Colorado’s Water Story Starts with Snow

Colorado’s rivers support our communities, our ecosystems, and the ways people connect with water across the state. Every river needs people willing to pay attention to what’s happening upstream and why it matters, especially in low snow years.

This winter, Colorado has seen unusually low snowpack. According to data from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, statewide snowpack is currently about 58 percent of median levels. Conditions vary across the state, but overall snow accumulation is well below what is typical for this time of year. These conditions raise important questions about what this year may mean for rivers, watersheds, communities, ecosystems, and recreation as the season unfolds.

Snowpack is not just part of winter. It is the foundation of Colorado’s water system.

Colorado snowpack as a percent of the 1991–2020 median, February 18, 2026. Source: NRCS.

Why Snowpack Matters

Snowpack acts as Colorado’s natural water storage. It holds water through the winter and releases it gradually as temperatures rise, sustaining rivers and streams through spring and summer.

When snowpack is low, there is less water stored for later in the year. That can mean reduced runoff, lower river flows, and warmer water during the hottest months. Those changes affect more than rivers alone. They influence drinking water supplies, agriculture, wildlife habitat, energy production, and the local economies and recreation that depend on healthy rivers.

Low snow years make these connections more visible across the state.

Rivers Reflect Watershed Health

Rivers tell the story of the watersheds around them. When conditions change across the landscape, rivers often show it first.

Scientists monitor watershed health in many ways, including tracking macroinvertebrates, the small aquatic insects that live in streams and rivers. Because they respond quickly to changes in flow and water quality, shifts in these communities can offer early insight into broader watershed stress.

Healthy watersheds support clean water, resilient ecosystems, and more reliable water supplies for communities across Colorado. Caring for rivers means paying attention to the systems that support them.

Statewide snow water equivalent trends in Colorado, February 18, 2026. Data shown relative to the 1991–2020 median.

What This Means for Communities and Recreation

Low snow years can change how rivers function across Colorado. Lower flows and warmer water later in the season can affect river conditions and influence when and where people recreate.

These impacts are not limited to one activity. Boating, paddling, angling, and other river uses can all be affected, depending on location and timing. Conditions vary widely across the state, and staying informed about local river conditions helps people make thoughtful decisions throughout the season.

At the same time, low snow years can place added pressure on water supplies that support communities, agriculture, and local economies. Rivers connect all of these uses.

What Comes Next

Snowpack sets the stage, but river conditions continue to change through spring and summer. Colorado Trout Unlimited will be monitoring snowpack, watershed conditions, and river health as the season unfolds and sharing updates to help members and local communities better understand what’s happening and why it matters.

This work will focus on clear, science-based information that supports public understanding and shared stewardship across Colorado.

Being a River Champion This Year

Being a river champion does not always mean taking action on the ground. In low snow years, awareness itself matters.

Understanding where our water comes from, how snowpack supports rivers, and how watershed health connects to daily life helps build shared responsibility for Colorado’s water future. Informed conversations and thoughtful choices support healthier rivers over the long term.

Healthy rivers support Colorado communities, wildlife, and recreation. Especially in low water years, understanding Colorado’s water story is one way we can all help care for the rivers we depend on.

New Venue – Same Fur Ban Attack.

Many of the same interests who brought forward the Denver Fur Ban ballot measure in 2024 are back – this time supporting a petition to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Commission to ban the sale of furbearer fur and products. “Furbearers” under CPW regulations refer to the species traditionally hunted or trapped with fur of commercial value, such as mink, badger, beaver, coyote and fox.

The petition contains an exemption for finished hand-tied flies, but notably does not exempt the sale, trade or barter of the fur used in tying flies. As written, the proposal would ban something as simple as a legal hunter trading harvested fur with a fly-tying friend or neighbor in exchange for some of the completed flies to use in fishing, or a Colorado fly-tyer purchasing a strip of mink fur sourced from out-of-state to use in tying streamers.

The petition will be considered by the Commission at its March 4-5 meeting, at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in Westminster. You can weigh in on the issue by submitting your comments online through the Commission’s public comment form at this link. The deadline for comments to be included in the Commission briefing books is noon on February 27.

While precise furbearer population estimates are difficult to obtain, available information suggests that populations are healthy. The petitioners present no information demonstrating that furbearer populations are declining and that harvest in Colorado is unsustainable; they only state that CPW’s data is not comprehensive. Yet their proposed solution is not to bolster data collection to inform science-based wildlife management; it is a political move against traditional outdoor recreation activities of which they disapprove. Indeed, the petition was filed at a time when CPW was beginning a stakeholder engagement process, to be informed by best available science, on the management of furbearer species. The petition is a pre-emption of that effort.

Notably for one major furbearer species, beaver, CPW is finalizing a statewide management plan aimed at increasing beaver on landscapes across the state. Colorado TU alongside other wildlife conservationists encouraged CPW in developing that plan, recognizing that beaver help improve watershed health and resiliency and provide vital fish habitat, especially in droughts. The new beaver plan includes a proposed mandatory sealing requirement for beaver harvested by recreational trappers and hunters – a step that will ensure more comprehensive information on harvest of the species. The beaver plan takes a comprehensive approach in promoting beaver – from coexistence strategies for “problem” beavers impacting key infrastructure, to introduction guidance, to management of harvest by sportspeople – and offers promise for promoting this keystone species in more watersheds across the state.

CPW’s approach on the beaver management plan is an example of how the science-based management of fish and wildlife should work to benefit species and habitat in Colorado. In contrast, the furbearer fur ban petition is an attack on science-based fish and wildlife management. Colorado TU urges the Parks and Wildlife Commission to reject the petition, and to allow CPW staff to continue using sound science as their guiding star for fish and wildlife management.

Please add your voice – submit respectful comments to the Commission through their online comment page and ask them to support science-based fish and wildlife management and to reject the fur ban petition.

Colorado Trout Unlimited at the Denver Fly Fishing Show (Feb. 6–8, 2026)

Colorado Trout Unlimited is excited to return to the Denver Fly Fishing Show, happening February 6–8, 2026, at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center.

The Fly Fishing Show is one of the best weekends of the year for anglers and conservation-minded communities. It brings together manufacturers, guides, educators, fly tyers, nonprofits, and thousands of passionate fly fishers, all under one roof.

This year, Colorado Trout Unlimited and our chapters will be hosting a shared space behind the Pond 2 casting area. Whether you’re already involved with TU or brand new to the organization, we’d love to connect.

Stop by to learn how we’re protecting clean water, restoring habitat, and ensuring a future for wild and native trout across Colorado.

What to expect at the Fly Fishing Show

The Fly Fishing Show offers a full weekend of gear, learning, and community.

Highlights include:

• Exhibits: Hundreds of vendors showcasing the newest fly fishing gear, equipment, and travel options

• Seminars: Free educational sessions covering techniques, strategy, and conservation topics

• Demos: Live fly tying and casting demonstrations throughout the show

• Learning Center: Hands-on instruction including knot tying, rigging tips, and fly selection

• Consumer Choice Awards: Vote for favorite products and explore what’s trending

• Traveling Rod Show: A special exhibit featuring rare fly rods and fly fishing history

Visit our shared space behind Pond 2

Colorado Trout Unlimited and our chapters will be stationed together throughout the weekend in a shared space.

Find us behind the Pond 2 casting area to:

• Meet volunteers and members from across Colorado

• Learn about current projects and local chapter work

• Explore ways to get involved in conservation and community events

• Talk about how to support Colorado’s rivers and coldwater fisheries

Call for volunteers

We’re looking for volunteers to help staff our shared space throughout the Fly Fishing Show.

Volunteer shifts are available each day:

• Morning shift

• Midday shift

• Afternoon shift

Each volunteer will receive:

• Free access to enjoy the Fly Fishing Show before or after their shift

• A chance to connect with other TU members and volunteers

• An opportunity to help share our mission with thousands of anglers

Clean, Drain, Dry

Clean, Drain, Dry: Tools and Resources for Colorado Anglers

Photo Courtesy Colorado Parks & Wildlife

If you fish in Colorado, you’ve probably heard “Clean, Drain, Dry.” It’s simple. It works. And it’s one of the easiest ways anglers can help prevent aquatic invasive species (AIS), including invasive mussels, from spreading into new waters.

Colorado Trout Unlimited has been coordinating with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) on AIS education and outreach. CPW has a strong set of angler-focused materials that are designed to be shared through fly shops, chapter meetings, events, and local outreach.

This post lays out what’s available, where to find Clean, Drain, Dry gear you can purchase, and where to find CPW resources for outreach and gear cleaning awareness.

Why Clean, Drain, Dry matters

AIS can spread when we unknowingly move plant material, mud, and standing water from one place to another, especially through boots, waders, nets, boats, and other equipment that comes into contact with rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. The best defense is prevention, and anglers play a huge role in that.

Clean, Drain, Dry doesn’t take long. But it can save a lot of trouble down the road.

CPW outreach materials available for anglers

CPW has several outreach resources that are ideal for fly shops, chapters, and community events:

• Angler-targeted rack cards that walk through Clean, Drain, Dry in a clear, practical way

• A wide variety of stickers, including many sourced from the Invasive Species Action Network (ISAN) out of Montana, plus some sticker designs CPW created in-house

• Outreach signage posted at access points in areas of known risk or concern, including new needs along the Colorado River corridor as conditions evolve

If your chapter or shop wants educational materials to share locally, these are great tools.

CPW also has a publicly available ANS media package with outreach language and reference material specifically aimed at gear cleaning and awareness. This page is packed with information and is designed to be shared widely:

Fly shops: Clean, Drain, Dry pledge poster

CPW also has a pledge poster designed with fly shops in mind.

The idea is simple:

• anglers sign a Clean, Drain, Dry pledge

• if they sign, they can receive a custom sticker featuring Colorado river basins

• it’s a quick, low-effort way to encourage better habits and keep Clean, Drain, Dry visible in the shop

Photo Courtesy Colorado Parks & Wildlife

Want boot brushes or towels? Here are the best places to buy them

A lot of anglers ask about Clean, Drain, Dry gear, things like boot brushes and towels that can live in your rig, boat, or gear bag.

CPW isn’t able to sell CPW-branded merchandise directly, but they recommend these nonprofit organizations where you can buy similar Clean, Drain, Dry gear and support invasive species prevention work in the process:

Wildlife Forever (towels, boot brushes, and other prevention tools):
https://www.wildlifeforever.org/product-catalog#!/AIS-Prevention-Tools/c/149166476

NAISMA (North American Invasive Species Management Association) (handheld boot/shoe brushes, including hoof-pick style brushes identical to some CPW distributes):
https://shop.naisma.org/collections/hand-held-boot-shoe-brushes

ISAN (Invasive Species Action Network) (merch + stickers, we source many of our AIS stickers from them, and their products use the same branding as the stickers):
https://www.bonfire.com/store/invasive-species-action-network/

Request materials for your chapter, shop, or event

If you’re part of a Colorado TU chapter, a fly shop, or a local fishing group and want Clean, Drain, Dry outreach materials, the best place to start is CPW’s public ANS outreach package and gear cleaning resources here:

https://cpw.state.co.us/news/04282025/be-pain-ans-new-gear-and-watercraft-cleaning-stations-available-fight-against-aquatic

Thanks for helping protect Colorado waters, and for doing your part to keep Clean, Drain, Dry normal and expected everywhere we fish.

Tie-4-The Future: One Fly at a Time

Fly Tying at a STREAM Girls Program.

It’s time to dust off your vise, grab some materials, and tie flies for a cause that truly matters.

Colorado Trout Unlimited is excited to invite our members and chapters to participate in the Tie-4-The Future Challenge, a statewide effort to support TU’s education programs by doing what we love, tying flies. Every fly tied and donated helps connect youth to rivers, science, and conservation through hands-on learning experiences like Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp, STREAM Programs, and more.

What Is Tie-4-The Future?

Comparing a Tied Fly with a ‘Real Bug’ at Camp.

Tie-4-The Future is a friendly, chapter-based challenge that encourages TU members to tie flies that will be used in Colorado TU education programs. It’s simple, meaningful, and a great excuse to gather around a vise with friends—whether at home, at a brewery, virtually, or during a chapter meeting.

How it works is easy:

• Tie as many flies as you’d like (click here to see recommended fly patterns)

• Chapters collect flies from their members

• Mail all flies together by April 1, 2026

• Be sure to include your chapter name and number of flies

At the end of the challenge, the Colorado TU Chapter that ties the most flies will take home the Tie-4-The Future Trophy for a full year—along with some well-earned bragging rights 🏆.
The winner will be announced at the Colorado TU Spring Rendezvous in April.

Chapters: This Is Your Moment!

This first year of Tie-4-The Future is just getting off the ground. That means now is the time to jump in and make an impact.

Fly Tying at Walking Mountain Science Center

Many chapters are already hosting fly-tying nights or informal tying sessions—and if your chapter isn’t yet, this is a perfect reason to start! A Tie-4-The Future tying event can be:

• A chapter fly-tying night

• A pop-up event at a local shop or brewery

• A casual gathering for new and seasoned tiers alike

• A great way to welcome new members or reconnect with longtime ones

No pressure, no perfection—just flies tied with purpose.

Why It Matters

Fly Tying at River Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp.

The flies you tie don’t just fill boxes—they help spark curiosity, build skills, and create lifelong connections between young people and our waters. Through our Colorado Education Programs these flies become tools for learning, inspiration, and conservation.

Ready to Get Involved?

Gather your materials, rally your chapter, and start tying! When you’re ready, mail your flies to:

Colorado Trout Unlimited
ATTN: Cyndy Scholz
1536 Wynkoop St, Suite 320
Denver, CO 80202

Questions? Reach out to cyndy.scholz@tu.org.

Year one is just getting started, so jump in, start tying, and help set the hook for a great new Colorado TU tradition.

The New Winter 2026 Issue of High Country Angler is Live!

Your new Winter 2026 issue of High Country Angler is here!

Check out the Winter 2026 issue of High Country Angler e-zine, including these stories:

• Landon Mayer with The Frozen Over Season;

• Brian LaRue with Casper’s North Platte;

• Hayden Mellsop with Little Blue Lines;

• Colorado TU Staff with Celebrating Colorado’s River Champions;

• Other columns by Barbara Luneau, Colorado TU Staff, and Joel Evans.

Save the Date: Troutfest Colorado 2026 Is Set for June 27

Mark your calendar. Troutfest Colorado returns on Saturday, June 27, 2026, and plans are already underway for another unforgettable day at Coors Field.

A day at the ballpark celebrating community, conservation, and education. That’s what Troutfest Colorado is all about. This free, family-friendly festival brings together anglers, outdoor enthusiasts, families, and partners from across the state for a hands-on celebration of Colorado’s rivers and the people who care for them.

In past years, thousands have joined us for casting clinics, fly tying, interactive conservation and education booths, youth activities, and opportunities to connect with organizations working to protect and restore coldwater fisheries across Colorado. Whether you’re deeply involved in conservation or just looking for a fun day outdoors, Troutfest Colorado has something for everyone.

Hosted by Colorado Trout Unlimited, Troutfest Colorado creates a welcoming space to learn, connect, and celebrate the rivers that make this state so special. More details about the venue, exhibitors, and programming will be shared in the months ahead.

For now, save the date and start spreading the word. We can’t wait to see you at Troutfest Colorado 2026.

Camper Applications Are Open for Colorado TU’s Conservation & Fly Fishing Camp

Camper applications are now open for this year’s Colorado Trout Unlimited Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp, and we are excited to welcome the next generation of river stewards. Now 20 years in, this incredible flagship youth program brings together conservation science, fly fishing, and community in a week-long, high-country camp experience unlike any other.

Since its founding in 2006, Colorado TU Camp has inspired more than 275 teens from across Colorado and beyond, providing a safe, fun, and welcoming space where campers learn to care for rivers and the outdoors. What began as a small group of campers in Parshall, Colorado has grown into a program that helps young people explore conservation, STEM learning, and future pathways connected to healthy waters and outdoor recreation.

Community Life at Camp

Image by Dave Papineau

Camp is held at AEI Base Camp in Almont, CO, located at 9,500 feet in a semi-remote, rustic setting. Campers sleep outdoors in tents, enjoy three homemade meals each day, and spend the week building confidence, teamwork, and leadership skills. Through shared responsibilities, group activities, and mentorship from experienced counselors, campers form lasting friendships, strengthen their problem-solving abilities, and grow as members of a supportive outdoor community.

Conservation Learning—Hands On

At Colorado TU Camp, conservation isn’t something campers just hear about, it’s something they do. Throughout the week, campers engage in hands-on conservation assessments and restoration work that connects directly to the watersheds they fish. Activities include benthic macroinvertebrate surveys, water quality testing, stream reach assessments, and flow measurement, helping campers understand how hydrology, habitat, and water management influence trout and coldwater ecosystems.

Campers also dive into trout biology, native and invasive species, and coldwater conservation, participate in interactive lessons on water use and Colorado water law, and tour a Colorado Parks and Wildlife fish hatchery.

Image by Dave Papineau

Fly Fishing Skills That Grow With You

Fly fishing instruction is woven throughout the camp experience and tailored to all skill levels. Campers learn casting, knots and rigging, gear basics, wading safety, fly tying, stream entomology, reading water, and ethical angling practices. Whether it’s a first fish or refining advanced techniques, campers receive plenty of time on the water with guidance and encouragement from experienced counselors.

Spread the Word and Apply Today

Colorado TU’s Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp is where friendships are formed, confidence grows, and young people begin to see how their passion for fishing and the outdoors can connect to conservation, science, and future opportunities.

Camper spots are limited, and applications are now open.

We invite Colorado TU members to help spread the word and support a program that has shaped young conservation leaders for two decades—and counting. Your donations and camper scholarships make it possible for teens from all backgrounds to attend and experience a life-changing week of fly fishing, conservation, and community. To support camp or sponsor a camper, please contact Barbara Luneau, Camp Director, at barbara.luneau@coloradotu.org or click here to donate.

Colorado Steps Up to Protect Wetlands and Streams

On December 10, the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission took a major step forward in protecting important wetlands and streams across Colorado that were at risk from unregulated development after rollbacks under the federal Clean Water Act. 

The Commission approved rules that will guide a state dredge and fill permitting system and ensure that most Colorado waters, including wetlands, can’t be destroyed without going through an environmental review process.

The state rules were needed to ensure protection for wetlands and waters (including source streams that do not flow year-round) that were no longer subject to Clean Water Act protections under the Army Corps of Engineers permitting program for dredge and fill activities. 

The scope of streams covered by those federal protections was dramatically weakened by the 2023 Sackett decision by the US Supreme Court, the largest rollback of Clean Water Act protections since its adoption in the 1970s.

Colorado became the first state in the nation to develop a state permitting program in response to the Supreme Court’s decision limiting the scope of the Clean Water Act.

 The state rules are even more critical given efforts to continue narrowing federal protections. Just last month, the federal government proposed further limiting the Clean Water Act such that it would no longer protect 97% of Colorado’s remaining wetlands and 68% of the state’s stream miles – those that don’t flow year-round, but are the sources of the water on which our downstream rivers and communities depend. 

The rulemaking was directed by HB24-1379, which passed the General Assembly last year. We are deeply grateful to the bill sponsors whose vision for a comprehensive Colorado water protection program that was as strong or more than the pre-Sackett federal program has been the touchstone for this process throughout. Representatives McCluskie and McCormick and Senator Roberts have been true champions of Colorado’s rivers.

The rulemaking process itself was marked by multiple efforts from regulated interests to narrow the program’s scope and weaken the state program. The final outcome reflected some reasonable compromises among the competing interests, retention of key protections for Colorado waters, and a couple of disappointments - most notably around the “public interest” review.  Some of the key issues that were addressed and their outcomes:

• Scope of the program – earlier in the process there was a push to limit Colorado’s program and analysis to “non-Waters of the United States” regulated by the Corps, but given the legislature’s clear direction for a comprehensive program we successfully had that language removed.

• Exclusion for wetlands near ditches – the legislature excluded some specific wetlands from protection, including those adjacent to and supported by ditches (human-caused wetlands that exist only because of ditch seepage). The state proposed clear and appropriate definitions for “adjacent” and “supported by” but some polluter interests sought to remove those – leaving the rule ambiguous and opening the door for litigation and widespread loss of wetlands – as many as 500,000 acres that are within a half-mile of ditches. The Commission adopted a reasonable compromise that ensures this exclusion does not swallow the rule and leave vast areas of wetlands unprotected

• Compensatory mitigation – multiple recommendations from Colorado TU and coalition partners were approved, ensuring that mitigation for lost wetlands functions are more appropriately addressed in the rule and in future agency guidance that will be developed to direct applicants for state permits. Importantly, the Commission rejected proposed language that would have codified the idea that ephemeral streams have less ecological importance and need less mitigation. On the downside, our proposal for a more robust science-based definition of wetland functions (to help inform what mitigation is needed) was not adopted.

• Alternatives analysis – mirroring the federal Clean Water Act, the state law ensures that only the “least environmentally damaging, practicable alternative” can be approved for a project. Industry groups had sought to limit the range of alternatives that might be reviewed, but the Commission adopted language proposed by our conservation allies that ensures the defined purpose of a project cannot be so narrow as to prevent considering a reasonable range of alternatives. 

• Public Interest review – in addition to its water quality and alternatives review, the Army Corps when issuing Clean Water Act Section 404 permits conducts a “public interest review” looking more broadly at a project’s impacts on the environment and communities and ensuring that approved projects are in the public interest. The Public Interest review helps provide a final safeguard against damaging projects that might nonetheless clear the bar of water quality reviews. Unfortunately, the Commission removed this public interest review from the state program; the state permitting review focus will more narrowly on water quality and aquatic resources.

While the rules adopted by the Commission are not everything we sought, they are an important first step for Colorado’s environment and economy. Because of the hard work of the state legislature, the Colorado Water Quality Control Division, and the Commission, Colorado’s waters are better protected.  

Colorado Trout Unlimited participated in the rulemaking hearing as part of the Healthy Rivers Coalition, alongside our partners with Audubon, American Rivers, Blue River Watershed Group, Boulder Watershed Collective, Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed, Coalition for the Upper South Platte, Eagle River Coalition, Friends of the Yampa, Great Old Broads for Wilderness, High Country Conservation Advocates, Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership, and Western Slope Conservation Center. 

The coalition was represented with great effectiveness and commitment through the generous pro-bono support of Sarah Matsumoto and the University of Colorado’s Getches-Green Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law Clinic. Our work also benefited from technical experts Ashley Giles and Jackie Corday, and the communications expertise of Mark Eddy. 

We are deeply grateful to the many TU members and supporters who testified or signed the citizen petition urging strong protections for Colorado’s waters and wetlands. Your voices as river champions helped make a real difference in protecting Colorado waters.

Thank You for Standing Up for Colorado’s Rivers

Colorado Gives Day was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when people come together around clean water and healthy rivers. Because of your generosity, Colorado Trout Unlimited raised more than 50,000 dollars to support education, restoration, and advocacy across the state. Thank you to everyone who gave, shared our message, or helped spread the word.

Your support allows us to keep protecting clean, cold water across Colorado. It strengthens hands-on education programs that help students understand where their water comes from and why healthy rivers matter. It fuels restoration projects that reconnect streams, improve habitat, and bring damaged rivers back to life. It also supports advocacy that protects rivers for the long term.

We are especially grateful to Barbara Luneau and Mark Rayman, Mac Cunningham, and Doug Camp for their leadership and generosity in helping build a 10,000 dollar match for our education programs. Their support amplified the impact of every gift and helped more students connect with rivers in meaningful ways.

This Colorado Gives Day also reminded us that stewardship is personal. One young supporter, inspired by time spent on Colorado rivers with his grandfather, rallied family and friends to give back in his honor. His story is a powerful example of how a love for rivers can be passed down and turned into action.

Read the article and watch the short video below to see how one family’s connection to Colorado’s rivers inspired support for education and conservation through Colorado Trout Unlimited.

While we are grateful for the strong response on Colorado Gives Day, we are still short of our goal for the Education campaign. If you were unable to give on Colorado Gives Day, or if you would like to help us close that gap, donations are still being accepted. Your continued support helps bring river education into classrooms and communities across Colorado.

Every river needs a champion. Thank you for being one, and for helping ensure the next generation understands the value of clean water and healthy rivers.