TU Spells "Relief" on the Gunnison

For over 100 years, the Relief Ditch diversion on the Gunnison River has been a headache for local landowners and irrigators and a major obstacle for boaters and fish. The diversion dam, which is used to divert water for farms east of Delta, was washed out almost every year with high spring runoff flows, and then reconstructed annually by the irrigation company using bulldozers in the river channel to push up cobble creating a temporary dam. The dam created several problems, including erosion of nearby river banks, an unnatural buildup of sediment downstream, and a migration barrier to fish. It also poses a safety hazard to boaters.

In November 2012, Trout Unlimited, the Relief Ditch Irrigation Company, BLM, and other stakeholders broke ground on a construction project to modernize the Relief Ditch diversion. The project will improve water delivery for irrigators while benefiting trout, Flannelmouth sucker, Bluehead sucker, and Roundtail chub as well as wildlife habitat in the BLM’s Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area.

“TU is identifying opportunities like this in Colorado to upgrade aging infrastructure in a way that benefits both ag producers and fish and wildlife,” said Cary Denison, project leader for TU. “We’re very excited about the opportunity to work with the irrigators to improve the diversion.”

Gunnison Gorge Anglers, the local Trout Unlimited chapter, has led the effort to replace the push-up dam with a permanent low head diversion structure and a grade control structure—improvements that will remove the fish barrier and hazard to boaters and expand habitat for several native fish. TU and partners have installed a new headgate that will reduce maintenance and expense for irrigators.  By measuring the diversion at the headgate, it will also allow irrigators to avoid drawing more water than they need from the river –helping to bolster flows.  TU has also restored the eroded riverbanks near the project with native plantings and erosion-resistant fill.

Chapter President Marshall Pendergrass explained, "This project started over three years ago from the ideas of one local TU chapter member and has become the model for working with many local, state and federal agencies to complete a major project that benefits so many water users. We are proud to be coordinating agents of this significant milestone for the Gunnison River cold water fisheries."

Final project construction was completed in March 2013 at a total cost of over $750,000.

“Many rivers and streams in the Colorado River Basin have become fragmented over the years, preventing fish movement and degrading habitat,” said Denison. “We’re working with local partners on win-win projects like this one that both open up river habitat and address infrastructure problems.”

“We’ve enjoyed working with Trout Unlimited on this project," said Mel Frazier of Relief Ditch Irrigation Company, "and look forward to the improvements to the system.”

CTU Awards Honor Conservation Leaders

At the annual CTU Awards Banquet, held as part of the Rendezvous in Redstone on April 20, awards were presented to recognize both chapters and individuals for their contributions to river conservation.  From river restoration projects, to volunteers for youth education, this year's award winners were an impressive bunch.  Awards presented were: Outstanding Volunteers.  CTU recognized three volunteer members for their outstanding contributions:

• Charlie Horn was recognized for his longstanding efforts in youth education, both spearheading West Denver TU's partnership with the Jefferson County Outdoor Lab Schools and assisting Colorado TU in bringing the "Stream Explorers" program to youth in the Denver metro area.
• Ralph Rhoades was honored for his broad volunteer commitment with the Cherry Creek Anglers - helping the chapter with everything from organizing youth education programs, to coordinating the annual fly tying clinic, to lining up compelling programs for chapter meetings.
• Brad Waltman was recognized for his leadership in establishing youth education initiatives with the new Dolores River Anglers chapter including partnerships with schools and scouting organizations - helping a new chapter to make a difference with the youth in its community.

Chapter Communications.  The Evergreen Chapter was recognized for its revitalized efforts to communicate with its members on a regular basis with a well-written and welll-researched newsletter and website, while the Grand Valley Anglers was honored for its outstanding newsletter the "Territorial Trout Tribune and Piscatorial Post."

Youth Education.  The Cheyenne Mountain Chapter was honored for a diverse program of educational efforts including partnerships with the Catamount Institute, the first-in-the-nation "Trout in the Community" project modeled after Trout in the Classroom, and involvement with the National Fishing in Schools Program.

Projects.  The Gunnison Gorge Anglers were recognized for their Relief Ditch project, partnering with local irrigators to replace a diversion structure so as to improve river habitat and flows while also reducing maintenance burdens for farmers.  The Purgatoire River Anglers were honored for their work in engaging the Trinidad community and conducting in-stream habitat improvements on the Purgatoire River through town.

Exemplary Chapter.  The Gunnison Gorge Anglers were selected as this year's exemplary chapter, in recognition of their outstanding work on the Relief Ditch project coupled with an outstanding chapter event - the Black Canyon Fly Fishing Expo; strong youth programs; and an effective chapter communications effort.

Exemplary Guide & Outfitter.  In recognition both of generous support to Colorado Trout Unlimited and its chapters through fundraising donations - along with tireless advocacy and education on issues from protecting Browns Canyon on the Arkansas to conserving wildlife and fish habitat in the face of oil and gas development, Bill Dvorak of Dvorak Expeditions was Colorado TU's Exemplary Guide & Outfitter of the year.

Trout Conservation Award.  Attorney Michael Freeman of EarthJustice was recognized for his representation of Colorado TU and other conservationists in our challenge to the BLM's Roan Plateau management plan - which lacked appropriate protections for the Roan's outstanding fish and wildlife values.  Freeman spearheaded what was a major legal victory for conservationists, and continues to lead efforts to reach a reasonable agreement with oil and gas interests that allows development in appropriate areas while protecting the most valuable habitats on the Roan.

Trout Communications Award.  Scott Willoughby of The Denver Post was honored for his writing on outdoor recreation and conservation issues - including extensive coverage of the challenges facing the Upper Colorado River and the importance of anglers and boaters engaging in its protection.

Distinguished Service Award.  For his longstanding efforts on behalf of trout conservation - from representing TU in National Forest processes for travel management on the west slope and for seeking compromise solutions on disputes over "bypass flows" at diversions on National Forests, to spearheading on-the-ground stream monitoring and native trout restoration projects, John Trammell of Grand Junction received the Distinguished Service Award.  Additionally, Mely Whiting was honored for her effective representation of Trout Unlimited on issues in the Colorado River headwaters - including work on Wild & Scenic River negotiations that resulted in an historic instream flow filing and successful negotiation of a strong river conservation package with the Windy Gap Firming Project.

Bruce Hoagland Award for Leadership in Conservation.  Longtime Colorado TU lobbyist and board member Jo Evans was honored for her lifetime contributions toward conservation.  Read more here.

Congratulations - and thank you! - to all of these award winners.

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!

In rural Colorado, valuing water - and neighbors

Growing up in the rural West is a sure-fire way to gain a strong appreciation for the value of water. One of my earliest memories is of our local community getting together every spring to repair the rudimentary dam — resembling something built by beavers more than a work of modern engineering—that diverted water from the creek to the irrigation ditch that we all drew our water from.

My family lived next to that small creek, too warm for trout but with plenty of minnows, suckers, crawdads, and the occasional catfish to chase.  As children, we pursued our work and play mostly outside—the two pursuits were closely intertwined. We learned the worth of our labors and how to enjoy our days by always finding some part of the natural world to marvel at. Most importantly, we learned respect for that world and all of its inhabitants, which collectively provided us with our livelihood, kept us warm, and fed us. While I didn’t seriously fall in love with fishing and hunting until later in life, I’m certain a life spent immersed in the landscape led me to it.

Now as someone who has sat on both sides of the table when discussing appropriate uses of natural resources, I can assure you it’s never an easy conversation. However, at the end of the day I find that most people would like to help each other and their little patch of the world out if they have the opportunity.

We recently had such an opportunity when a multi-generational landowner on the Dolores River approached me about an eroding side channel on her land and how small fish were being trapped in the channel following high water.  For a very modest amount of money, we were able to complete a project that restored functional fish-rearing habitat and reduced sediment loads in the river, both of which will benefit anglers up and down the Dolores, as well as address the concerns and needs of the landowner.

While the big challenge is always how to balance the flow needs of rivers and people, successfully working together on small problems makes it easier to imagine tackling the larger ones.

While I still sometimes hear, “Why do work on private lands?” from anglers and “Why should I care about fish?” from water users, it seems like the more we try to be real neighbors, the easier it gets to search for solutions together and the less those kinds of questions define our discussions.

---by Matt Clark

Matt grew up on a farm and ranch in southwest Colorado and now hunts, fishes, and forages with his family all over the San Juan Mountains.  He is TU’s Backcountry Coordinator in southwest Colorado and also oversees on-ranch restoration partnership work in the Dolores and Mancos river systems.

Tell Denver Water: Don't Kill The Fraser River!

Denver Water already sucks 60% of the annual flows from the Fraser River, and they now want to take more: another 15%.  Sign the Defend the Colorado petition today and tell Denver that before they take more water, they need to protect the Fraser River.  Tell Denver Water:  Don't Suck the Fraser River Dry!  

If you see a lost-looking trout walking the streets of downtown Denver in coming weeks, don’t be alarmed. He’s just looking for some water. Any water.

He urgently needs your help.

We recently filmed this trout’s sad dilemma. Left high and dry in the Fraser Valley, where Denver Water is sucking the life out of the Fraser River and its tributaries, our refugee trout hitchhiked to Denver to try to find out who moved his water and where he can get a few drops.

Check out the short video– it’s a lighthearted effort to highlight a serious problem: Denver Water is diverting the Fraser River to death.

You can make a difference by sending a message to Denver Water: sign the petition telling Denver Water to protect – not kill – the Fraser River.

You might not know that much of Denver’s water comes from across the Continental Divide, in Grand County, where the Moffat pipeline each year drains 60 percent of the Fraser River’s annual flows, leaving dozens of tributaries sucked completely dry. Denver Water’s proposed expansion of that pipeline would take another 15 percent of flows, leaving an already damaged river on life support.

It’s not just trout and wildlife at risk—our mountain towns and state tourism economy are also threatened. If you love to fish, ski, raft, hike, camp or otherwise recreate in the mountains, this hits you where you live.

We simply can’t keep sucking the lifeblood out of the Fraser and expect it to remain a living river.

If Denver Water is to move forward with the Moffat expansion, they must take steps to ensure it is done in a way that won’t destroy the Fraser River. For months, a coalition of conservation organizations, landowners, and recreation businesses have been calling on Denver Water to take a few responsible, cost-effective steps to protect the Fraser:

• ensure healthy “flushing” flows in the river to clean out silt and algae.
• avoid taking water during high water temperatures, when trout and aquatic life are vulnerable.
• monitor the river’s health and take action as needed to prevent further declines.

We’ve presented these concerns to Denver Water, but so far they’ve been unwilling to work with us to adopt this common-sense package of protections.

This is where you come in. Denver Water  will listen to their customers. We need Denver-area residents—and anyone who cares about Colorado’s rivers and wild places—to  tell Denver Water that you want them to “finish the job” of protecting the Fraser River.

Please—go right now to the Defend the Colorado webpage to sign a petition asking Denver Water board members to protect the Fraser. We know they will respond to public pressure—but that means you need to take a few minutes and sign the petition. It will make a difference for the Fraser River and for our homeless trout, but only if you act now.

Denver Water won't act if they think Coloradans don’t know enough or care enough to demand a higher level of river stewardship.

So do something good for our rivers today. Sign the petition and tell Denver Water: don’t suck—protect the Fraser River.

TU praises Windy Gap, criticizes Moffat projects in Denver Post

Drew Peternell, director of TU's Colorado Water Project, had an op-ed piece carried in the online edition of the Denver Post that highlights the ways in which the Windy Gap Firming Project is moving forward to meet water needs while protecting river health - in contract to Denver's Moffat Project where Denver Water continues to balk at taking actions to offset the impacts of their new project.  Check out Drew's column here. The fact that Boulder County recently declined to sign on to an intergovernmental agreement by which they would lend support to the Moffat project simply underscores the fact that Denver Water is not yet taking the actions needed to make its project work not only for water supply, but for the health of rivers and communities on both sides of the Continental Divide.

Study on dwindling Colorado River shows need for cooperation

Trout Unlimited calls for creative partnerships to keep rivers flowing and healthy. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation today released its long-awaited Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study, a multi-year effort to assess water availability and use in one of the West’s most important river basins. Trout Unlimited called the study a “wake-up call” on the need for greater collaboration on water management and river protection.

“In some respects, the study confirms what many of us are seeing on the ground—drought and changing climate are pressuring our Western rivers as never before,” said Scott Yates, director of TU’s Western Water Project. “We partner with ranchers and farmers along key Colorado tributaries, and it’s a common observation that we’re seeing shorter winters, earlier runoff, hotter temperatures, and lower stream flows during late summer, when crops and fish often need it most.  We have to work together to find new, creative ways of managing our water if we want to meet diverse needs and keep our communities, economies, and rivers healthy.”

The BOR study specifically assessed water supply and demand, the ability to potentially balance such supply and demand, and system reliability. The effort included unprecedented river flow and use forecasting and modeling efforts for the Colorado River Storage System (CRSS) – one of the most complex and important federal water storage, delivery, and use systems in the country.

Millions of municipal residents in the West—both in cities and rural areas—depend on the river for daily water use needs, and ranches and farms throughout the seven Colorado River Basin States (Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California) depend on Colorado basin water for their operations.  The Colorado River is also a sportsmen’s paradise, with world-renowned trout fishing on popular stretches such as the Upper Colorado near Kremmling, as well as iconic fishing destinations like the Gunnison, Green (including the White and Yampa), Dolores, and San Juan.

According to Yates, “If we’re going to have less water because of changing climate—whatever the cause—we need to roll-up our sleeves, develop creative partnerships, and find long-term solutions that help ranchers and farmers upgrade aging infrastructure and improve efficiency while protecting and restoring stream flows and fisheries.”

Trout Unlimited, he noted, already partners with the Bureau of Reclamation and other federal agencies such as the Natural Resource Conservation Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help bring innovative irrigation system upgrades to private lands, ranches, and farms—projects that also restore fragmented and depleted streams, benefiting trout habitat and fishing.

In a region known for its contentious water battles, the Bureau study emphasizes the importance of this emerging collaborative model—diverse stakeholders working together to manage finite water resources to meet the needs of agriculture, industry, towns and cities, and outdoor recreation.

“This is a model that works,” said Yates. “We’ve seen it work across the West in scores of successful win-win partnership projects.”

Trout Unlimited’s Dave Glenn grew up near the Green River in Utah, fishing and hunting in and along one of the West’s great rivers. He said that sportsmen are committed to helping find creative, pragmatic solutions, but they won’t back projects that needlessly destroy high-value fisheries and wildlife habitat.

“Outdoor recreation is a $250 billion a year business in the West,” noted Glenn. “The Bureau study should not be seen as a green light for unrealistic, expensive, and environmentally destructive projects that move water out of their basins of origin,” said Glenn. “TU and other groups have highlighted a range of cheap, pragmatic options— including conservation, reuse, and water sharing—that will meet water needs without sacrificing our rivers and outdoor heritage.”

He added, “Cities can’t meet their water needs on the backs of rural areas, drying up special places like the Green River, and potentially destroying fishing and hunting opportunities.”

“We’re entering an era of water scarcity and fiscal austerity—cooperation and partnerships have to lead the way,” said Yates. “The health of our communities, rural areas and economies flows from healthy rivers. We can’t take them for granted.”

For more information, please contact:

Scott Yates Director, Western Water Project syates@tu.org

Dave Glenn Intermountain Director, Sportsmen's Conservation Project dglenn@tu.org

Willoughby: A victory for upper Colorado River conservation

By Scott WilloughbyThe Denver Post

"I'm very pleased with how things have turned out. We've been working on this for a while now," said Mely Whiting, counsel for Trout Unlimited. "This is the right way of doing things, the right way to develop some of these water projects. It's a compromise, but it shows that you can do these projects in a smart way."

Read more: Willoughby: A victory for upper Colorado River conservation - The Denver Post

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.  

Abandoned Mines and Our Water

Colorado mining authorities have dug through a mountainside and reopened the dark granite shaft of an abandoned mine that turned deadly — trying to find options for dealing with one of the West's worst environmental problems.

The Pennsylvania Mine, perched above timberline, discharges an acidic orange stream moving 181 pounds per day of toxic metals into Peru Creek and the Snake River, which flow into Denver Water's Dillon Reservoir.

The poisoning of the watershed has gone on for more than 60 years.

Yet state officials say the risk of lawsuits prevents cleanup of this mine and thousands of other abandoned mines that have impaired 1,300 miles of Colorado streams and, according to federal estimates, the headwaters of 40 percent of Western rivers.

Today's digging reflects growing frustration. Colorado county governments recently resolved to lobby for congressional action as water quality and healthy mountain fisheries are increasingly important to the Western economy.

Read the rest of Bruce Finley's article in The Denver Post.