Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) recently announced that the agency has accepted a settlement of $207,000 from American Civil Contractors (ACC) for the accidental fish kill on the Big Thompson River this past March.
The settlement, which will be spent restoring fish habitat in the lower Big Thompson will help ensure the river and trout fishing will be brought back to its former glory before the 2013 flood.
“Colorado Parks and Wildlife is heartened by the cooperation of ACC, Larimer County, and Central Federal Lands in finding the cause of the fishkill,” said Area Wildlife Manager Larry Rogstad. “While the events leading to the fishkill were unintentional, the outcome was devastating to the rainbow and brown trout fishery in the lower Big Thompson, which prior to the flood was well known among anglers”
Restoring the recreational fishery and creating a new road-river interface with long-term resiliency and natural function remains the priority for multiple agencies. Money from the fish kill settlement will go towards habitat restoration that will benefit trout and other species.
For more information on the Big Thompson River fish kill, visit: cpw.state.co.us.
source: Colorado Parks and Wildlife