Colorado’s trout fisheries could face a difficult summer, impacting the state’s billion-dollar angling industry, as widespread drought conditions drive predictions that streamflows will be well below-average. Kirk Klancke, the president of the Colorado Headwaters Chapter of Trout Unlimited, said he is concerned that the drought will stress fisheries this summer, especially if temperatures are anywhere near as elevated as they were this winter. “If this summer is anything like this past winter was, the chances are pretty good that there’s going to be fish kills in our streams,” Klancke said. … Colorado, and much of the West, experienced one of the hottest, driest winters on record. 

Other drought impact news:

• The Coloradoan (Fort Collins): Low water levels expected to impact Colorado summer boating season
• SFGate: An ephemeral national park beach is one of the country’s best. Not this year.
• The Salt Lake Tribune: How a proposed Paiute golf resort could strain St. George area’s water supply
• KTVN (Reno, Nev.): Drought worsens in Nevada
• NPR: Shortwave podcast: As federal scientists faced turmoil, the Devils Hole pupfish reached a crisis point