Drought Forces Fishing Limit Lifts in Oregon and Colorado Reservoirs
Severe drought conditions across the Western United States have prompted wildlife officials in Oregon and Colorado to lift fishing limits in several reservoirs expected to run dry by the end of summer. According to Tyler Hoyt, an assistant district fish biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, this proactive measure allows anglers to make use of fish populations that are unlikely to survive due to dwindling water supplies. In Oregon, the affected reservoirs include those storing water from the Powder River, a tributary of the Snake River. Meanwhile, Colorado has implemented similar measures at the Antero Reservoir on the South Platte River and the Nee Noshe Reservoir in the southeastern part of the state. The National Integrated Drought Information System reports that snowpack runoff, which typically accounts for 53% of the region's water supply, was significantly depleted by mid-May, exacerbating the situation. 
