Drought conditions in Blaine County have been described as extreme this year which has residents concerned about fish and fishing in local waters. In response, Idaho Fish and Game fisheries managers have scheduled a public meeting in Hailey to talk about trout management during drought conditions. The public meeting will be held on Thursday, July 22, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. at the Hailey Community Campus, Performing Arts Theater.
Fish are extremely resilient and self-regulate their distribution and feeding habits during stressful situations, which will be described during the presentation.
“Fish will seek out cold-water refuge and often will not actively feed during times of high water temperatures” stated Mike Peterson, Regional Fisheries Manager for the Magic Valley Region, “we know that fish are hardy and can survive during stressful episodes, but we are also monitoring our area streams to ensure that we don’t see population level impacts to our fishery resources here in southcentral Idaho.”
Long-term data sets have shown that fish populations have remained stable and resilient through several past drought cycles. Current conditions within the Big Wood and Little Wood drainages, while severe, have been observed in the past and fish populations have continued to persist following these drought cycles.