Dead, dying fish at Boulder lake highlight drought's damage

The Merritts' favorite Boulder County fishing spot is gone. The Boulder couple brought reel and rod to Teller Lake No. 5 this past weekend only to find 12 acres of cracked mud littered with puddles of dead and dying fish -- a poignant illustration of the destructive power the drought has wrought on Colorado for the better part of a year. "It was quite disturbing to see these fish with half of their bodies sticking out of the water, struggling for their last breath," Jen Merritt said Tuesday. "I've lived in Boulder for three years, and I've never seen anything like it." Neither have those who have worked alongside the county's lakes, ponds and waterways for years -- like Jim Reeder, division manager for Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks. The agency oversees Teller Lake No. 5 and the nearby South Teller Farm property at Valmont Road and 95th Street. "I've been working this job for 11 summers, and it's never, ever come close to this, not even in (the severe drought year) of 2002," he said. "We knew since it didn't get much water in the spring that it would be low by this time, but we didn't anticipate it would be dry." It was the only body of water under Boulder's control to go completely dry this year, Reeder said...more