LOVELAND, Colo. — Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has confirmed the discovery of 500 dead sucker fish in Lake Loveland, attributing the die off to low water levels. The city of Loveland says there is a chance the reservoir may not fill this year.
“This year for sure, it’s really low,” said Cayce Stevens, a local resident who frequently walks his dog near the lake.
Like many others in the area, Stevens has noticed the low water level. Some other neighbors have noticed dead fish in the reservoir. 9NEWS reporter Amanda Gilbert saw some out there as well on Wednesday.
CPW identified the dead fish as sucker fish, a native species, and cited reduced lake volume as a probable cause.
“I’m guessing they just didn’t have enough space,” said Nathan Alburn, a water resource engineer for the city.
Lake Loveland is not owned or operated by the city, despite its name. Alburn explained that the Greeley Loveland Irrigation Company oversees the lake's water management.
“The City of Loveland doesn’t actually own it even though it has our name on it,” Alburn said.
Alburn pointed to a combination of below average snowpack and rising temperatures as contributors to the lake’s slow recovery.
“Our snowpack this year has not been nearly as high as other previous years,” he said, noting that the issue is part of a broader trend impacting multiple reservoirs across the state.
But Lake Loveland must wait its turn in the state’s water management hierarchy.
“There are other reservoirs that take priority over Lake Loveland,” Alburn said, adding that those reservoirs must fill first.
Even under normal conditions, the lake’s refill depends on seasonal runoff and water allocations. But this year, there is more competition for less water.
9NEWS did reach out to the Greeley Loveland Irrigation Company. The general manager did not want to speak on camera, but said that the water is also going to irrigation right now, not just to filling up reservoirs.
“It’s rare that Lake Loveland doesn’t fill, but it happens,” Alburn said, reinforcing the uncertainty.
He says there's no guarantee the reservoir will completely fill this year.