Silver linings are deceptive by nature, and the seemingly perpetual barrage of dark clouds, deluge and flood along the Front Range of Colorado lately has all but overwhelmed the search.
All is not lost, however. Deflated optimists seeking renewed buoyancy and a change from the shrouded scenery can find the answer by following the flood southeast, where long-absent water is considered a welcome sight.
If there is a primary beneficiary to the prolonged and surprising spike in flows along the Arkansas River this spring (and now summer), John Martin Reservoir situated between the towns of La Junta and Lamar, east of Pueblo, most certainly is it. Recognized as Colorado’s second- largest body of water by potential capacity, the reservoir designed to hold as much as 603,500 acre-feet for flood control has fallen short of capacity for long enough now that historians simply reference such rare occurrences as “the good old days.”
Consider just a year ago, when the pool at peak runoff resided at only about 30,000 acre-feet, dipping below a mere 6,500 acre-feet by the end of October and narrowly escaping a collapse of the fishery through some timely precipitation events. Flooding rain and the small amount of permanent pool water that remained were all that prevented the sort of catastrophic fish kill that has impacted other nearby impounds in the former, and perhaps future, epicenter of the state’s warm-water fishing.
By contrast, John Martin has seen inflows approaching 30,000 acre-feet in a single week this year and climbed past the 292,000 acre-foot mark this weekend. Full recreational capacity at the reservoir is considered 344,000 acre-feet.
“The reservoir hasn’t looked like this in a long time,” John Martin Reservoir State Park manager Dan Kirmer said Friday. “If you haven’t been to the reservoir before or haven’t been in awhile, you definitely need to come check it out.”
As recently as March, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials were touting the purchase of 3,000 acre-feet of water added to the reservoir’s permanent pool in order to create a safety net for the fishery and provide more surface area on the lake for boaters, water skiers and anglers.
“Years of drought have really taken a toll on John Martin Reservoir and protecting this exceptional fishery has been tough at times,” CPW deputy regional manager Brett Ackerman stated only three months ago. “This will really help out a lot.”
At the time, no one could foresee the radical swing to come. John Martin has been seeing water flowing in at a rate of nearly 4,000 cubic feet per second while releasing just more than 800 cfs, pushing the reservoir’s current level nearly 10 times higher than a year ago. The span of the lake is now nearly 9 miles long and 2 miles wide as it inches toward full rec- reational pool.
What all that additional water ultimately amounts to is habitat. Habitat, obviously, for fish, but also for birds and wildlife. And for people seeking to beat the crowds and lengthy lineups at boat launches at many other reservoirs across the state, this often overlooked and peaceful park on the plains offers wide-open spaces galore.
The park has always been known for its abundance of warm-water fish including walleye, saugeye, wiper, crappie, perch, bluegill, drum, carp, catfish and particularly white bass, which have become more accommodating to anglers as the inflow of debris has started to settle. Lake Hasty, just below John Martin Dam, is stocked with trout, bluegill, bass, crappie, saugeye, and wiper. The state-record flathead catfish (27.23 pounds) was pulled from stilling basin below the dam last March, and there are several reports of catfish over 20 inches being caught.
Moreover, the park is fulfilling its reputation as a haven for both birds and birdwatching, with nearly 400 species of birds documented in surrounding Bent County, including eagles and rare shorebirds that regularly roost at John Martin. Waterfowl hunters are already buzzing about the potential return to those good old days come fall.
“John Martin Reservoir State Park has always had a lot to offer, but this year it will be even better,” Kirmer said.
Scott Willoughby: swilloughby@denverpost.com or
