Meeting to discuss emergency closure of Merced River to fishing

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will hold a public meeting Monday night to provide information about the proposed emergency closure of the Merced River to fishing.

The meeting will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. in the theater at El Capitan High School at 100 West Farmland Ave.

Earlier this year, the California Fish and Game Commission granted CDFW authority to close fisheries when certain criteria are met, such as low water levels and high water temperatures.

Last year, the Merced River closed from Aug. 29 to Dec. 31 after the Commission adopted a proposal to implement early restrictions on angling.

According to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, the proposed early closure affects only the Merced River from Crocker-Huffman Dam downstream to the Snelling Road Bridge, a distance of approximately 5.5 miles. Angling in the river below the Snelling Road Bridge is subject to normal fishing regulations and closures.

Typically, the Merced River is closed to angling from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, the department said. The annual closure is a way to increase survival of juvenile and adult wild rainbow trout and steelhead by reducing fish mortality associated with hook-and-line fishing.

The move to close the river ahead of schedule is intended to protect drought-stressed waters and their salmonid populations during the fall spawning, according to the department.

The river will reopen for fishing Jan. 1.

This story was originally published August 13, 2015 at 5:44 PM with the headline "Meeting to discuss emergency closure of Merced River to fishing."