Reclamation's Western Colorado Area Office announced today that it is stocking a total of 100,000 5-inch Colorado River Rainbow/Hofer Trout in the Animas River near Durango, Colo. The trout are Whirling Disease Resistant and being stocked into the Animas River three times this summer, the first two stockings took place on June 23 and July 7. The remaining fish, approximately 30,000 will be stocked on Tuesday, July 21.

About 20,000 trout will be stocked in the Animas River from the Durango Pumping Plant/Santa Rita Park downstream to the new bridge crossing of the Animas River off of La Posta Road (CR 213) adjacent to Home Depot. The other 80,000 trout will be stocked in the Animas River from Basin Creek downstream at four locations within the length of the river in the Southern Ute Indian Tribe Reservation.

The fish stocking is a commitment Reclamation made in the 2000 Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision for the Animas-La Plata (ALP) Project. The current stocking program is a joint effort by: the Department of Natural Resources of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe (Tribe), Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW), and Reclamation. Trout will be stocked in the Animas River every year for the operating life of the ALP Project. Reclamation has purchased the fish and is assisting in stocking; the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and CDOW will annually stock and then monitor the trout every two years.