BLM Drops More Rocks in San Juan River for Fish Habitat - Trout Unlimited Cries Foul

With a big splash the San Juan River recently received yet another load of boulders designed to improve fishing conditions on the blue ribbon trout stream in northwestern New Mexico.

The strategically placed rocks provide good hiding places for fish and help move silt and sediment downstream by keeping the water churned up, says Wildlife Biologist John Hansen of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Farmington field office.

The latest area to receive habitat improvements on the San Juan is the BLM’s Trucha Rosilla day use area located in the bait waters just below the village of Navajo Dam at the end of San Juan County Road 4275.

The project area involves a few hundred yards of riverfront, actually a back channel that peels off from the river to a diversion canal, where crews have cleared out about 15 acres of salt cedar and Russian olive and dropped dozens of boulders into the streambed for improved fish habitat.

The rock work transformed what was a generally flat, featureless stretch of water into one with several new fishing holes, and since the area already boasts a good population of resident brown trout it should provide anglers with yet another worthy spot to fish on the river, Hansen said.

Hansen and fellow Fisheries biologist Marc Wethington, of the state Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF), were on hand March 31 during the boulder installation to answer questions from media members like Amanda Goodman, Farmington based television reporter for Channel 13 of Albuquerque and James Monteleone of the Farmington Daily Times.

The habitat project is the latest of several undertaken on the river over the past few years to alleviate the impact of low water flows imposed by the federal operators of Navajo Dam in recent years. The flows have been brought down to maintain downstream habitat for threatened or endangered fish species and the river is now being managed to account for the lower flows.

Evidence of these improvement projects can be seen below Simon Canyon and around Cottonwood Campground, where rocks structures have been installed to provide cover for fish and to help keep silt and sediment suspended and moving downstream.

Hansen says the habitat projects have generally been well accepted by the angling public as they have opened up previously underutilized areas of the river to angling.

The rocks structures have helped redirect the river to create deeper channels which trout like, while water churning around and through the rocks scours the streambed and digs out holes for fish to hide in.

The stretch below Simon Canyon has seen a resurgence in angler use due to the improvements with good, winter dry fly action because of increased insect populations thriving in the cleaner streambed, according to anglers and guides.

Trout Unlimited Wades In:

But the projects did not come without controversy, as evidenced by recent remarks by Greg McReynolds, a representative of the national organization, Trout Unlimited, who has criticized the habitat improvement projects that have been undertaken on the river in recent years. 

                                           Greg McReynolds, Trout Unlimited, 

McReynolds, in opposing HB 51 which sought to create a special San Juan habitat stamp to fund such projects remarked during a hearing before the House Consumer and Public Affairs committee during the most recent New Mexico state legislative session that the habitat improvement projects were expensive and ineffective.

He claimed that $250,000 has been spent on them so far and that they were “unfortunately, not working.”

The bill, which sought to raise funds from anglers for further habitat improvement projects on the river (see related story) , never made it out of its next scheduled committee due in part to objections raised by opponents such as McReynolds, according to its sponsor, State Representative and House Minority Leader Tom Taylor, R-Farmington.

But McReynolds didn’t stop there; he then went so far as to claim for a Farmington Daily Times article about the demise of the bill that the habitat improvement projects were actually making conditions on the river worse.

Many San Juan River guides and anglers expressed astonishment that someone who should know better would make such an outrageous claim.

“I don’t understand how a guy, especially from Trout Unlimited, can make a statement like that,” says Rick Hooley, 46, of Bayfield, Colo., a San Juan River guide for Rocky Mountain Anglers. “I was amazed to see that. I don’t see how he could have been more wrong.”

Hooley, like many other guides, reports that the habitat improvement areas on the river are working as planned, providing better fishing and reduced silt and sediment.

“The dry fly action down there this winter has been great,” he said.

David Israel, 62, of Bloomfield, is a retired business executive who moved to the area in 2005 just to fish the fabled river and now works as a clerk at Abe’s Fly Shop and Motel in Navajo Dam.

“I fish that area (Simon Canyon) probably more than anybody,” Israel said. “And this winter has been the best I’ve ever seen it. He (McReynolds) must not fish here very often to say something like that.”

Israel remarked that some people can’t seem to accept that the San Juan River below Navajo Dam is a manmade, tailwater fishery and not a pristine, free flowing, backcountry creek.

“It’s an artificial environment and some people have this expectation that they can make it something other than what it is,” he says.

After publication of the Times article containing his controversial comment, McReynolds asked to be allowed to clarify his comments  for the web version of the story.

His original comments were that “past projects that placed boulders in the San Juan River to improve fishing have made river conditions worse."  The comments were then amended to say "past projects that placed boulders in the San Juan River to improve fishing have made river conditions worse at some water levels.”

Daily Times Reporter, James Monteleone, who holds a Master's Degree in Journalism from Northwestern University, said he stands behind his original reporting of McReynolds comments and the decision to allow McReynolds to amend his comments was made by management.

However, even McReynolds' amended comments about the rock project leaves many baffled.

"Face it, the bottom line is he doesn't know what he's talking about," says Aaron Carithers, 41, of Anazasi Anglers of Hesperus Co., a longtime, respected guide on the river. "If he did he wouldn't be saying that."

James Monteleon of the Farmington Daily Times interviews Fisheries Biologist, Joyhn Hansen of the BLM's Farmington field office. 

As far as the fishing on the San Juan is concerned, anglers couldn’t be happier, according to Wethington, who conducts regular streamside interviews with fishermen as part of his NMDGF duties.

The latest numbers show that close to 90 percent of anglers are either very satisfied or highly satisfied with their angling experience whether they’re fishing the river for the first time or have been for the last 25 years, he says.

Hansen’s response to the critics, of which the BLM has many due to its regulatory role over oil and gas drilling on public lands, is “show me the proof.”

“People can stand up and make all these accusations, but where’s the data?” he says.

McReynolds declined to personally respond to a request for explanation of his claim the river was worse off because of the rock projects but his handlers in Washington D.C. didn’t , stating McReynolds bases his opinion on frequent visits to the river and anecdotal evidence. 

Many fly shop owners, river guides and anglers in the small community of Navajo Dam find McReynolds’ claim to be a frequent visitor ironic because none can recall having seen him on the river and they have been looking.

Nonetheless, Hansen says, the habitat improvement projects are based on widely accepted, scientifically proven and thoroughly established fishery management practices used all over the country.

The San Juan projects were also vetted by officials at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Army Corp of Engineers, the state Department of Game and Fish, the state Environment Department and State Parks, he said.

“But no matter how hard you try, there’s always going to be some people you can’t satisfy,” he said.

Hansen noted that the total cost of all four phases of the habitat improvement projects cost an estimated $160,000 with about $75,000 coming out of government coffers including an estimated $16,000 in wildlife habitat stamp money collected from New Mexico fishing license holders who fish on BLM or Forest Service Lands.

The remaining project costs were absorbed by various contributors including a great deal of in kind contributions from the oil and gas industry including rock hauling and use of heavy equipment and manpower.

The San Juan Flyfishing Federation also made a financial contribution to the projects which Hansen estimated could have cost $500,000 to $600,000 if bought and paid for on the open market. 

And now for some editorial analysis, commentary and background of the news:

Many in Navajo Dam fishing community suspect Trout Unlimited’s meddling in the affairs of the San Juan river are simply to further its political agenda against the oil and gas industry.

McReynolds shares office space in Albuquerque with the New Mexico Wildlife Federation and is frequently seen in the company of Oscar Simpson , a campaign coordinator with the federation who has in the past made questionable claims about conditions on the San Juan River to further his campaign against the oil and gas industry  see related story.

            Photo courtesy of New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

Many on the river suspect special interest groups such as Trout Unlimited and the New Mexico Wildlife Federation have no real interest in seeing habitat improvements made to the San Juan River as that would detract from their claim that the river is in decline and the oil and gas industry is at fault.

Many say the river has simply become a pawn and collateral damage in these groups’ campaign against the oil and gas industry and the fishing community is suffering business losses due to the negative and often erroneous publicity that is being generated  see related story.

One thing that’s clear from the latest controversy surrounding the river, it’s that Trout Unlimited’s credibility and clout within the San Juan fishing community has been severely eroded due its political rhetoric and activities, much like NM Wildlife Federation’s was before them.

Fort Union on the old Santa Fe Trail: It's How the West Was Won!

Rising above the grasslands like an adobe Stonehenge, the remaining chimneys and walls of old Fort Union still silently beckon travelers to this historic military outpost on the old Santa Fe Trail.

Once the primary military depot for U.S. Army soldiers serving to protect westward settlers and to suppress the Indians, it was the biggest military installation in the Southwest at the time.

The fort at one time featured one of the best hospitals in the West, an ammo depot, a military prison, warehouses, mechanics shop, corrals and troop quarters

It also served as a vital stopping point on the Santa Fe Trail for merchant’s wagon trains and other travelers seeking safe refuge from marauding Indians and welcome relief from the open road.

Today, upon leaving Interstate 25 to visit this old fort located on the historic Mora Land Grant, one will immediately come across remnants of the deep ruts left by the endless procession of wagon trains and others who settled the West back in the 1800s.

During the eight-mile trip to the fort one may come across of a herd of antelope grazing on the plains or see real cowboys working among cattle in the fields. A sea of grass extends for miles, flanked by pinon, juniper and ponderosa studded hills.

At the entrance to the old fort, visitors will find friendly and informative staff and plenty of history to absorb within its small but detailed museum.

But it is on the grounds of the fort itself that the place seems to come alive. One might even imagine hearing the creak and groan of wagon wheels, the crack of a whip or detect the musky odor of leather and horses upon the wind.

A walk of the grounds provides an excellent hike and plenty to learn from interpretive signs featuring photos from the period providing information about the ruins and what purpose they once served.

The fort played a pivotal role in New Mexico history as Union officers leading local, volunteer troops stationed at the fort marched out to meet an invading Confederate force and defeated them at the battle of Glorieta near Pecos during the Civil War.

Ironically, there were numerous, former, Union officers from the fort who had resigned their commissions and took up with the Confederates found among the invading, rebel forces, according to the national monument’s 1992 administrative history compiled by author Liping Zhu and available for review on the monument’s website at www.nps.gov.

And prior to the Civil War, soldiers from the fort conducted many of the campaigns against Indians in the area who were preying upon Western settlers. U.S. soldiers took on the Apaches and Utes first and then later turned to the plains Indians, the Kiowas and Comanches, in a relentless and brutal war against the native people.

In the end the Indians were routed from their territory and saw their primary food source, the buffalo, decimated by the onslaught of invading settlers and the soldiers who protected them.

Fort Union served as the U.S. Army’s primary supply depot for almost forty years, extending military might into the Southwest and supplying the great many smaller military outposts located throughout the region.

Hispanic land grant historians might look upon the fort as an affront as the land it was built upon belonged to the Mora Land Grant and was seized, occupied and then abandoned without any compensation provided to its Spanish owners.

Hiking the grounds of the fort, visitors will get a feel for the size and scope of the garrison upon seeing preserved adobe walls from which many of the buildings were constructed, the stone walkways and foundations laid out in military precision and the eerily intact brick chimneys and stone prison cells.

A visit to Fort Union is a real bargain for the cost conscious as the entrance fee is only three dollars, which entitles the bearer to also visit the Pecos National Monument for free upon presenting the same receipt or vice versa.

The Pecos National Historical Park features intriguing ruins of what was once a great Indian Pueblo and the remains of an imposing Spanish church.

Located within the Pecos-area park visitor center is a comprehensive, concise and rapidly absorbed museum of early, regional history for this part of northern New Mexico.

Leashed dogs are allowed at both facilities.

If You Go:

Fort Union National Monument is located about 90 miles northeast of Santa Fe off I-25. Take exit 366 at St. Rd. 161 just after Watrous. Follow the signs. The Pecos National Historical Park is located about 25 miles northeast of Santa Fe just outside the village of Pecos on St. Rd. 63. Coming back from Fort Union get off at the Rowe, Pecos exit, # 307 and take St. Rd 63 about five miles to the park. Stopping at the park on the way to Fort Union get off I-25 at the Glorieta, Pecos exit, # 299 and take St. Rd. 50 into Pecos and then bear right at the intersection of St. Rd 63 for a short drive to the park. Follow the signs. For an interesting side trip stop in Las Vegas to see the old Harvey Hotel at the train station.

Northern Indian Pueblos Stock Up for Spring Fishing

Dave Martinez, San Ildefonso Pueblo Ranger.

The coming of spring marks the beginning of the fishing season for many of northern New Mexico’s tribes who have heavily stocked their lakes to satisfy eager anglers.

“We’ve got loads of fish in there,” says San Ildefonso Pueblo Ranger, Dave Martinez, as he waved an arm at the tribe’s five-acre lake located west of Pojoaque just off the highway to Los Alamos. “And some big ones, too.”

Anglers have reported seeing a legendary trout reputed to be well over 22 inches cruising the lake and sporting a tag from last year’s fishing derby. The fish is worth $100 to the lucky angler who lands him and many have tried, Martinez said

“A lot of people swear they hooked him but then he got away,” Martinez says.

That fish is just one among over 5,000 trout stocked in recent weeks to satisfy anglers who pay $12 a day to catch and keep up to six fish. Kids under 12 fish for six bucks.

During a St. Paddy’s’ Day outing to the lake last week the weather was sunny and warm, the lake surface dimpled by rising trout and fellow anglers friendly and hospitable.

It proved to be an exciting afternoon for fishermen like Fred Vigil, 46, of Pojoaque, a school maintenance worker who bagged himself a 19-inch rainbow trout and was giddy with joy. 

                                
“Just look at him,” he said as he showed off the big fish and a danced a little jig. 

Due to a supply of fresh river water and a set of aerators that pump oxygen into the water some of the pond’s trout can survive over the winter and grow to good size, Martinez said.

The pueblo doesn’t plan to host a fishing derby until the last week of April so anglers have plenty of time to get in on the great fishing action, Martinez noted.

The lake is open daily, well behaved, leashed dogs are welcome and the atmosphere at the pond amid the Bosque is informal and friendly.

Anglers looking to get up into a little higher country can expect to find good fishing at Nambe Lake and Falls when it opens on March 25, says Nambe Ranger, Joe Vigil.

The tribe stocked the mountain lake with about 10,000 fish after it closed for the season last fall and just added another 6,000 in the last couple of weeks, Vigil says.

During last year’s fishing derby a 4-year-old Truchas boy fishing with his grandfather caught a 22-inch rainbow trout on a Mickey Mouse rod and earned himself $1,000 , says Vigil, a retired Santa Fe and Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s deputy.

Nambe Lake features good bank fishing and allows small boats with electric motors, float tubes and rafts. Well behaved dogs on leashes are welcome. Anglers will find some fishing supplies and a limited amount of groceries and ice at the ranger’s shed at the entrance to the lake.

The tribe charges $15 a day for adults, $8 for kids ages 7 to 12 and $10 for seniors over 60 years old, Vigil says.

And anglers seeking a more urban experience can try their luck at Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo’s lakes located just north of Espanola where the a fishing derby is scheduled for opening day on April 10th, says Martin Monroe, Director of retail for the tribe’s Tsay Corp.

Monroe says the tribe will stock about 5,000 fish before the derby and feature cash prizes including $1,000 for the top fish. Cost to enter the derby is $25 at the gate on opening day or $20 up front beforehand at the tribes’ RV Mini-Mart located in the Conoco/Phillips gas station off Riverside Drive about a quarter mile north of the Wal-Mart on State Rd. 68.

After the derby fishing at the tribes’ lakes costs $8 a day with kids under 16 and seniors over 65 paying $5.

Anglers fishing on tribal lands do not require a state fishing license. Current state fishing licenses expire April 1st.

If You Go:

San Ildefonso Pueblo fishing lake is off St. Rd. 502, west of Pojoaque on the way to Los Alamos. Follow the signs. Nambe Lake and Falls is off St. Rd. 503, north of Pojoaque. Follow the signs. Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo lakes are off Riverside Drive in Espanola just north of the Walmart on St. Rd. 68. Turn in at the Conoco/Phillips RV Mini-Mart.



 

A Visit to Tsankawi at Bandelier Takes One Back in Time

Sitting upon the edge of a cliff at Tsankawi, legs dangling in space, basking in the midwinter sun, one can look out over the snow dusted valley below and perhaps understand why the ancient Indians choose to live here hundreds of years ago.

Today it offers visitors spectacular views, a great winter hike and a quiet, contemplative place in which to consider what life must have been like for the native people over 400 years ago.

High atop this mesa, ancestors of San Ildefonso Pueblo built a village and on the south facing cliff face, they carved out shallow caves in the soft volcanic rock where they cooked, slept and hid from the elements.

Their comings and goings cut deep trails into the soft rock crisscrossing the site and following them leads one into a glimpse of what their world must have been like then.

In the valley floor below they grew dry land crops such as corn, beans and squash, gathered wood and water and hunted game.

Crawling into one of the sandy floored caves, a visitor finds the roof blackened by the smoke of previous cook fires and a window carved in the wall that provides a view upon the valley and the far off Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

Stepping carefully amid the rocky ruins of the mesa top village a sharp eye may see that someone has placed a couple of pottery shards atop a flat rock. They should be left them alone because this is an outdoor museum and removing them is a federal law offense.

And on the trail below, if one stops often enough to look up at the rock walls above, a visitor may see one of the many messages that the Indians left behind, like a large spiral carved in the rock or a depiction of an animal.

More clues about the life they lived arise as one rounds a corner and sees a series of steps notched into the sloping rock face.

Climbing those leads to a natural depression with a slight overhang, what appears to be a natural cistern that collects rain water runoff from the rock face above.

The rock here was formed by residue from the volcanic eruption of the nearby Jemez Mountains which also formed the massive, grassy meadows of the Valles Caldera National Preserve.

The soft rock that makes up the colorful mesas, buttes and canyons in the surrounding area is easily eroded by water and also easy to excavate.

Tsankawi is an intriguing 1.5 mile hike involving a climb up and down three sets of ladders fashioned from lodge poles, incredible scenic views and a great deal of Native American history as spelled out in a guided, numerical tour pamphlet available at the park entrance.

Tsankawi is a remote section of Bandelier National Monument which is located about 15 miles farther south on State Rd. 4 after passing through the town of White Rock.

Tsankawi in Tewa, the traditional language of San Ildefonso Pueblo means “village between two canyons at the clump of sharp, round cacti,” according to the park’s brochure.

The village ruins at Tsankawi remain unexcavated at the wishes of the San Ildefonso Puebloans but modern technology has allowed archeologists to determine the village consisted of 275 rooms alone on the mesa top.

It is believed that the ancestors of San Ildefonso Pueblo left their mesa top village sometime during the 1500s to relocate in the valley below along the banks of the Rio Grande.

The Valles Caldera Offers Sleigh Rides, Cross Country Sking, Snow Shoeing and More

Sleigh driver Jeff Grider of Bear Creek Adventures and passenger, Rourke McDermott, Landscape Architect for the Valles Caldera National Preserve,  ride atop the a horse drawn sleigh at the preserve in the Jemez Mountains during a recent outing.

A brilliant bed of deep, creamy snow awaits visitors to the Valles Caldera National Preserve this winter where cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and sightseeing is at its best right now.

“You couldn’t ask for better conditions,” says Kimberly DeVall, Recreation Specialist for the preserve. “We’ve got about three feet of snow on the ground and another full moon night coming up.”

The preserve is scheduled to be open to cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and sightseeing under the full moon on Saturday night, Feb. 27, Devall says.

“It’s spectacular seeing your shadow at nine o’clock at night,” DeVall says of the moon-lit 90,000-acre preserve located off State Road 4 between Los Alamos and Jemez Springs.

The last full moon event on Jan. 30 which features campfires and hot beverages and snacks at the visitors’ center drew about 300 outdoor enthusiasts to the preserve.

Weekend and special event visitation so far this winter has passed all of last year’s total for the entire season, says DeVall.

Last year the preserve saw 1,814 visitors during the winter season and earned $12,474 while this year, with several weeks still yet to to go, the preserve has already seen 2,979 visitors and earned $31,699 in revenues.

“We’re really starting to come into our own as a winter recreation destination,” DeVall said of the big jump in visitors.

The preserve boasts 38 miles of winter trails with 29 of those groomed for cross-country skiers, ranging from an easy 1.5-mile loop to a more adventurous 15k circuit, DeVall said.

Those seeking the kind of quiet solitude only a wide expanse of snow-covered pasture and deep forest can provide should head up to the old “ Baca” location for some winter recreating while the snow is still around.

During one recent sunny weekend one could see many cross-country skiers and people on snowshoes dotting the bright white layer of snow covering the massive expanse of pasture formed by the collapsed volcano known as the Valles Caldera.

“We usually do the Sandias (mountains) but decided to try something different this weekend,” said Brain Schwaner, 45, of Albuquerque and an employee at Sandia National Labs. “This is so much easier and more scenic, I’m surprised there aren’t more people here, it’s a great place to learn the sport.”

Schwaner’s skiing partner, Michael West, 51, a cardiologist from Albuquerque, was impressed with the preserves’ stunning beauty and the gorgeous weather that day.

“Just fantastic,” he exclaimed while taking a break from the trail.

From Left to right,  Michael West and Brian Schwaner,  both of Albuquerque cross country ski at the Valles Caldera National Preserve during an early February weekend.

And drifting along upon a cold, clean mountain breeze one could detect the musty aroma of horses, leather and the tinkle of  bells as visitors enjoyed an old fashioned sleigh ride through the  snow covered woods and fields of this awesome public preserve.

“People really enjoy this ride,” said Jeff Grider, 34, of nearby La Cueva, as he quietly coaxed his team of Pinto Draft horses, Moonie and Molly, to pull a gently swaying sleigh along a road cut through the snow.

In the back, about a dozen visitors bundled up in blankets, snapped pictures and chatted excitedly as a tour guide provided details about the preserves’ history, wildlife and other attractions.

Vern Loose, 66, of Albuquerque said after the sleigh ride he was amazed at the preserve’s beauty.

“Being out in this is absolutely spectacular, “ he said. “I just love the combination of the sunshine and the snow.”

The last weekend to take a sleigh ride at the preserve is the weekend of Feb. 20 and 21^st . Check the preserve’s website at www.vallescaldera.gov for available reservations and other information about visiting.

Grider said the preserve remains essentially the same as it did when as a youth he used to visit his uncle who was the ranch caretaker for the Dunigan family of Texas who owned it and later sold it to the public.

The vast herds of elk, the great fishing in the little creeks feeding the East Fork of the Jemez River and the Rio San Antonio and the spiraling flocks of bald eagles can all still be enjoyed by those visiting the preserve during warmer months.

But in the middle of the winter it is the cold, quiet remoteness of the preserve that stirs memories of snowmobile trips to the ranch where his uncle would be working to carve out the road so the Dunigans could come visit.

“He’d spend days on it,” said Grider, who is a firefighter during the summer and does some ranch work himself.

Nowadays visitors to the preserve will still find the road into the preserve covered in snow and flanked by high drifts but it is easily managed in four-wheel-drive and an experienced winter driver can probably handle it in two if they just kept rolling and avoided the soft edges.

Visitors to the preserve will find a new visitors’ center just a couple miles in off the highway where snowshoes are available for rent along with other goodies like lip balm and some snacks and beverages.

Those wishing to cross-country ski need to bring their own gear. The cost of admission is $10 and no pets are allowed.

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 through the mountains and upon emerging into a great, open area look for the entrance to the preserve on your right, further down the road, about 65 miles. Make a round trip of it by continuing on State Road 4 through Jemez Springs and Jemez Pueblo to State Road 550 for a quick drive down to Bernalillo and then back up to Santa Fe on I-25.  Great green chile cheeseburgers can be had in a classic New Mexico bar, the Los Ojos, in Jemez Springs.