About 300 fish rescued from Animas River tainted with ash, dirt from fire

DURANGO — A Durango official says about 300 fish were pulled out of the Animas River where ash and dirt from rains over a burn scar have been causing widespread die-offs.

The Durango Herald reports the deadly runoff has killed thousands of fish this week in the stretch north of Durango down to the New Mexico line.

In addition to the ash and dirt in the water, the fish are also stressed by abnormally high temperatures in the river.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife collected about 300 mottled sculpin, two adult bluehead suckers and one speckled dace on Wednesday and placed them into a water tank where they will stay while the tainted water passes.

Officials are asking anglers not to fish in the river from noon to 7 p.m.