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Full 3-week creek closure to chemically kill all the fish and get rid of non-native bass. Seems a little extreme to me, can Fossil Creek ever truly be a wild & natural river again? Especially unfortunate since this time of year is about the best combination of water and air temps.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/coconino/ ... rdb5389118

What a waste of Smallies...Why don't they just stun 'em, tank 'em and ship them off somewhere like Apache Lake, that had such a big fish kill a few years ago??? Fossil Creek will be wild again, they'll have it closed so much that pretty soon humans won't be able to get in in that 3 day a year window.....

Fossil needs to be managed like aravaipa. 50 permits a day. Preferably without the $5 fee. But that's another thread...

I think this is another case of man trying to overrule Nature when he should just keep his meddlin' mitts off...

Quoting the notice:
During 2004, a large multi-agency effort involving many stakeholders successfully removed all nonnative fish from this unique travertine stream. Prior to the original renovation, nonnative predatory and competitive fishes such as smallmouth bass were one of the primary causes for the decline of native fish and other aquatic species in Fossil Creek. Nonnative bass reinvaded a portion of the stream in 2011 when an unusually large storm deposited rocks and boulders below the fish barrier, giving the bass an avenue to get up and over the barrier. The rock debris was removed this summer, restoring the function of the fish barrier.
:SB:
Hmmm, if a natural event happens to allow some bass to get to where they weren't before, shouldn't we stop meddling and leave them there? If this has happened before (did they get there pre-2004 in the same way?) doesn't that tell us to leave them alone?

It also begs the question, How far back in history must we go for the Forest Service to decide a species is 'native'? And further, how often are they going to do the same thing? A waste of time, effort and $$ in my book.
:STP:

Send in the posse to check for their papers - if they're illegal, deport them back to the Verde!
Oh, wait... Maybe the FS is on to something? Boy what a can of worms THAT could open!

paulhubbard wrote:Send in the posse to check for their papers - if they're illegal, deport them back to the Verde!

Let's reelect Sheriff Joe, he'll take care of it. Then someone can sue him for discrimination!!!

Outdoor Lover wrote:

paulhubbard wrote:Send in the posse to check for their papers - if they're illegal, deport them back to the Verde!

Let's reelect Sheriff Joe, he'll take care of it. Then someone can sue him for discrimination!!!

No problem, the feds will just drop the charges!

Napolitano and the 'Big O' advocate practicing 'catch-and-release'.