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