

The land status map is available in a four-foot wide and five-foot tall wall hanging or a smaller version about half that size and is great for viewing at home before setting out on the road.

The Public Lands Center also features every available Forest Service and BLM map for the state as well as a collection of private maps and atlases that make a road trip easy.

Atkinson said he prefers BLM maps to Forest Service maps because they show topography and are contiguous and can be assembled for a bigger picture of an area with no gaps between the maps.

That’s important for those hiking into the woods, he says.

Forest Service maps are limited primarily to the forest they cover and do not feature topography unless it’s a wilderness map, he notes.

In addition to those federal agencies’ maps Atkinson’s shop has two versions of the state atlas, the Road and Recreation atlas and the Gazetteer. Both are good books of maps for general use throughout the state.

Atkinson recommends everyone own one of these and then start collecting maps for more specific areas such as the state’s national forests, wilderness areas and other places of interest.

The information center also includes a great collection of hunting, fishing, hiking, cooking, history and other books with a New Mexico theme. There are also free brochures available from various state agencies and other information assembled to help visitors utilize the state’s public lands.

“You really can’t find the kind of collection we have here anywhere else,” he said.

The Center opened in 1996 and is operated by the private non-profit organization, Public Lands Interpretive Association with offices in every state and a website that brings them all together in one place.

Those seeking more specific maps can visit the Travel Bug at 839 Paseo de Peralta near downtown Santa Fe. Those in the know have been picking up maps and books here for years and the service and selection is why.

Here one can find and have printed a United State Geological Service topographic map for anywhere in state, or the country for that matter, says owner Greg Ohlsen.

The store features maps from all over the world or something closer to town such as a city or county produced map. The Travel Bug can produce aerial and satellite photos and also stock the just released, updated version of the popular New Mexico atlas, “Roads of New Mexico.”

And customers can sip cup coffee or enjoy a fruit smoothie while browsing the collection of maps, books and related items found in this distinctive shop.

The store also carries and services the Garmin line of satellite operated, GPS (Global Positioning System) products that not only help one find where they are in a strange town but can also be used to map one’s hikes in the woods.

Ohlsen said he used one to map all the day hikes for use in the Sierra Club’s latest version of “Day Hikes in the Santa Fe Area.”

“It’s amazing stuff,” he says. For more info about GPS check out www.garmin.com .

One of the pricier GPS units allows the user to strap an electronic transmitter on a dog’s collar and then monitor the dog’s movements while out hiking.

The unit will show how far away and in what direction the dog is located in relation to the handheld receiver carried by the owner. The units have a range of about five miles in open country and have helped Ohlsen find his lost dogs on a number of occasions, he said.

But Ohlsen says despite the handheld devices great capabilities they just can’t compete with a map for showing the big picture, the great landscape of New Mexico.

For that one might want to drop in to the state Department of Transportation (DOT) at 1120 Cerrillos Road where in the lobby one can find a free New Mexico road map and one for most every state in the country.

“I can fill this here today and by the end of the week they’ll all be gone,” says
Virginia Neville, receptionist at the DOT headquarters a she points to the display rack in the lobby. “I don’t know how people know they’re here, we don’t advertise.”

The rack doesn’t feature any state road maps from either California or Arizona because both those states refuse to provide them for free, said Michael Urioste, a DOT administrator who orders the maps for the free rack.

New Mexico hands out about a half a million free maps a year, Urioste said, primarily to distributors such as chamber of commerce’s, visitor centers, state and federal agencies and even private businesses.

It’s just one of those little known public services the state performs with little fanfare but great results. So grab a map and explore New Mexico today!