Volunteers working to make Armstrong Creek more livable for a dwindling species of trout

Steamboat Today The creek restoration project is being spearheaded by Trout Unlimited, a national conservation organization, along with the Forest Service and Parks and Wildlife.

Brian Hodge, Trout Unlimited’s project coordinator for Northwest Colorado, said restoring Armstrong Creek isn’t just about helping out the fish.

“This has a number of other benefits,” he said.

He said decades of different land uses in California Park have fragmented the streams in the upper Elkhead Creek watershed.

Because of this, the creeks also are delivering more sediment to Elkhead Reservoir.

Improving the creek should reverse that trend.

Read more...

"Riverstock” raises awareness about Fraser River threats

Beer? Check. Barbecue? Check. Bands? Check. What more do you need for a good time? The steady stream of people who turned out for Trout Unlimited’s “Riverstock” event Aug. 17 at the Crooked Creek Saloon in Fraser enjoyed a full day of good vibrations and cold libations in celebration of peace, love and local rivers.

Between sets, they also learned about the looming threats to the Fraser River’s health posed by Denver Water’s proposed expansion of its Moffat diversion project.

Kirk Klancke, president of TU’s Colorado River Headwaters chapter, organized the event with help from local volunteers, as well as the dozen bands (including BlueCat, Hippie Sideshow Hootenanny and Gary Key) who donated their time and talent to the cause.

The Fraser, a key tributary of the Upper Colorado, is the lifeblood of the Fraser Valley, supporting angling, wildlife, outdoor recreation and local communities. But decades of water diversions have left the river depleted and degraded. Already, some 60 percent of the river is diverted to the Front Range for municipal uses. Denver Water’s Moffat expansion would remove another 15 percent, putting the river system on the brink of disaster.

“Unless these projects include adequate protections for our rivers, we could lose our outdoor quality of life and the reason many of us live here in the first place,” said Klancke. “Riverstock sends a message to the big utilities that local people care about our rivers and streams.”

Inside the saloon, a blues guitarist was shredding some serious Stevie Ray Vaughn licks.  Outside, in the back courtyard, an acoustic duo held forth with their spin on Simon and Garfunkel.

There was something for everyone.

Also playing were short videos about the Fraser and Upper Colorado rivers and their importance to the recreational businesses and overall quality of life of Grand County. Free bumper stickers, posters, and other educational materials went fast, as well as some far-out tie-died t-shirts.

Outside at the curb, facing traffic, a giant green trout (Fraser the Trout, Colorado Trout Unlimited’s mascot) waved a sign that read “Save the Fraser River,” eliciting a steady stream of honks from passing motorists.

Fraser Valley residents “get it,” notes Klancke, and they’re generally well-informed about the details of Denver Water’s project. They understand the depleted Fraser River is on life support, and they want the river protected from more diversions.

TU is asking Denver Water for three basic protections: - adequate peak spring flows to help flush the river and keep its riverbed and aquatic habitat healthy and free of choking sediment; - standards that would prevent Denver Water from diverting water if the river temperature reached levels lethal to fish; - ongoing monitoring and “adaptive management” that requires Denver Water to adjust its operations if the river shows significant signs of decline in the future.

So far, Denver Water has rejected those commonsense protections.

All proceeds of Riverstock will help benefit TU’s campaign to protect and restore the Fraser River.  Go to www.DefendtheColorado.org for more information.

- Randy Scholfield, Director of Communications Western Water Project, Trout Unlimited

Our Colorado River: Cooperation, not conflict

For well over a decade, Trout Unlimited’s Western Water Project has partnered with the agricultural community and local TU chapters to improve habitat, upgrade aging irrigation infrastructure and boost stream flows throughout the West. In Colorado, TU’s field staff live and work in each of the major West Slope river basins that comprise the upper Colorado drainage. They work on projects that improve habitat, increase flows and help keep western Colorado streams and rivers healthy and productive. Their success is a direct result of cooperation with the agricultural community, not conflict. Agriculture is the primary user of water on the West Slope. Farmers and ranchers use the water to grow and send crops and animals to market each year. Their farms and ranches protect important riparian and aquatic habitats, winter range, migration corridors and the iconic western landscapes. This agricultural way of life is sustainable and deeply woven into the fabric of our communities and their economies. Like agriculture, recreation and tourism also rely on healthy flows in our streams and rivers. These uses are also sustainable and have also become critical to West Slope communities and their economic health. When agriculture and recreation-tourism clash over the use of water, the community, the economy and the river all suffer. When they cooperate, flows, communities and economies all benefit. To help tell this story and take it to a new level, TU this summer launched the Our Colorado River program, which has three primary goals:

1) Highlight our successful partnerships with agriculture in restoring habitat, upgrading irrigation infrastructure, and other efforts to boost healthy flows in our West Slope streams and rivers. 2) Promote cooperation between agriculture and recreation-tourism interests to protect the water resources that are the lifeblood of our West Slope communities. 3) Encourage that cooperation by asking West Slope residents, businesses, elected officials and organizations, to endorse some common “core values” on water, including cooperation, not conflict; modernizing irrigation; and maintaining open spaces.

We believe the Core Values are the centerpiece of the Our Colorado River program and provide the starting point for forging consensus on how to protect water resources in western Colorado. While West Slope residents won’t agree on everything regarding water, we are confident most can agree on these five commonsense values.  The goal is to encourage a wide diversity of river users and community members to show their unity and resolve in protecting West Slope water resources as we move towards a Colorado Water Plan by December 2014.

When it comes to keeping our rivers healthy, we’re all in this together. Please help us out by going to www.ourcoriver.com and signing the core values and supporting our West Slope rivers.

- Richard Van Gytenbeek, Colorado River Basin Coordinator Colorado Water Project, Trout Unlimited

New Fundraising Partnership

The Colorado Council and TU National have joined forces in a new partnership to strengthen individual donor fundraising efforts to support TU’s work in Colorado.  With over two dozen staff on-the-ground in Colorado, the need for coordination between all levels of the organization is vital.  The new partnership is staffed by Chris Herrman, Colorado Director, Coldwater Conservation Fund (CCF). You can now direct individual contributions of $1000 or more for Colorado programs and projects, both Council and National, through the Coldwater Conservation Fund.  CCF members enjoy benefits including exclusive trips and special gear. Donors of $1,200 or more directed to the Council through CCF, will also enjoy the benefits of our River Stewardship Council.

You can still support the Council or National directly through the web pages or the various mail-based campaigns. Regardless of how you give, thank you for your support!

To learn more about how you can support the work of TU in Colorado, visit the Coldwater Conservation Fund online.

Contact Chris Herrman, Colorado Director, CCF, via email here.

Richard Van Gytenbeek, Colorado River Basin Outreach Coordinator

My interest in trout streams started early, armed with a used Sila-Flex fly rod, Pflueger reel and a worm I fished the Tarryall Creek with my father. Twenty years later those experiences would translate into a Fisheries degree and a job working for Colorado DOW in Montrose. My boss, Barry Nehring, helped to change my raw enthusiasm for the sport into a real understanding of the resource and how to protect it. I took those lessons, added a Masters in Landscape Architecture and worked on land and resource planning in northwest Wyoming for another 25 years. Three years ago I returned home and after 18 months as TU’s Colorado River Basin Outreach Coordinator, a lot of hours of windshield time and meeting time the experience has been, well, “living the dream.” Moving back to Colorado, living on the West Slope and getting to tell people about this amazing organization and our mission to keep the life blood of the West flowing and healthy is a privilege. As the outreach person here on the West Slope of Colorado, my job is to inform people about the importance of healthy rivers and streams and how TU is working to improve and protect our western Colorado waterways. To deliver that message, the Our Colorado River (OCR) program was created. The OCR program has two goals: first, to highlight the ongoing restoration efforts of our Western Water Project staff and their collaborative work with their local basins and agricultural communities. That work is spearheaded by Brian Hodge in the Yampa/White; Rob Firth in the Upper Colorado; Jesse Kruthaupt and Carey Denison in the Gunnison; Matt Clark in the Dolores/Mancos; Mely Whiting in the San Juan/Animas; and Kevin Terry in the Rio Grande basin. Upgrading irrigation infrastructure, improving habitat and promoting smart water use all help our farmers and ranchers and improve flow and temperature regimes. In the last few years, this staff has hit the ground running in getting restoration projects completed. I’m helping to get the word out about that good work and the benefits for landowners and habitat.

My second goal is to enlist support for the OCR program’s core values, which we established to encourage cooperation and common ground among diverse water users. These five values—which we believe most West Slope water users can embrace--speak to cooperation with the resource, protecting agriculture, protecting open space and wildlife habitat, improving aging irrigation infrastructure, and promoting innovative water management. When I make presentations to organizations, businesses and elected officials, I ask for their support by becoming a signatory to the core values. So far, I’ve gotten a positive response from most water stakeholders—they “get it” that we have to keep our rivers healthy.  Later in 2014, the core values and the list of supporters will be presented to the Colorado Water Conservation Board with a clear message that, while western Colorado citizens may not agree on all water use issues, there is strong grassroots consensus on these five values, which should be reflected in Colorado’s Water Plan.

Richard Van Gytenbeek - r.vangytenbeek@tu.org or 307-690-1267

Brian Hodge, Project Coordinator, Yampa and White River Basins

As a member of TU’s Colorado Water Project, I work to meet TU’s mission through on-the-ground projects.  My goal is to plan and implement projects that benefit coldwater fish and landowner alike.  By helping to improve irrigation efficiency, for example, we can, under the right circumstances, both improve ranch operations and increase stream flows for trout.  I frequently work with private landowners and agency partners to reach conservation goals. Here’s a flavor of happenings in the northwest Colorado:

In 2012, I worked with Yampa River Ranch and Partners for Fish and Wildlife (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) to protect a 1.6-mile segment of the Yampa River. The Ranch wanted both to run cattle and to maximize habitat for brown trout.  So we constructed a riparian fence that enhanced the ranch’s ability to concurrently manage for a livestock operation and trout fishery.

I’m currently working with the U.S. Forest Service to reconnect Poose Creek.  Poose Creek is occupied by native Colorado River Cutthroat Trout.  However, since the 1960s a large culvert under a county road has prevented cutthroat and other fishes from accessing the headwaters.  We’re installing a fish ladder to restore fish passage in Poose Creek.

This year, I continued working with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and others on multi-phase efforts to restore Armstrong and Milk creeks.  Both streams are home to native cutthroat trout and to two lesser-known native, coldwater fishes: mountain sucker and mottled sculpin.  Additional information is available at the following links:

Armstrong Creek.   http://www.tu.org/blog-posts/a-small-creek-a-grand-vision-of-restoration

Milk Creek.  http://troutunlimitedblog.com/climate-adaptation-one-stream-at-a-time/

We’ve implemented successful projects and developed valuable partnerships in northwest Colorado. Additional opportunities await.

Brian Hodge - bhodge@tu.org

TU hires new Rio Grande basin project manager

Trout Unlimited today announced the hiring of Kevin Terry as project manager for the Rio Grande basin in southern Colorado.  Terry will develop projects that preserve and improve trout habitat on the Rio Grande River and its tributaries. Terry will work closely with agency staff, water users, and private land owners, and he will seek projects that benefit both stream habitat and agricultural operations.  Projects may include removal of fish barriers, instream and riparian habitat restoration, irrigation infrastructure upgrades, or stream flow improvements. All projects will be cooperative and undertaken with support from the community and local landowners.

“The Rio Grande River is an important resource that serves many needs, from recreation to agriculture,” said Drew Peternell, director of TU’s Colorado Water Project. “With this position, TU is making a commitment to do collaborative conservation work to promote the health of  the Rio Grande and its tributaries.”

Prior to joining TU, Terry worked as a fish biologist for the Jicarilla Apache Tribe Fish and Game Department, where he managed the recreational fishing program and oversaw habitat restoration and conservation projects. He has worked extensively with private landowners and irrigators.

“Kevin Terry understands the Rio Grande basin and the communities there, and he’s passionate about working with landowners to improve habitat,” said Peternell. “Kevin brings a wealth of fisheries experience and practical problem-solving skills to his new position.”

The Rio Grande is one of the largest river systems in Colorado. In recent years, Trout Unlimited, a grassroots sportsmen’s conservation organization, has expanded its river restoration work in several river basins within Colorado, including the Yampa, Gunnison and Dolores basins. TU has completed scores of successful restoration projects with ranchers and landowners across the West.

“I grew up on the Rio Grande, and I’m excited about the opportunity to do restoration work on my home waters,” said Terry. “I look forward to working with landowners and local partners to protect and enhance this incredible resource that we all depend on.”

For more information, contact Kevin Terry at (970) 799-7682, kterry@tu.org.

Denver Water and Colorado TU

Jim Lochhead is chief executive of Denver Water. David Nickum is executive director of Colorado Trout Unlimited. They represent groups that often have opposing views, but worked together on an opinion piece in the June 1, 2013 edition of the Denver Post. Conservation groups and water utilities don't always see eye-to-eye on every water resource issue.

A case in point: Trout Unlimited and Denver Water have yet to agree on what constitutes an adequate package of protections for the Fraser River, a Colorado River tributary and stellar trout fishery that is also an important source of water for metro Denver. We're trying to find a package of protections that keeps the river healthy while ensuring that Denver Water's need for system reliability are met through the Moffat Firming Project.

We face tough, complicated issues. What we agree on, though, is the need to preserve the long-term health of the Fraser and Colorado Rivers, and the value of working toward collaborative solutions.

Read the full article, "Together, we can meet Colorado River challenges," in The Denver Post.

Bennet & Tipton Bills = Good News for Hermosa Creek!

In a true “One TU” effort, a cutthroat stronghold may soon have a permanently protected home. The Hermosa Creek basin has long been a focus area for southwest Colorado’s 5 Rivers chapter and staff from TU’s Sportsmen’s Conservation Project and Colorado Water Project. Now, U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and U.S. Representative Scott Tipton have introduced a bill to protect more than 107,000 acres of the Hermosa Creek Watershed, an area in the San Juan National Forest north of Durango. The “Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act” would establish management for the Hermosa Creek Watershed based on recommendations from the Hermosa Creek River Protection Workgroup, which included local water officials, conservationists, sportsmen, mountain bikers, off-highway-vehicle users, outfitters, property owners, grazing permit holders and other interested citizens.

“We are lucky in Colorado to be able to enjoy many of the country’s most beautiful landscapes in our backyards. The Hermosa Creek Watershed represents some of the best Colorado has to offer,” Bennet said. “This bill will protect this land for our outdoor recreation economy and for future generations of Coloradans and Americans to enjoy. It is the result of a local effort that took into account the varied interests of the community, and that cooperation helped us put together a strong bill with the community’s input.”

Senator Bennet’s sentiments were mirrored by Representative Tipton in a joint press release on April 25^th.

“As one of Colorado’s most scenic areas, Hermosa Creek has long been treasured by the local community and by countless visitors who have explored all that the region has to offer,” Tipton said. “Local stakeholders including snowmobilers, anglers, hunters, other outdoor enthusiasts, elected officials, miners and Southwest Colorado residents have voiced their support to preserve the Hermosa Creek watershed and the multiple use recreation opportunities it provides. In response to this locally driven effort, Senator Bennet and I have joined together to put forward legislation to protect and preserve this special place, and ensure that Coloradans as well as visitors to our great state have the opportunity to experience Hermosa Creek’s abundant natural beauty for generations to come.”

The bill would designate certain public lands in SW Colorado as the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Area.  In accordance with the consensus recommendations of the Hermosa Creek Workgroup, roughly 38,000 acres of the watershed would be set aside as wilderness, to protect some of the finest elk habitat in Colorado.  Of particular interest to TU, a Special Management Area would be established to protect a Colorado Parks and Wildlife Colorado River cutthroat trout reintroduction program.

Click here to learn more about Sportsmen for Hermosa, or if you prefer visit us on Facebook.  To get involved with TU's work for Hermosa, you can contact Ty Churchwell at tchurchwell@tu.org.

Some Good News for Our "Most Endangered River"

In April, American Rivers issued its annual list of  Most Endangered Rivers.  And the Colorado River - from source to sea - was named the #1 most endangered river in America. The Colorado is facing enormous challenges, largely driven by the extensive demands of its water supply in the face of a limited resource - and one that may become even more limited as we experience shifts in climate.  Fortunately, there are also positive developments for the Colorado River.

In April, the Colorado water courts decreed a new instream flow right to the Colorado Water Conservation Board to help protect its environment from the Blue River near Kremmling down to its confluence with the Eagle River.  With flows ranging from 500 cfs to 900 cfs depending on the season, it is the largest instream flow water right in Colorado's history. You can read about it in the local (Sky Hi News) paper here.

While as a more "junior"  2011 water right, it will not guarantee flows in the river from diversions under prior existing "senior" water rights, the instream flow will help protect the outstanding environment that the Colorado sustains today from future water rights or changes.

The filing was the result of a collaborative effort among local governments, conservationists, water districts, and other stakeholders in developing protections for a reach of the Colorado that had been found eligible for possible federal Wild and Scenic designation.

“This is good news for a stretch of the river that is beloved by generations of anglers,” said Mely Whiting, counsel for Trout Unlimited. “It’s an example of what can be accomplished when working together.”