2016 CTU Success Stories

2016 was a big year for Colorado TU, the last 11 months have seen challenges present themselves from protecting our headwaters from acid mine drainage, to making sure our public lands remain in public hands, to ensuring the state's quality of water and natural habitat. While these challenges threatened our rivers and streams, the work by TU and it's chapters, made sure these threats remained just that and our watersheds remained protected. CTU also embarked on programs that would help sustain conservation and fishing for years to come. We engaged the next generation of river stewards through our Youth Camp, introduced a new group of kids to conversation through fly fishing, reintroduced native greenback cutthroat trout to their home watersheds along the front range, and made on-the-ground improvements to our state's fisheries through our chapter's volunteer efforts.

There were many great success stories over the last year that will be covered in the 2016 Year in Review coming out early 2017. The few stories listed below are highlights of the last year for CTU and just a glimpse into the great work done by the TU staff, our chapters, volunteers, and partners! Stay tuned for the 2016 Year in Review for more articles covering all of the great work done in Colorado!

Roan Plateau

Throughout the past decade, Colorado TU has also been involved in advocacy and litigation to help protect the Roan in the face of proposed oil and gas development. The legal battle culminated in productive settlement talks that produced the new Roan plan that BLM approved in November.  For the next 20 years, the most sensitive watersheds atop the Roan will remain unleased, while responsible development will be allowed on other areas on and around the Plateau that are closer to existing oil and gas infrastructure. Continued improvements in directional drilling technology over those years could make it possible, by the time BLM next updates the Roan plan, to extend development to natural gas reserves below the Roan without needing to sacrifice the valuable habitat on its surface. This agreement is a great example of how balance can be achieved when all parties sit down and try to listen honestly and respectfully to each other to craft a solution.

Thompson Divide

Concurrent with the Roan decision, The BLM also issued a decision canceling 25 contentious oil and gas leases within the Thompson Divide (the leaseholders to be repaid from government funds), while maintaining 40 other leases in surrounding lands – mostly closer to existing development areas. As with the Roan, the decision reflects a responsible balance between protecting our most valuable fish and wildlife habitats and enabling responsible energy development to move forward on public lands. Unlike the Roan, this decision does not yet reflect a larger consensus among conservationists and industry, nor does it provide longer-term protection for the Thompson Divide. The decision was a necessary victory in protecting the Thompson Divide from the imminent threat of oil and gas drilling, and TU remains committed to working with the BLM, Forest Service, ranchers, local governments, and the oil and gas industry to achieve a long-term solution that includes permanent protection of the Thompson Divide as part of a larger, responsible plan for energy development in the region.

Stream Standards

Trout Unlimited and a coalition of agencies, concerned citizens, and conservation and sportsmen groups rallied to defend Colorado’s water quality standards for temperature in coldwater streams. The Colorado Water Quality Control Division (WQCD) proposed changes in standards that would have raised standards for water temperature to levels that could prove fatal to trout in spring and fall seasons and year-round in mid-elevation “transition” waters. The proposal was based on flawed science and failed to adequately protect coldwater fisheries and to address the varied factors that influence temperature regimes in natural streams. Thanks to the efforts of TU and our coalition partners, the Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC) rejected the proposed changes, keeping in place the protective temperature standards that currently apply to coldwater streams.  It was an impressive team – including Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Colorado Wildlife Federation, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Western Resource Advocates, and others. The proposed changes would have weakened water temperature standards for around 1/3 of Colorado’s trout streams, based solely on their elevation, allowing the fish’ stress levels to increase and ultimately cause problems for feeding, growth and movement.  According to the EPA, the proposed standards for lower elevation coldwater streams could have actually proved lethal to trout exposed to them over seven days.

Greenback Recovery

Colorado TU teamed up with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to reintroduce Greenback Cutthroat trout into their native watersheds all along the Front Range. Efforts this past year including spawning Zimmerman Lake, receiving grants to help improve the Mt. Shavano fish hatchery that raises Greenbacks, and expanded Greenback efforts to educating the public on why all native trout reintroduction is vital to our ecosystems. CTU has also worked with Parks and Wildlife on preliminary plans for a fish barrier on Rock Creek that will eventually hold Greenbacks. CTU volunteers worked with CPW on the beginning stages of the project by stocking fish in a section of the stream.

Lessons from the Roan

By David Nickum For more than a decade, the battle over Colorado’s Roan Plateau—a beautiful green oasis surrounded by oil and gas development—raged in meetings and in courtrooms. At issue: Would the “drill, baby, drill” approach to public lands carry the day and the path of unrestrained energy development run over one of Colorado’s most valuable wildlife areas? Or would “lock it up” advocates preclude all development of the Roan’s major natural gas reserves?

Luckily, this story has a happy ending—and a lesson for Colorado and other states in the West struggling with how to balance the need for energy development with conservation of public lands and irreplaceable natural resources.

The Bureau of Land Management recently issued its final plan for the Roan Plateau, closing the most valuable habitat on top of the plateau to oil and gas leases. The plan, which will guide management of the area for the next 20 years, also acknowledges the importance of wildlife habitat corridors connecting to winter range at the base of the Plateau.

At the same time, the BLM management plan allows responsible development to proceed in less-sensitive areas of the plateau that harbor promising natural gas reserves and can help meet our domestic energy needs.

What happened? After years of acrimony and lawsuits, stakeholders on all side of the issue sat down and hammered out a balanced solution. Everyone won.

It’s too bad it took lawsuits and years of impasse to get all sides to do what they could have done early on: Listen to each other. We all could have saved a lot of time, money and tears.

The Roan example is a lesson to remember, as the incoming administration looks at how to tackle the issue of energy development on public lands.

There’s a better way, and it’s working in Colorado.

The BLM also this month, incorporating stakeholder input, closed oil and gas leasing in several critical habitat areas in the Thompson Divide—another Colorado last best place—while permitting leasing to go ahead in adjacent areas.

That plan also represents an acknowledgment that some places are too special to drill, while others can be an important part of meeting our energy needs.

And in the South Park area—a vast recreational playground for the Front Range and an important source of drinking water for Denver and the Front Range—the BLM is moving ahead with a Master Leasing Plan (MLP) for the area that would identify, from the outset, both those places and natural resources that need to be protected and the best places for energy leasing to proceed.

We have said that we want federal agencies in charge of public lands to involve local and state stakeholders more closely in land management planning—that perceived disconnect has been the source of criticism and conflict in the West regarding federal oversight of public lands.

The MLP process is a new tool that promises to address some of that top-down, fragmented approach to public land management. To their credit, the BLM is listening and incorporating suggestions from local ranchers, conservation groups and elected officials into their leasing plan for South Park.

This landscape level, “smart from the start” approach is one way for stakeholders to find consensus on commonsense, balanced solutions that allow careful, responsible energy development to occur while protecting our most valuable natural resources.

The lesson I take from the Roan? We can find solutions through respectful dialogue—and we shouldn’t wait for litigation to do so. Coloradoans can meet our needs for energy development and for preserving healthy rivers and lands by talking earlier to each other and looking for common ground.

Peaks to Plains Trail

By: David Amalong, Newsletter Editor for West Denver TU. This original article was posted in the Angler's Edge newsletter by West Denver Trout Unlimited.

The first segment of the Peaks to Plains Trail through Clear Creek Canyon opened to the public on July 28, 2016. This initial 3-mile segment of trail along Clear Creek and US Highway 6 in Clear Creek Canyon is just one piece of a much broader vision.

The Peaks to Plains Trail is envisioned to be a 65- mile off-highway trail that will allow travel from the Continental Divide at the Eisenhower Tunnel to the confluence of Clear Creek and the South Platte River in Adams County. The recently completed segment is the result of a partnership between Jeffco Open Space and Clear Creek County Open Space.

The trail includes not only 3 miles of a paved multiuse trail, but features 3 bridges, 6 new formal river access points and multiple overlooks and boulder seating areas. Other improvements include two new parking lots and an expanded parking lot and restroom at Mayhem Gulch. The parking lots are a key component to bringing a new types of visitor to Clear Creek Canyon; cyclists, hikers and walkers.

The majority of the trail meanders along “quieter side” of the Creek, opposite of Highway 6. In doing so, the trail travels through a variety of landscapes, from open meadows, rocky overlooks, and riparian sections close to the Creek. It also gains some elevation in areas offering some great views down into the Creek. Areas that were disturbed by construction have been re-vegetated with native grasses, shrubs and trees.

On several occasions, I have had the opportunity to experience the trail as a fisherman. However; on a recent crisp Saturday morning, I put away my fly rod walked most of the trail to take in all aspects of the trail.

It was encouraging to see extended families walking the trail, leaning over the guardrail at an overlook pointing to trout rising behind a large boulder. Joggers pushing strollers paused at the overlooks on the bridges to catch their breath. Cyclists were numerous and one group took advantage of the informal boulder seating areas to stop for a picnic lunch. There were crowds of climbers at all of the popular areas, and fisherman were ducking in and out of the willows along the banks.

As hard as I tried to be a “pedestrian” and just simply walk the trail, I couldn’t stop myself from making mental notes of all of the new fishing access points to the Creek. With much of the trail being on the opposite side of the Creek from the road, there is a LOT of new creek access. I will honor the tradition of not divulging secret fishing spots, but I have discovered that this trail offers access to great new water that was either difficult or impossible to access in the past.

My overall impression of the trail was extremely positive. The materials used through compliment the character of the Canyon. The improved parking areas provide additional spaces and greatly improve visitor safety and the new signage is clear and concise. The biggest improvement; however, is the trail. It allows visitors to disconnect from Highway 6 and truly immerse themselves in the Creek, the Canyon, and the Landscape.

The next evolution in Clear Creek Canyon will be the design and construction of the Mouth of Clear Creek Canyon. It will extend the existing multi-use trail associated with the Golden Mile through Downtown Golden upstream to Tunnel 1. The concept features two new pedestrian bridges as well as the proposed Welch Ditch Tail which will improve climbing access and connect the Peaks to Plains trail to Chimney Gulch Trail. Parking areas will be upgraded in two locations to accommodate the large demand in this stretch.

A Note to the TU Family

by Chris Wood This was an uncommon and rancorous election, but the outcome is not. As is the case every four years, many are excited about the prospects for the new administration, and many are afraid of what it means for things they care about. I want to take a moment to discuss what it means for our work at Trout Unlimited.

The change in Administration may make some campaigns, such as the effort to protect Bristol Bay, more challenging. The good news is that our campaigns are place-based and emanate from a strong need by local people to protect places they live and love. For example, the desire to protect Bristol Bay begins in dozens of small Alaska native villages in southwest Alaska, the spokes of which extend outward to the commercial fishing industry and to the state capital. It is a made-in-Alaska campaign that will be hard for any Administration to resist.

Policies such as the Clean Water rule will face increased scrutiny. It will be more vital than ever before that we engage our members and other anglers to help explain that protecting clean water is not a partisan issue.

Funding for restoration work could come under threat. And this is why it is so vital to help policymakers, legislators, state and federal agency partners, and private corporations understand the alchemic nature of our work. For every $1 of corporate or state/federal money invested in a TU project, we turn it into $10, and in the process provide high-paying, family wage jobs in communities all across the country.

We have always prided ourselves on our ability to work in a bipartisan manner. Since Trout Unlimited was founded in Michigan in 1959, the organization has existed—and grown—through 11 different presidential administrations (29 years Republican, and 28 years Democrat). For example, several clear opportunities exist for us in the new Congress and with the new Trump Administration; these include Good Samaritan legislation to help clean up abandoned mines, a higher priority on water infrastructure improvements, and public land renewable energy legislation.

Angling is a cultural, not a political issue. Whether it involves securing in-  stream flow legislation in Montana or Utah or passing laws such as the Wyoming Range Legacy Act, we know how to get people from across the political spectrum to work side-by-side toward common goals. This is who we are; it is what we do. The fact that we can cross political boundaries is what makes us so effective. It’s what makes us welcome at the negotiating table.

In the wake of a rancorous debate, many will want to walk around the battle-field and bayonet the wounded. Others will howl in the wind and talk of moving to Canada. Resist both urges. Our work, our entire approach to collaborative stewardship—is more vital—more needed in this country than ever before. The voices of sportsmen and women will be ever more central in the coming years. So few issues bring the country together today. Conservation—the notion that we can take specific actions today, to make the world a better place for our kids tomorrow—may be the one issue that can help to unite an otherwise divided nation.

Challenges lay ahead, but I also see great opportunity to play an even more prominent role in ensuring the future of trout and salmon in North America. Let’s get to work.

Chris Wood is the president and CEO of Trout Unlimited. He works from TU's headquarters in Arlington, Va.

Congrats to our Fall Raffle Winner: Will St. Germain

Will St. Germain is the proud winner of our Colorado TU Statewide Fall Raffle! Will won a two-day guided fishing trip (valid through 5/1/17) on the San Juan River quality waters for two anglers with Duranglers, offering first-class guide service on the San Juan and a range of southwest Colorado rivers.  Trip is winner's choice of float or walk/wade angling (or one day of each). In addition this package includes two night's lodging (double occupancy) at the Rochester Hotel in Durango (valid through 5/1/17). The historic Rochester Hotel offers comfortable accommodations and a gourmet breakfast each morning featuring a hot entree, homemade fresh-baked goods, fresh cut fruit, homemade granola, yogurt, and more!

Total value of the package is $1,239.

A big thank you goes to everyone who participated in the raffle! Thank you also goes to Duranglers and Rochester Hotel for their generous support of our event!

Even with all the great fly fishing diversity in the Durango area, the San Juan River below Navajo Dam is Durangler's specialty.  The San Juan is a very unique fishery and tends to frustrate many fishermen with it’s very small flies and unusual fish behavior.  The guide staff is very experienced with many years of guiding the San Juan River in New Mexico.  A wade or float trip on the San Juan with one of Durangler's guides is always an educational experience whether it’s your first or fiftieth trip to the San Juan.

Duranglers Fly Shop and Supplies had its humble beginning in 1983 when John Flick and Tom Knopick opened the San Juan region’s first and only full service fly shop and guide service. Tom and John had met nine years earlier as freshman in college and quickly began dreaming of making fly fishing their life. The dream became a reality December 10th, 1983 when Duranglers opened its doors in downtown Durango. Duranglers has come a long way from when Tom and John tied every fly they sold and built every rod. After 15 great years in the basement of the Newman building, Duranglers main shop relocated to a brand new location! Visit Duranglers big, bright Durango location at 923 Main Avenue.  In 2016, Duranglers received CTU's "Exemplary Guide & Outfitter" award in recognition of their contributions to coldwater conservation.

Behind The Fin: Kent Hughes

• Name: Kent Hughes
• Member of Colorado River Headwaters Chapter
• TU Member for 20 years
• Continues to give back to the community and kids
• “To me, TU means people trying to make a difference.  Things don't get changed by those that sit.  TU also means spending times with people you like who also aren't content with just sitting."

How long have you been a TU member?

I've been a member of TU for the past 20 years.  Conservation just always made sense to me.  After anything is lost, it's too late and your left knowing you could have done something that might have helped.

Why did you become a member and what chapter are you involved with?

I was a TU member before I ever belonged to a chapter. I supported TU because I liked it's message and I liked to fish, and I'd like to think of this sport and this pleasure being here for those that come next.

What made you want to become involved with TU?

I became a member of the Colorado River Headwaters Chapter about seven years ago.  It's a small chapter and  the majority of its members are like I use to be.  Admiration and respect for TU but without either the time, or the necessary conviction for action.  I respected TU's goals and results, but was not motivated enough to join in the work.  That changed, and I started volunteering and became a chapter board member after it became obvious that without citizen involvement the diversion of the Fraser River to meet projected front range water demands would destroy both the river and the wetlands, and with it the fish and animals that depended on the  Frasers flow.  Save the Fraser River is the goal and the challenge, and TU is making the difference.

I know you won’t tell me your top spot, so what is your second favorite fishing spot or favorite fishing story?

Forget about the best place to fish.  That's any trout stream without someone stepping in your hole, slightly overcast, and no wind.  But fish stories, you can't fish without them.  We all got 'em.  This good friend of mine, we were in our early 30's, decided to take the drift boat and go the the Big Hole for the Salmon Fly hatch.  It was early in the season and the weather was cold, but the fishing was hot.  Late one afternoon, we're floating a canyon, bouncing these big bugs off the walls.  A fish on almost every cast.  My friend, didn't like to crimp his hooks and with the wind, he caught his  shirt.  Not deterred, he soon caught his earlobe. Fish are biting. No time to quit. Cut the leader and retie.  The leader turned into a wick.  I offered to take out the hook and disinfect with Jim Beam. No way, waste of time and whiskey. At the pullout my friends shirt looked like he had done an eight hour shift at a meat processing plant.  I got the hook out and we started laughing.  The day, the time ,the fish.  Turned out OK, but when we finally quit laughing we were out of our disinfectant.  Many more, we all got 'em

What does being a part of TU mean to you?

To me, TU means people trying to make a difference.  Things don't get changed by those that sit.  TU also means spending times with people you like who also aren't content with just sitting.

What else do you do in your spare time or for work?

I'm lucky enough to have been able retire and doing what I enjoy.  The fishing, the skiing, the biking,and the volunteering.  Trying to make a difference.  My wife and I have an endowed fund at Colorado Childrens that brings pediatric kidney patients up to summer camp at the YMCA of the Rockies. To kids who spend too much of their lives in a dialysis clinic it makes a difference.  I belong to the Fraser Valley Lions Club, and we raise close to $65,000 annually which we donate to local non-profits. All working together it makes a difference.  Just like TU.  Imagine the state of the rivers in this country without TU.

Mending Youth into Leaders

Trout Unlimited is only as strong as its membership base. Without our 150,000 plus volunteers over the nation, and over 10,000 volunteers in Colorado, we wouldn't be able accomplish what we do. In order to instill a passion for conservation into future leaders, CTU works to foster the next generation of conservationists through our Youth Programs. Starting with the Colorado TU Youth Camp, participants learn the skills and knowledge to become leaders in their high school or college clubs. From their leadership roles in college, they have the skills to become the leaders of tomorrow- not just in TU but their chosen professional fields.

Myles Brown- 2012 Camp Alumni

“What I thought the camp would be about was a strict camp with a really tight schedule and very strict instructors.  But the camp was totally the opposite.  All of the counselors were cool, willing to teach and give us time to learn about conserving our ponds, lakes rivers and stream.  Most of all, getting better at fly fishing!  Now fishing is a part of me with lots of awareness and cautions.  I learned that the sport of fly fishing attracts many people coming from places all over the world.  They come from many different backgrounds but on the river, we are all the same.”

The CTU camp that I was lucky to attend in my freshman summer going into high school was one of the best experiences that I have ever had. I really do think it was one of my best fishing experiences ever. I was able to share a common interest with everyone that I was fortunate to meet. I was able to share not only the amazing hobby of fishing but to help out and better the life of not only me but the fish and future fishermen and women. While I was there I shared many experiences and moments that I will treasure through my whole life. One moment that I remember clear as day was the chance to be one with the water and look to what fish refer to as, food. I was able to clearly see and extract many bugs in a stream that was abundant of fish. It was also a very humbling experience because I was able to see how we as a youth group could really impact the future of fishing and to ensure the maintenance to keep our fishing in Colorado going strong. I am very grateful of what I was able to learn in the short amount of time I was there. I would have been okay if it was all summer but I still am very grateful for the chance to attend an amazing camp full of amazing people.

Now I am a senior at Chatfield Senior High and I just finished my fourth year of football and am in the middle of my senior baseball season. Even though I am jam packed with the sports I love to play I am still able to squeeze in time for what I love the best, and that is to fish. I enjoy all types of fishing but nothing beats that with a fly and a fly rod. I make sure that the trips that I take are around a place that I can get my line wet. Next year I am attending Montana State University Northern in Havre, Montana. I will be getting my major in Diesel Technology and Field Maintenance. I look forward not only to the awesome school but being close to one of the best places to fish in North America. I am excited to further my career and lead a good life but will never leave my passion of fishing behind.

Tyler Bowman- CU Club Alumni

"In today’s world, fisheries conservation programs can be vast and vague.  It is important that conservation organizations like Trout Unlimited focus their efforts intelligently and appropriately.  Programs like the CTU Youth Camp are well worth the time, money and commitment.  The key to future conservation efforts is teaching today’s youth the importance of conservation and stewardship and there is no better program than the CTU Youth Camp to accomplish these goals.  Take an interest in the CTU Youth Camp today; our fisheries and youth depend on it."

The Colorado Trout Unlimited Youth Camp may be one of the foremost building blocks to instilling the principles and values of ethics, conservation and good stewardship into the youth of Colorado and the West.  The CTU camp, its leaders and volunteers do an amazing job to educate our youth about the values of stream conservation, catch and release trout fishing and the importance of understanding entomology and its effect on our trout streams.

Many of the leaders and volunteers involved in the CTU Youth Camp have originated from the University of Colorado fly fishing club.  The CU Fly Fishing Club is a wonderful fly fishing group that is part of the University of Colorado club sports program.  The club focuses on teaching the art of fly fishing, fly casting and fly tying to all experience levels and is a place where anglers can share fishing information and form life long friendships.

Members of the club have fished extensively and instigated conservation efforts to unique destinations stemming from Alaska to New Zealand and everything in between.  Whether the destination is freshwater or saltwater fisheries it is certain that members of the CU Fly Fishing club have been there and are willing to share information about the fishery.

Perhaps, camaraderie and stewardship can best describe the CTU Youth Camp and the CU Fly Fishing Club, where sharing a passion for angling has united people across the country and beyond, while at the same time inspiring our youth to continue a tradition of angling and conservation.

The CTU Youth Camp and the CU Fly Fishing Club could not be made possible without the efforts of Larry Quilling and Shawn Bratt, who have taken it upon themselves to teach and mentor countless people.  Their efforts have touched the lives of many and created lasting programs to benefit the fisheries of the west and more importantly preserve the tradition and legacy of fly-fishing and conservation for generations yet to come.

Dick Shinton, Youth Camp Volunteer

"Our campers have gone on into careers in science, law, engineering and other pursuits. Because I have stayed in touch with many of them over the years, I know that our graduates not only continue to enjoy fly fishing, they maintain their interest in river conservation and many participate in Trout Unlimited projects and in TU chapter activities. One young man has started a TU chapter at his university and has thus involved many other young people in TU conservation projects and fly fishing. One of our campers returned several times as a youth counselor; she’s now a full-fledged adult volunteer member of our staff. Another was on the USA National Youth Fly Fishing Team that won a world championship. This program works."

Our campers have gone on into careers in science, law, engineering and other pursuits. Because I have stayed in touch with many of them over the years, I know that our graduates not only continue to enjoy fly fishing, they maintain their interest in river conservation and many participate in Trout Unlimited projects and in TU chapter activities. One young man has started a TU chapter at his university and has thus involved many other young people in TU conservation projects and fly fishing. One of our campers returned several times as a youth counselor; she’s now a full-fledged adult volunteer member of our staff. Another was on the USA National Youth Fly Fishing Team that won a world championship. This program works.I’ve been involved in youth programs with my local TU chapter, St Vrain Anglers, and with CTU’s Youth River Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp; this will be my ninth year as a counselor at the CTU Camp. In that time I’ve seen nearly 200 teens from all over Colorado come through the program. They’ve ranged from hip Denver kids to dyed-in-the-wool ranch and farm kids and everything in between. One thing they have had in common is a love of being outdoors, learning something about the environment, and a desire to protect it.

Using fly fishing, a passion shared by everyone involved in the program, as a vehicle for teaching young men and women about the environment while in that environment really drives home the lessons they learn. It’s one thing to talk about aquatic macroinvertebrates, it’s quite another to capture them and examine them close up, and tie a fly that represents that insect and catch a fish with it. Learning about watersheds while standing in one, looking around to see how water flows down mountainsides, gathering into rivulets, becoming creeks, then rivers, can’t be replaced by looking at a topo map. Hearing a presentation by a local oilman about his efforts to protect the land and water while providing the energy we need makes a dry headline about fracking come to life. Learning that water doesn’t belong to everybody, but is governed by complex laws is an eye opener. These experiences prepare our campers for a greater awareness of the fragility of the world around us and the need to protect it, especially the watersheds that are so critical to trout and salmon.

State of TU

Watch Chris Wood, President and CEO of Trout Unlimited, deliver the 2016 State of TU speech at the TU Annual Meeting in Bozeman, MT.

---

Mick McCorcle, Chair of the National Leadership Council, gives the 2016 State of the Grassroots in Bozeman, Mt.

The Animas: a vision of health

By Randy Scholfield

Take a look at this picture. Yes, there is hope for the Animas River.

You remember the Gold King mine spill from last August, which dumped 3 million gallons of toxic heavy metal sludge into the upper Animas and sent a yellow-orange plume sweeping downstream through Durango and on into New Mexico.

Amazingly, the spill didn’t seem to immediately impact the Gold Medal trout population through Durango. And a recent survey of the fish population confirmed that they’re doing well.  Again, that picture, taken during the survey, speaks volumes.

But the fact remains that the Animas—and many other rivers and streams across the West—remain  impaired by day-in, day-out toxic mine seepage. On the Animas watershed, the discharge amounts to a Gold King spill every few days. You can’t see it, but it’s there—and has been for decades.

That’s why the upper few miles of the Animas, below Silverton to about Cascade Creek, are largely barren of fish and aquatic life.

A couple weeks ago, I met my colleague Ty Churchwell for a tour of the new Superfund sites in San Juan County, including the Gladstone area, home of the Gold King Mine. It was eye-opening.

The abandoned mine complex surrounding the town of Silverton is extensive and daunting. Amid the spectacular fall colors and scenery, the mountains are pockmarked with leaking adits, tunnels and waste piles. For years, Churchwell told me, the Animas River Stakeholders Group has worked to identify and characterize each site – what’s the chemistry of the discharge, is the site public, private or abandoned?

The ARSG identified roughly 60 trouble sites, a mixture of point- and nonpoint-source (the former could be a leaking mine opening, or adit, the latter is more dispersed runoff, such as from a waste pile). And they set out to address some of the sites they could legally clean up (the non-point source sites).

Of those 60 sites, four are particularly bad and make up the lion’s share of pollutants entering the Animas watershed. These four mines alone contribute some 800-1,000 gallons per minute. That’s about 1 million gallons of toxic water flowing every 3 days out of these tunnels—the equivalent of a Gold King spill.

The EPA, in creating the Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund site, included 47 sites that together discharge about 5.4 million gallons a day into the Animas. That amounts to almost 2 Gold King spills every single day.

“The trout are the canary in the coal mine—they’re an indicator species,” says Churchwell. “We’re trying to bring back water quality in the Silverton area that will support a healthy ecosystem—that, in turn, will support a variety of uses, from recreation and agriculture to community water supply.”

Silverton is beginning to recognize the economic opportunity of a healthier river—cleaner water quality could lead to expanded opportunities for fly-fishing and tubing. And the Superfund remediation work itself could put many locals to work cleaning up mines.

Under the Superfund plan, the present temporary water treatment plant below the Gold King mine will eventually be replaced by a permanent water treatment plant that will tap the runoff of the four worst mines (all within a half-mile of each other) and pipe it to the treatment plant, where it will be brought up to standards and then discharged back into Cement Creek.

Good Samaritan legislation also remains a top priority for Trout Unlimited. Put simply, Good Sam creates a new discharge permit category that makes it easier for qualified Good Sam groups to help clean up abandoned mines. The permits allow for a lower standard for cleanups (30-50 percent, say, not 95 percent as under current Clean Water Act regulations) and there’s a sunset clause that doesn’t hold Good Sam groups responsible for cleanup costs in perpetuity– that’s been a financial dealbreaker for most groups.

The Bandora mine, which we reach on a rocky, bumpy four-wheel-drive road, is a great candidate for Good Sam, says Churchwell.  We park and huff up to an old wooden mine structure, with orange runoff leaching down the hillside into South Mineral Creek, which eventually flows into the Animas.

Pointing to a broad valley below us, Churchwell says it’s a good place for a “bioreactor”—basically, a created marsh area that will naturally filter and clean the water over the long-term.

Taken together, these cleanup approaches could eventually bring the upper Animas below Silverton to a level of water quality that will support a healthy trout fishery.  It probably won’t ever match the Gold Medal waters through Durango, but it could be a local source of pride and offer several miles of quality fishing.

Take another look at that trout picture. The Animas is worth fighting for—and TU is in it for the long haul.

Go to the We Are the Animas website to learn more about TU's efforts to clean up this great Western river.

Randy Scholfield is TU’s communications director for the Southwest region.

Fly Fishing Rendezvous

The Fly Fishing Rendezvous - A Rocky Mountain Proud Fly Fishing Show on a Mission

Fly Fishing Rendezvous

Where: Jefferson County Fairgrounds - Golden, CO

When: November 5th - 6th; 8:30am - 5:00pm

Cost: $8 in Advance, $10 at the door

Website: www.flyfishingrendezvous.com

If you want to start thinking like a fish and fishing like a pro, the Fly Fishing Rendezvous happening November 5th - 6th at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in Golden Colorado is a must visit event!  There will be more than 30 hours of classes and clinics from the region's best instructors, authors and fly tyers, including Pat Dorsey, Robert Younghanz, Duane Redford, and Rick Tackahashi.

You can check out the full vendor and class line-up and purchase your tickets online at: www.flyfishingrendezvous.com.

The Fly Fishing Rendezvous has partnered with Colorado Trout Unlimited and Project Healing Waters to highlight and support the vital work they are doing in conservation and support of our country's veterans.  In addition to raffles and silent auctions held at the event that support both of these groups, 10% of the admission fees go to support Colorado Trout Unlimited, and we encourage every angler to join TU and Project Healing Waters on mission in the conservation of our waters and support of the troops. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door.

As much as any of us would love to have a stretch of river all to ourselves, an isolated fishing hole where big trout eagerly rise to our dry flies, and the lack of cell phone reception gives us a few hours respite from the demands of life, fly fishing at its core is a social sport.   For most of us, it was under the guiding hand of a parent, grandfather, or friend that we tied on our first fly, struggled through the basics of casting, and eventually netted our first trout.  There is a unique joy in sharing the water with family and friends, seeing the passion for fly fishing awaken in a new angler, and the excitement of working out a difficult drift with your fishing buddies until one of you finally catch that elusive trophy brown that has evaded you the past several hours.

Born from a passion to make the sport of fly fishing accessible to all, and to equip Rocky Mountain anglers with the knowledge and gear needed to experience greater success on the water, the Fly Fishing Rendezvous has become the fastest growing and most eagerly anticipated fly fishing show in the Rockies.  Featuring only the region's best fly fishing companies, fly tyers, authors, and guides, the Fly Fishing Rendezvous focuses exclusively on local waters and local companies, and equips anglers with local knowledge for success on our waters.  With its emphasis on educating anglers, the Fly Fishing Rendezvous has broken the mold of other fly fishing shows by giving participants access to more than 30 hours of classes with fly fishing's best recognized authors, fly tyers, casting instructors, and fly fishing geeks.  The topics of these classes are as diverse as the waters of our region: How to Fish Colorado's Technical Tailwaters, How to Match the Hatch and Hack Hatch Charts, How to Sight Fish Trophy Trout on the Taylor River, as well as fly tying demonstrations with the industry’s best tyers.  In addition to accessing an impressive line-up of classes, participants of the rendezvous will have the ability to interact with and buy gear or trips from more than 30 Rocky Mountain fly fishing companies.   Whether it’s a new fly reel from Ross, waders from Simms, $10 dozens on flies from Ascent Fly Fishing, or a guided trip on private water, there will be something for every fly fisher at this show!