Habitat Completed at Harriman Reservoir

Post date: Jun 26, 2013 3:58:30 AM

By: Brandon Genova & Tom Grace

The Denver Bassmasters teamed with the Colorado Division of Wildlife for a fisheries habitat improvement project at Harriman Reservoir in the southwest Denver metro area June 9.   

Paul Winkle, aquatic biologist with CDOW, headed up the project and provided the boat for structure transport and placement around the reservoir. Bluegill were recently stocked with an additional stocking of bluegill and fathead minnows planned for late summer. Bass fingerlings will be stocked in 2014 and the lake will be monitored for natural reproduction with no brood stock introduced.

With the green light from Winkle, club member George Mauries began the process of planning the logistics of building the structures that would be placed into Harriman Lake. Early on in the process, Mossback Fish Structures was identified as a key partner. “After doing some research into buying products and making structures (traditional PVC in cement buckets) it made more sense to go with premade Mossback Fish Structures to save time and money. A bonus was the product is also green being made from reclaimed plastic bottles,” said Mauries. Mauries added “Within one day of talking to David King at Mossback Fish Structures he had samples at my front door the next day.”

The DBM team assembled a total of ten Mossback Fish Structures the morning of June 9th.  The structures will improve habitat for Largemouth, Smallmouth and the numerous other fish species planned for the lake. Winkle talked about his vision for Harriman which should offer anglers a chance at a trophy catch in the coming years