Mosaic of New Mexico's Scenery, Rocks, and History
History
Mosaic of New Mexico's Scenery, Rocks, and History
Geology -- New Mexico; New Mexico -- Description and travel; New Mexico -- History
The effect of habitat change can be noted in the life of the cutthroat
trout. Early records reveal that this trout, liking cool clear water,
was once caught in the Rio Grande in the lower part of the box canyon
north of Peñablanca. It was also caught near the town of Pecos. The fish
can no longer survive in the changed water conditions and is found now
only in the headwaters. Even the catfish has difficulty surviving in
some sections of the rivers for lack of water. In the lower Pecos, the
catfish finds difficulty in reproducing because of the high salt content
of the river water.
As has already been noted, the fish that are recognized as game fish
today were in short supply a hundred years ago. It was not until the
railroads entered New Mexico that fish were imported to supplement the
native supply. In an unpublished report by the author, it was pointed
out that almost every kind of fish propagated in the United States has
been imported and stocked in waters of New Mexico. Of these, some have
survived beyond expectations and others have disappeared entirely.
When the railroads entered New Mexico, there were already requests for
fish in the hands of the United States Fish Commission. Fish were
delivered in especially designed fish-distribution cars and the
consignee met the cars at designated rail sidings. From the distribution
cars, the fish were further transported by wagons in water containers of
various descriptions, usually wooden barrels or watertight wooden boxes,
to streams or lakes as assigned. Because of the mode of travel at the
time, the quantities of fish so stocked were limited, but they did
provide seed stock from which their population could grow. Fish were
packed on back and on horses into relatively inaccessible areas. The
procedures and techniques of fish transportation have evolved to the
present highly specialized equipment and methods of operation.
It is interesting to note that the quantities of fish imported and
planted increased in relation to the improved transportation. The early
records indicate the numbers in the hundreds and in just a few
locations; later plantings increased both in numbers stocked and in
waters stocked. The first fish imported to supplement the native fish
was the German carp. In fact, this was the only fish imported for eight
consecutive years, 1883-1890. These early plantings were followed by
catfish, German brown trout, brook trout, yellow perch, largemouth black
bass, crappie, rock bass, tench, rainbow trout, strawberry bass, black
spotted trout, bream, smallmouth bass, salmon, white bass, and walleyed
pike.
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