Animas River

Location: Durango, Colorado

Sampled By: Kara Armano

Sampling Since: 2021

Number of Locations Sampled: 2

Science on the Fly Reports: Link to 2021/2022 Report

Dipping into the Data: Online Discussion Recording

River Sponsors: Sponsor the Animas Here!

River Bio:
 The Animas River flows from its headwaters above Silverton through miles of canyons and valleys and eventually through the town of Durango before it crosses the New Mexico border to join the San Juan. It has a long history of hardrock mining, which has degraded its quality for centuries, especially near its headwaters. With a very active river recreation community and numerous entities caring about the health of the Animas, it is imperative to understand its overall health and how that impacts all users as well as the fish and wildlife nearby. You can catch cutthroat and brook trout near its headwaters and rainbows and browns in its lower reaches, which are designated as Gold Medal through the town of Durango.

Other River Information:

USGS Gauge- Animas River at Durango

Southwest Water Conservation District

Want to sponsor the Animas River? Sponsor here!

Header photo courtesy of AllTrails

Sampler Bio: Kara is a lifelong angler with a passion for conservation and science to help improve river health. With a background in environmental chemistry, she's been involved in testing the water quality of her local rivers for well over a decade for multiple nonprofits. When she learned of Science on the Fly through good friend, John Le Coq, she jumped at the chance to sample rivers near her home(so close one sample location is in her backyard) close to Durango, Colorado. Kara is committed to sampling regularly and yearns to understand how that data can help improve river health. Kara samples on both the Animas river and the La Plata River.