George Osborn Wins Award

George Osborn just won the Jimmy Nelson Volunteer of the Year Award for his outstanding work on the ditch relief modification diversion project on the Gunnison River. The award, named after the late Jimmy Nelson of the Gunnison Gorge Anglers chapter, was presented by chapter president Marshall Pendergrass at Rendezvous 2013.

"George has worked tirelessly over the past three years and overcome many challenges in fundraising and cooperation with a wide variety of stakeholders," said Pendergrass. "The project simply would not have gotten done without him."

Congratulations George!

Not Colorado TU, TU in Colorado!

I'm in scenic Redstone a day before Colorado TU's annual Rendezvous conference, meeting with 20 of the heavy hitters of river conservation in the state. In addition to the staff of Colorado TU, the room includes leaders from the Sportsmen's Conservation Project, Western Water Project, Colorado Water Project, Coldwater Conservation Fund, and National Trout Unlimited. The agenda covers a spectrum of issues, but getting the individual subgroups of Trout Unlimited to work together more collaboratively is the underlying theme. We at Colorado TU are often working so hard to establish our own brand that we neglect to take advantage of the other TU resources in the state. The same can be said of the other groups.

Colorado TU President Sinjin Eberle used a phrase that gained some traction:

It's not about Colorado TU, it's about TU in Colorado.

The average member or donor doesn't know or care if a project is run by a chapter or the council or any of the national subgroups. It's more important to know that the project is running under the TU banner. "Protect, conserve, restore" with all of the integrity associated with the TU brand. Frankly, that's how it should be!

High Sportsmen Turnout at Sen. Udall’s Brown’s Canyon Meeting

Sportsmen and women showed up by the dozen Saturday at a standing-room-only event at Noah’s Ark Whitewater Rafting Co. to voice support for Senator Udall’s proposed legislation to create the Browns Canyon National Monument. The monument would cover 22,000 acres between Salida and Buena Vista in Chaffee County and includes 10,500 acres of new wilderness. The proposal seeks to protect one of southern Colorado’s most coveted wild trout fisheries and surrounding outstanding backcountry hunting areas. The proposal is based on a year of public input that Udall and his staff have collected since the spring of 2012, but the effort to protect Brown’s Canyon has been around for many years.

Many of TU’s Collegiate Peaks Chapter members, including chapter President, Dan Clegg and members Reed Dils and Bill Dvorak praised Senator Udall’s plan, noting that the area’s backcountry angling, hunting and recreational values are simply too precious to remain unguarded by a lack of federal legislative protection. Local voices from other sportsmen’s organizations, including the Colorado Wildlife Federation, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and even a life member of the NRA (Dave Moore) also praised the proposal.

At the meeting, Congressman Lamborn appeared open to the proposal, stating that as long as the designation reflected his “multiple use” approach to public lands usage, he was willing to entertain the idea of the legislative protection.

While a majority of users are in favor of the protection, there are still some that feel a monument is not necessarily the right tool. The majority of those opposed to the designation came from the local recreational off highway vehicle community. Ironically, the recently designated, adjacent Fourmile Travel Management area on the northern boundary of Brown’s Canyon covers 102,000-acres and offers OHVers 195 miles of trails. In addition to Fourmile, much FR 184 (Turret Trail) will remain open to motorized use. Many of the hunters and anglers that spoke in favor of the designation also owned ATVs and UTVs and felt that the area provided more than enough motorized access to satisfy even the most fervent OHV enthusiast.

Senator Udall and Congressman Lamborn will be holding a second town hall-style meeting is tentatively scheduled for May 18th in Golden (meeting specifics have yet to be announced by Senator Udall’s staff). It is imperative that sportsmen and women show up to this event and voice their support!

For more details, contact Reed Dils (719) 395-8949, Bill Dvorak (719) 221-3212, or Garrett VeneKlasen (505) 670-2925.

Sneak Peek into 2013 Rendezvous

We know you are all anxious to hear what presenters we have lined up for Rendezvous this year, so here is a sneak peek into our Rendezvous weekend. The theme for Rendezvous 2013 is SUSTAINABILITY. We tend to think first about the sustainability of Colorado's rivers, when in fact the sustainability of our organization is what allows us to "conserve, protect, and restore." Ongoing fundraising programs help us fund restoration projects. Succession planning helps us ensure continuity and board effectiveness. Youth education programs help us groom future members and leaders. And so we sought to achieve a balance of presentations that address the sustainability of both our rivers and our organization.

This year we have something very special planned for the Saturday night banquet:

Sustain This! The Many Landscapes of Trout

Presented by Mark Lance

This program captures a photographer's view of the most spectacular landscapes in the world of fly fishing.  Though his compelling images, Mark takes the audience on a fly fishing journey from the heights of the Patagonian Andes, to hallowed fisheries of the Rocky Mountain West, to forbidden rivers of the Kamchatka peninsula. “Rivers are a key force in shaping the landscape,” says photographer Mark Lance. “Rivers are inseparably entwined with the surrounding ecosystem, the people, culture and development of a place.”

Mark Lance has been fly fishing for over 40 years and wielding a camera for nearly as long. He is the Rocky Mountain Field Editor for Southwest Fly Fishing Magazine. He shoots for many outdoor manufacturers and travel companies and is a frequent contributor to fly fishing magazines including Grays Sporting Journal, Fly Rod and Reed, Trout Magazine, American Angler, Saltwater Fly Fisherman, and the Contemporary Sportsman. His photography can be viewed at riverlightimages.com.

Below are some of the other presenters and topics that they will be presenting:

Healthy Rivers Sustaining Rural Communities

Richard Van Gytenbeek, Trout Unlimited’s Colorado River Basin Outreach Coordinator is responsible for enlisting support for healthy rivers in the Colorado River Basin from local agricultural interests, sportsman groups and river dependent businesses. The “Healthy Rivers Sustain Rural Communities on Colorado’s West Slope” presentation is an integral part of TU’s “Our Colorado River” campaign. The program examines the importance of healthy rivers to agricultural and recreation on Colorado West Slope and the vital economic role they play in their communities. The presentation additionally covers the essential physical components of healthy rivers, threats to the river and strategies to mitigate those threats. The presentation concludes by highlighting some examples of TU’s work on the West Slope through restoration, irrigation infrastructure improvements and water sharing.

Colorado Fish and Wildlife Service Funding Programs

Pam Sponholtz, Project Leader, Colorado Fish and Wildlife Service Conservation Office, will be providing an overview of the Service's funding programs and how TU can effectively partner with CFWS on different projects.  With a focus on sustainability, she will be discussing various programs, the nuances of each, how to apply and some examples of completed projects.

Responsible OHV Recreation and Habitat Protection on Public Lands

Garrett VeneKlasen, Southwest Regional Director for TU’s Sportsmen’s Conservation Project (SCP), and Aaron Kindle, Colorado Field Coordinator for the SCP will present on Sportsmen Ride Right and how TU works to promote responsible Off Highway Vehicle recreation. Sportsmen Ride Right is a TU developed program that asks sportsmen to lend their energy to ensuring habitat protection and viability while using OHVs. We believe that all sportsmen who recreate on public lands use some form of an OHV to access their favorite hunting and fishing spots and that problems are not confined simply to ATV users. Mismanagement of motorized recreation and irresponsible use is a growing problem on our public lands and sportsmen need to play a large role in creating solutions. Join Garrett and Aaron as they talk about TU’s efforts both nationally and here in Colorado.

Energy Development in the Thompson Divide and What it means to Sportsmen

The Thompson Divide is right across the highway from Redstone and feeds numerous rivers important to anglers. The area also holds several conservation populations of cutthroat trout and is known as one of the best elk hunting areas in Colorado. The Thompson Divide is currently largely undeveloped but proposals for large scale development have been submitted. Aaron Kindle, Colorado Field Coordinator for TU’s Sportsmen’s Conservation Project, will present on TU’s efforts to work with sportsmen, surrounding communities, Colorado’s congressional delegation, and energy companies to find solutions and protect this magnificent area.

Want to visit the Thompson Divide and see what is going on?

Aaron Kindle, TU’s Field Coordinator, will be leading an optional field trip into the Thompson Divide for Rendezvous attendees. Topics will include proposed energy development, cutthroat trout conservation, sporting opportunities and an overview of Western Colorado energy development. You are encouraged to attend if you have not followed this issue and would like to learn more.

TU will provide transportation and will be departing from the front entrance of the Redstone Inn on Friday the 19^th of April. Please meet there at 8:30 AM. The trip will last approximately two hours, running from 8:45 – 10:45 AM. Please RSVP for this trip with Stephanie Scott 720-354-2647 or sscott@tu.org.

For more information about 2013 Rendezvous please click on the link below:

www.coloradotu.org/event/colorado-tus-rendezvous-at-redstone/

Colorado TU welcomes the Dolores River Anglers!

Please join us in welcoming our 24th Chapter, the Dolores River Anglers (DRA).  Serving the counties of Dolores and Montezuma as well as the community of Egnar, DRA began out of a group of dedicated Five Rivers Chapter members who in October of 2009 met to see if enough interest existed to support a TU chapter “on this side of the mountain.” While they only became an official chapter in February 2013, DRA has already built an impressive record of conserving trout and educating kids over the past three years.  In 2010, the DRA had three members become certified to teach the National Fly Fishing in Schools Program curriculum and the group's name officially became the Dolores River Anglers.  The group partnered with Cortez Parks and Recreation and the Cortez Rotary Club to conduct a Kids Fly Fishing Clinic and Community Fishing Derby at Parque de Vida in Cortez.  Later that summer, DRA conducted an Upper Dolores River Road Trip to show members where to go to fish on the Upper Dolores River, assisted the then CDOW with fish counts on the Dolores River both above and below McPhee Reservoir, and conducted a Dolores River Cleanup.

By 2011, DRA was holding evening fly tying classes at the Cortez Cultural Center.  The summer brought the Kid’s Fly Fishing Clinic and Community Fishing Derby again at Parque de Vida, a second Dolores River cleanup in June, and the second annual Upper Dolores River Road Trip to find new places to fish.  In August of 2011, DRA members joined Five Rivers Chapter members in assisting as mentors for injured soldiers involved in a visit by Project Healing Waters participants from Ft. Huachuca, Arizona and Ft. Carson, Colorado.

In 2012, DRA conducted their Third Annual Kids Fly Fishing Clinic, First Annual Adult Fly Fishing Clinic and Third Annual Community Fishing Derby.  The DRA partnered with the Dolores River Whitewater Advocates in their annual Dolores River Cleanup.  In July and August, DRA, in partnership with CPW, collected DNA samples from over 40 suspected individual native cutthroat trout on Stoner Creek and Taylor Creek.  In September 2012, the DRA worked to designate three tributaries to the Dolores river as Outstanding Waters - Little Taylor Creek, Spring Creek, and the Rio Lado.

Dolores River Anglers are currently working with the Dolores District of the San Juan National Forest to repair damage to the banks of Taylor Creek adjacent to the Little Taylor Creek Trailhead, and they continue to expand their youth education programs through fly fishing clinics and by helping local libraries in their summer reading programs with aquatic entomology.

Congratulations to the Dolores River Anglers!  Keep up the great work!

Healing Waters - Battle at Boxwood

Charlie Hensel and his Healing Waters group visited Boxwood Gulch, a private fishing operation on the North Fork of the South Platte River.  Each veteran was paired with an NHL hockey player, and they competed in Battle at Boxwood, a charity fishing competition. Curtis Fleming with Fly Rod Chronicles was on scene to film the event.  You can check it out on the Outdoor Channel on Friday morning (1/18) at 10 am or Saturday afternoon (1/19) at 4:30 pm.

A teaser from the show can be viewed by clicking here.

Students and Volunteers Collaborate to Promote Conservation and Fly Fishing at CC

In an effort to inspire the next generation of conservationists, Trout Unlimited is working to promote our mission on college and university campuses throughout the country.  As part of the 5 Rivers College Outreach Program, TU volunteers and staff are giving college students the encouragement and tools to engage the next generation of conservationists. Here in Colorado, a budding partnership between the Cheyenne Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited (CMCTU) and students at Colorado College (CC) is showing great promise.  With the help of TU and Angler’s Covey Fly Shop, several students have started a campus organization with the goal of attracting, educating, and uniting fly fisherman at CC.  The CC Fly Fishing club is an official TU-affiliated college club under the 5 Rivers College Outreach Program.  TU affiliated clubs have the opportunity to take advantage of deals with manufacturers, have stickers and banners with their logo printed by TU, connect with and receive support from their local chapter, and connect with other clubs in Colorado and throughout the country.

The CC Fly Fishing club has already begun hosting weekend fishing trips, casting clinics, movie nights, and other events.  Club president Brooks Pinnick said, “As a new club we need as much support as possible.  The guidance provided by TU was helpful as we develop a successful campus organization. Also, being a part of TU will help us get more involved in conservation in addition to fly fishing.”  Jacob Twersky, another club officer, said “When I came to CC I thought there would be a fishing culture present.  That wasn’t the case, so we are trying to make that happen and create a community of fly fisherman.”  Future projects include fly tying workshops with CMCTU volunteers, a fly casting contest, and further trips.  In addition several members have begun volunteering for CMCTU conservation projects.  Sam Humpert VP of education for CMCTU said, “This partnership is a win-win because it is a great extension of our current youth education and provides an opportunity for environmental conscious students to participate in chapter projects.”  He continued, “This has been a great opportunity to work with an age group we are targeting specifically to continue the legacy of TU.”

Aside from the new fly fishing club, CC students have had several opportunities to engage in stream restoration and fly fishing this year.  As part of a freshman orientation experience, 22 students and two student leaders participated in two days of service, performing trail maintenance and willow planting with the Coalition for the Upper South Platte.  After a couple days of camping and hard work, the students were rewarded with a day of fly fishing led by volunteers with CMCTU.  After casting lessons the students headed to Cheeseman Canyon to try their hand at some fishing. Maggie Mckeon, an orientation leader who led the trip and a junior at CC said, “Fly fishing is a growing interest at CC and TU has been a great resource.  Several participants were very excited and will likely continue fly fishing.”

Additionally, a group of nine students were led by Jacob Twersky, who is also a leader with CC’s Outdoor Recreation Committee, on a fly fishing trip to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.  The students, who were mostly novice fly fisherman, hiked up to alpine lakes, beaver ponds, and streams where they caught some fish and had a good time.  CMCTU provided the group with nine fly rods and six dozen flies for the trip.

To learn more about TU’s 5 Rivers College Outreach program and how you can engage students at your local campus, please contact Jake Lemon, CTU’s Youth Education Coordinator. jake.lemon@coloradotu.org 720-354-2646 http://www.tu.org/about-us/youth/5-rivers

Giving and getting from the Greenbacks

Tis the season to give... and receive. As flyfishing winds down for the year and we begin heading to the mountains for fresh powder and steep slopes, I want to take a moment to pause, reflect, and give thanks for another unforgettable fishing season.

As I flip through photos of monster trout and goofy friends having fun on the river, I’d like to ask if you would join me in giving back to the resource – to the fish and to the rivers - that have given us good times and memories throughout the year so that 2013 will be even better.

If the fish have been good to you this year, click here to give back.

For almost 3 years, thanks to the support of anglers like you, the Greenbacks have directed your donations towards vital native trout conservation and restoration projects - preserving and protecting the places and fish we love right here in Colorado.

With wild fires expected to threaten trout again next year, and more water projects on the horizon that may take additional water from our streams, our fish and rivers need your help more than ever to ensure their survival, and the survival of our sport.

Please consider giving back to the fish by clicking here.

In appreciation for your generous gift of $100 or more toward native trout conservation, the Greenbacks want to give you one of our limited edition Greenbacks hooded sweatshirts. Wear it with pride on the slopes or on the river knowing you’re helping keep our rivers and native trout alive.

Thank you again for your ongoing support.

The Greenbacks

Windy Gap water project takes step forward

Coloradoan

Bobby Magill

“For years, those of us living in Grand County have seen the once-mighty Colorado (River) in a state of serious decline,” Kirk Klancke, president of TU’s Colorado River Headwaters Chapter, said in a statement. “This agreement will provide protections and new investments in river health that can put the Colorado River on the road to recovery.”

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20121204/NEWS01/312040029/Windy-Gap-water-project-takes-step-forward

A Victory for the Upper Colorado

The Colorado River received an early Christmas present this year, as an agreement was reached today that will help offset impacts from the proposed Windy Gap Firming Project (WGFP) and put the Upper Colorado River on the road to recovery.  Trout Unlimited today praised the multiparty agreement reached with the Municipal Subdistrict of the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (Municipal Subdistrict), which will provide significant protections for the Upper Colorado River and result in major investments in restoring the river's health. The package of river conservation measures —negotiated among the Municipal Subdistrict, Grand County staff, Trout Unlimited and the Upper Colorado River Alliance (UCRA)—was approved today by the Grand County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) as part of a permit issued for the Windy Gap firming project.  Click here to read TU's press release. Several years ago, TU (along with the Colorado Environmental Coalition and Western Resource Advocates) issued a report - Facing Our Future - on meeting Colorado's water supply needs in an environmentally sound way.  A more recent follow-up report, "Filling the Gap," further developed recommendations for river-friendly water supply strategies.  In both reports, WGFP was identified as a potentially smart supply project -- IF its west-slope impacts were responsibly addressed.  In light of commitments secured from the Municipal Subdistrict, the project's sponsor, TU believes that those impacts are now being addressed and we have voiced our support for the WGFP moving forward in light of the river protection measures that would be included.

Background:  The original Windy Gap project - which pumps water from the Colorado River below its confluence with the Fraser up to Lake Granby and then through the Colorado-Big Thompson Project facilities to the Northern Front Range - was expected to have only very modest effects on the Colorado River.  Unfortunately, those projections proved badly wrong and the fishery has been in significant decline, though it still does meet "gold medal" standards.  Elevated stream temperatures have led the river to be listed as an "impaired" water by the Water Quality Control Commission.  Required flushing flows (only 450 cfs every three years) aren't adequate, and sedimentation has created an embedded channel that was not adequately scoured even with the epic high flows of two years ago.  The reservoir itself has created a barrier, disconnecting habitat above and below and leading "good" bedload materials - gravels and other larger material - to be captured while fine silts are passed down - creating the embedded conditions downstream.  Stoneflies and sculpin have been lost from the reach below Windy Gap, and trout populations have declined dramtically.

Into this setting came the proposed Windy Gap Firming Project, to increase the diversions from the Colorado (in spring/early summer higher flow periods, as the project has quite junior water rights).  In our review of the project and its Environmental Impact Statement, TU has consistently raised several issues:  (1) the need to discontinue diversions into Windy Gap's pumps at times of high water temperatures; (2) the need to ensure flushing flows; (3) the need to address degraded habitat in the Colorado River; (4) the need to reconnect the river with a "bypass channel" through or around Windy Gap; and (5) the need for adaptive management to deal with changing conditions and future challenges.

Agreements:  Agreements have been reached with Northern to address these and other key issues.  Among the most notable features are:

• 1041 permit requirements that would ensure that pumping at Windy Gap was discontinued when temperatures were too high (all pumping discontinued if reaching "acute" standards  that could lead to fish kills, new project pumping discontinued if approaching "chronic" standards that create longer-term impact), and that would require higher flushing flows (600 cfs every 3 years, 1200 cfs every five years)
• An agreement to fund construction of the Windy Gap bypass with $2 million from Northern, plus another $2 million from the state (approved by CWCB, pending legislative approval), and commitment to work with us to raise additional funds if needed to complete the project
• Agreement to forego future development in Grand County except in cooperation with the west slope, and to honor the outage protocol for the Shoshone hydro plant - which helps ensure year-round flows in the Colorado River watershed above Glenwood Canyon
• Ability for Grand County to obtain up to 5000 AF (when available) for use in addressing summer streamflow needs
• Protections for water quality/clarity in Grand Lake

In addition, previous commitments with the Wildlife Commission would provide $4 million (plus unspecified in-kind help) for river restoration work on the Colorado.  A parallel effort also will provide over 5000 AF of water for releases down the Colorado River to address downstream endangered fish needs - but in the process help improve flows for the Upper Colorado.  (Currently water is released from  Williams Fork Reservoir).  Northern also is agreeing to participate in the "Learning by Doing" adaptive management program that was established under the Colorado River Cooperative Agreement between Denver and the West Slope.

In brief - the proposed agreements address each of the 5 needs we identified for making Windy Gap a "smart supply" project - temperature, flushing flow, habitat improvement, Windy Gap bypass, and adaptive management.  Collectively, they provide the protections and resources needed to put the Colorado River on the road to recovery.  

Reaching this point in our campaign for protecting the Upper Colorado was a team effort with key contributions from the Colorado Headwaters Chapter, assistance and public outreach by Colorado TU, and leadership and technical work by NTU's skilled professional staff.  With the Municipal Subdistrict's willingness to go the extra mile to address our concerns, combined with dedicated local landowners and Grand County's strong commitment to protecting its rivers and watersheds, we can now look to a future in which the Upper Colorado experiences a river renaissance instead of continuing decline.

Significant threats remain, however - most notably, Denver Water has proposed major diversions from the Fraser watershed.  Like WGFP, Denver's Moffat project has the potential to be a "smart supply" project that is environmentally sound - but so far, Denver has not agreed to the kinds of mitigation that are needed to address its project impacts.  The 1041 permit protections and agreements with the Municipal Subdistrict offer a solid road map for how a similar success could be reached for the Fraser - and we urge Denver to step up to that challenge.

Read more about this agreement from The Denver Post's Scott Willoughby by clicking here.

Click here to read the Coloradoan's report on the Windy Gap water project.