Animas River Makeover

by Dale StrodeDurango Herald Outdoors Editor

A prime stretch of the Animas River in downtown Durango will get a new identity this summer.

The Animas River itself will get a bit of a new look, starting in mid-August.

The west-side riverbank will get a full-scale makeover - a retro renovation - between Ninth Street and the Highway 160 bridge.

The river and west-bank renovation project was announced recently when Durango received an $86,000 grant from the Colorado Division of Wildlife for bank stabilization and habitat improvement on that stretch of the Animas River.

The DOW grant was one of the final pieces of a 3½-year jigsaw puzzle, put together through the nonprofit efforts of Trout Unlimited and the Animas Riverkeepers.

Ty Churchwell, then the president of the Five Rivers Chapter of Trout Unlimited, sat as a member of the Animas River Task Force. With other Trout Unlimited local board members and board members from Animas Riverkeepers, the task force was asked to review an Animas River corridor assessment.

http://durangoherald.com/sections/Features/Outdoors/2009/05/01/Animas_River_Makeover/

Boulder Creek gets massive makeover for fish habitat

Boulder Daily Camera By Laura Snider (Contact) Tuesday, April 28, 2009

BOULDER, Colo. — As David Blauch stepped closer to the creek, he saw a couple of shadows dart under the eave of a big rock.

"That's exactly what you want," he said, pointing to the trout he'd just frightened into the shadows.

The massive rock now sitting in Boulder Creek, parting the frigid waters and creating an eddy of still water where a trout can hide, is new to the stream. Just a week ago, this section of the creek near the top of Boulder Canyon ran wide and shallow, with uniform ripples stretching for a half mile with barely a boulder in sight.

"All the larger rocks are placed to increase habitat," said Blauch, vice president and senior ecologist for Ecological Resource Consultants in Boulder.

The $234,000 restoration project is the result of three years of hard work by Boulder Flycasters, the local chapter of Trout Unlimited, to create a fish-friendly section of stream with stable banks, better recreational access and environmental education opportunities.

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/apr/28/restoration-project-rogers-park-boulder-creek-fish/

A volunteer group for every animal

  Grand Junction Sentinel

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Of the many conservation groups I’ve been associated with or written about in my 25-plus years of covering outdoor causes and issues, none stand out as much as Trout Unlimited.

http://www.gjsentinel.com/hp/content/news/opinion/stories/2009/04/25/042609_8D_Sunday_OUT_column.html

Durango river steward honored

Durango Telegraph One of Durango’s leading river stewards received national recognition last week. Ty Churchwell, of the Five Rivers Chapter of Trout Unlimited, was recognized as Colorado Trout Unlimited’s 2009 Volunteer of the Year last weekend at the group’s Spring Rendezvous.

Churchwell commented that he volunteers out of a sense of obligation both to the Durango community and the Animas watershed. “Those trout keep me sane and our rivers are my ‘church,’” he said. “Healthy rivers are the lifeblood of our communities, and I’m thankful Durango recognizes the value of the Animas to our community.”

The award also spotlighted the Animas River Restoration Project, which Churchwell is helping to spearhead. The City of Durango was awarded an $86,000 grant from the Colorado Division of Wildlife for habitat improvements and bank stabilization for the stretch of river between 9th Street and the Highway 160 bridge. The project, which is planned for August, is meant to improve fish habitat while restoring riparian areas along the western river bank. With the high flows and increased use of the area in recent years, a number of native cottonwoods and shrubs along the banks have disappeared, leading to further erosion and habitat damage.

“The restoration project we are doing on the Animas is symbolic of the spirit of Durango,” he said. “The great success we are experiencing at the chapter is a function of the wonderful people in Durango who come out and donate to our causes. We could not do this type of project without the people who support us.”

The Five Rivers Chapter’s upcoming annual fund-raiser is scheduled for May 2 in the Fort Lewis College Ballroom.

http://www.durangotelegraph.com/telegraph.php?inc=/09-04-23/quick.htm

Joint effort may reopen angler access

Mountain Mail

by Paul Goetz Mail News Editor

A joint effort that may reopen a portion of road used by anglers was endorsed by Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area task force members during their regular meeting Thursday.

The road in question is a quarter mile section on the north side of the Arkansas River near Stockyard Bridge.

It was closed following a three year travel management plan process that ended with implementation March 5.

Collegiate Peaks Chapter of Trout Unlimited and Arkansas Valley Audubon Society may adopt the road to allow for environmental education and access.

In exchange the Bureau of Land Management would reopen the road.

Whether the BLM reopens the road will ultimately be the decision of Roy Masinton, Royal Gorge Field Office Manager.

http://www.themountainmail.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=16104

Suit forged pact on trout repopulation

Coloradoan April 5, 2009

A further comment on the March 25 front page Long Draw article. The local Trout Unlimited chapter, Rocky Mountain FlyCasters, sued the U.S. Forest Service. What the article left out was why. The lawsuit forced the USFS's obligation to care for a watershed instead of blindly permitting a privately held water company. The lawsuit was actually filed in 1994, not 2004. It languished in appeal until the volunteer efforts of a lawyer brought it before a judge.

What the judge remanded was absolutely remarkable and a victory for the people of Colorado. He said put the water back in the stream or mitigate - make up for your sins. Winter water flow to La Poudre Pass Creek was impossible because of a dam enlargement, so it forced an historic compromise. The USFS, Trout Unlimited and the Water Conservation District had to sit down and hammer out a compromise to please the judge. Amazingly, that is what they did.

Now, partially funded by the Water Conservancy District and in coordination with the USFS and Rocky Mountain National Park, the largest native fish restoration in the United States will occur in our backyard. The watershed above Long Draw will be repopulated with Greenback Cutthroat Trout. TU volunteers will help. This historic victory proves something. Solutions do exist when organizations sit down to talk. I applaud the courageous individuals who helped it happen: Doc Sheets, Paul Fromme, Dave Piske, Ken Eis and other local heroes who care!

Greg Evans,

past president Rocky Mountain FlyCasters

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20090405/OPINION03/904050321

River rescue

Local groups unite to rehabilitate river Durango Telegraph

by Missy Votel

The Animas River is getting a facelift. This week, the City of Durango was awarded an $86,000 grant from the Colorado Division of Wildlife for habitat improvements and bank stabilization for the stretch of river between 9th Street and the Highway 160 bridge. The project, which is planned for August, is meant to improve fish habitat while restoring riparian areas along the western river bank. With the high flows and increased use of the area in recent years, a number of native cottonwoods and shrubs along the banks have disappeared, leading to further erosion and habitat damage.

“Over the last several years, we’ve lost a lot of our big cottonwoods into the river,” said Ty Churchwell, of the Five Rivers Chapter of Trout Unlimited. “Every time we lose a 150-year-old cottonwood, it takes that long to replace it.”

Churchwell said the trees are important because, in addition to providing bird habitat and cover for fish, their massive root systems help to hold the soil in place. Without them, the bank erodes, causing further undercutting. “The root structure is what keeps the soil from washing away. Every big run-off we have, the problem perpetuates itself.”

Trout Unlimited along with Animas Riverkeepers was instrumental in securing the grant and getting the City of Durango on board with the project. The area to be worked on, which runs adjacent to Roosa Avenue, is city owned, making city cooperation crucial. The west side of the river, versus the east side adjacent to the River Trail and Doubletree, is being pinpointed because that is where the river takes a natural lefthand turn, scouring the west bank especially hard as a result.

http://www.durangotelegraph.com/telegraph.php?inc=/09-03-05/coverstory.htm

Drainage project could hit a snag

February 3, 2009 - 9:56 PM

R. SCOTT RAPPOLD

THE GAZETTE

A $3.6 million project to improve drainage on Fountain Creek on the city's west side and keep mine tailings from Gold Hill Mesa out of the water is in jeopardy, caught between competing visions for the creek.

Should the creek be as natural as possible, capable of supporting a healthy fish population, or should it be an urban drainage channel, funneling water downstream as quickly as possible?

City officials say if they can't soon reach a consensus with the Colorado Division of Wildlife, which must issue a permit, the project may not happen.

The local chapter of Trout Unlimited, a conservation group that works to restore waterways, last week issued a news release objecting to the project. The group had been working with the Stormwater Enterprise on its design.

The DOW and Trout Unlimited have asked the city to not grout the boulders in the rip-rap, keep the creek narrower, deeper with more curves and bends, and to remove from the plan some of the cross-creek barriers.

http://www.gazette.com/articles/creek_47415___article.html/project_city.html

Feds offer Long Draw plan

The Coloradoan BY TREVOR HUGHES

Kenneth Eis, president of Rocky Mountain Flycasters, the local Trout Unlimited chapter, said he and other anglers continue to discuss the situation with the Forest Service and the owners of Long Draw.

http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080407/NEWS01/804070329/1002/CUSTOMERSERVICE02

Redstone Call for Attendance

Folks - Need to get a good sense of your chapter's attendance for the Redstone Spring Rendezvous, April 11 - 14 in Redstone Colorado.  We are trying to gauge what level of experience (have members attending been to the event before, or are they new) who will be there, so that we can structure the event accordingly.

Please email Steve Craig or David Nickum with who from your chapter is going to be there, and if they have been there before or not as soon as you can find out.  It will really help the planning process.

THANK YOU!!!

Sinjin