San Juan Wading Season Ends Three Months Early

The good news in many western U.S. states this year is that they are seeing snows like they haven’t seen in twenty years. The bad news — if you can call it that — is that runoff conditions will be extreme in many places and last longer than they have in years. And in those fisheries below impounded water, like New Mexico’s San Juan, large releases are completely changing the character of early season fishing. Sante Fe New Mexican journalist Karl Moffat writes about last week’s abrupt end to wading on the San Juan: “The higher flow of 5,000 CFS not only delivers stored water downstream to designated users but also mimics the annual spring flooding experienced by natural rivers. The higher flow helps scour out silt and sediment in the riverbed which promotes a healthier fish habitat.”