From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
A public fish salvage will begin today at Lake Henry, northeast of Ordway in Crowley County. The salvage was authorized by Colorado Parks and Wildlife because the lake is being drained and loss of fish is imminent. The public salvage will continue until the lake is dry or conditions are unsuitable for public access. The shoreline around the lake is soft and muddy so anglers should use extreme caution.
Anglers must have a valid Colorado fishing license, except during the free fishing weekend today and Sunday.
Fishing is restricted to daylight hours only.
Fish may be taken by any method other than electricity, poisons, firearms or explosives.
Bag and possession limits have been suspended.
Signs will be posted at the entrance to the reservoir to alert the public during the time of emergency salvage.
From The Colorado Springs Gazette (Jesse Byrnes):
Kevin Lusk, a water resource engineer with Colorado Springs Utilities and president of the Lake Henry Reservoir Co., a group that provides storage and distributes irrigation water for shareholders, pointed to the drought conditions as well for Henry Lake’s draining.
Lusk said that at the last meeting in the second week of May that Henry Lake shareholders agreed to drain the water down to Meredith Reservoir, directly south of Henry Lake, “rather than sit on it and watch it evaporate away.”
In 1985, Colorado Springs purchased 56.4 percent in the Colorado Canal Co., 51.9 percent in Lake Meredith Reservoir Co. and 77.2 percent in Lake Henry Reservoir Co., a majority interest, as well as the water rights, rights-of-way and storage land for those areas, all east of Pueblo. The Colorado Canal diverts water from the Arkansas River and brings water to Henry Lake and Meredith Reservoir.