CTU Welcomes Our Newest Staff Members

Jeff Florence jflorence@tu.orgCommunications and Administrative Assistant

Jeff was hired on last summer as our first ever Communications Intern. Since his internship Jeff has been doing some freelance work for us and recently graduated from Metropolitan State University.  We are fortunate enough that Jeff was looking for work when we needed him the most!! Jeff has now been brought onto our staff to help with all things communications as well as other administrative tasks.

Jeff was born and raised in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. From an early age Jeff has been camping, hiking and fishing in his free time and he also played hockey and baseball growing up. Jeff graduated with a minor in recreation services at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He hopes to one day write for an outdoor magazine and has done some free lance writing for Cabela’s in the past. Jeff is looking forward to getting to work for Trout Unlimited and help spread the story of a great organization while gaining experience in both journalism/communications and non-profit management.

Chase Moore cmoore@tu.org Youth Education Coordinator

Chase is excited to bring his leadership skills and background in environmental education to strengthen CTU’s youth education programs throughout the state. While bicycle touring and backpacking have been Chase’s passion and means to explore the Pacific Northwest, Southwest deserts, and the great state of Colorado, he has always watched anglers gracefully dot the stream banks along many of his adventures. Curiosity and the necessity to see what the fuss was about, Chase decided to give fly fishing a chance via a Tenkara rod. Simply put, “Hook, line, and sinker.”

Chase is joining CTU to help youth across the state understand the importance of a healthy watershed, not just from an angling standpoint, but from a resource management perspective. Put simply, wildlife and people need access to clean, fresh, viable water. Whether leading conservation efforts or leading residential science camps in the Pacific Northwest, working on riparian restoration projects in central Oregon, or teaching environmental science in the Rocky Mountains, Chase has been on the front lines helping people of all ages learn about their natural world and watershed.

A colleague and friend once pondered what makes Chase such a great teacher and thought “It has to do, I think, with making teaching a craft rather than a formula.” Needless to say, Chase is looking forward to applying his craft and more importantly getting young people excited about their waterways. Who knows, maybe there will be more anglers enjoying our streams when people learn to take a moment and slow down. Chase and his saddle are glad he did and are even more thankful to join the family at Colorado Trout Unlimited.

Behind The Fin: Barbara Luneau

• Name: Barbara Luneau
• Conservation Chair for St Vrain Anglers Chapter
• TU Member for 8 years
• Works as a Petroleum Geologist
• Best Quote from Barbara: “Some of my favorite stories don't involve trout, the story that stands out in my mind right now is the 9lb bonefish that I landed this past spring in South Andros Island, Bahamas. A clean, long distance cast onto a white sand flat in front of an easily spooked dark shadow that jumped on the fly and immediately took the line into the backing...magic when it all comes together.”

How long have you been a TU member?

I've been a TU member for about 10 years and I've been an active member of our chapter's board for the past 8 years.

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

When I started to get serious about fly fishing, I purchased a Winston rod that included a certificate for a complimentary 1-year membership. I sent in the form and started attending chapter meetings and volunteer events. My chapter is St. Vrain Anglers, representing communities within the St. Vrain Creek drainage, Longmont, Lyons, Riverside, Raymond, Erie, Frederick, Dacono, Berthoud.

What made you want to become more involved with TU?

I became involved with TU at a time when I was looking to become more engaged in my community.

What is your favorite activity or project that you have done with TU?

My favorite part of our chapter's activities is helping kids learn to tie flies in our Kids Learn to Fly Fish program.

What is a favorite fishing spot and favorite fishing story?

My favorite spot changes with the season; it is the location where it all comes together:  perfect flow, perfect temperature, lots of bugs, feeding fish, and the perfect drift.  Some of my favorite stories don't involve trout, the story that stands out in my mind right now is the 9lb bonefish that I landed this past spring in South Andros Island, Bahamas. A clean, long distance cast onto a white sand flat in front of an easily spooked dark shadow that jumped on the fly and immediately took the line into the backing...magic when it all comes together.

To you, what is the best tactic or fly for catching trout? 

The best tactic is the one that works on any given day. Most often that's a reach or J-cast using my husband's APD (All Purpose Dry) design, a CDC dry fly that imitates midges, baetis, or even small caddis.

Beyond being an awesome angler, what else do you do in your spare time or for work?

If we're not out fishing on a weekend, we're cooking and entertaining friends and family. For the past 30 years, I've worked in the energy industry as petroleum geologist.

Colorado Introduces It's First Ever Water Plan

In 139 years of Colorado being a state, it had never had a water plan- until today. On Thursday, November 19 the Colorado Water Conservation Board unveiled the State's first ever water plan. The plan will help keep rivers and streams healthy that will continue to support Colorado's economy and quality of life.

“We’re pleased that the Colorado Water Plan recognizes that healthy rivers are central to Colorado’s quality of life and help drive our booming, $13 billion recreation economy,” said David Nickum, executive director of Colorado Trout Unlimited. “If we want a future of Gold Medal trout rivers and outdoor opportunities, we need to plan for that future—and this plan is a step in the right direction.”

Colorado Trout Unlimited supports three main components of the plan. The first being that irrigation throughout the state needs to be modernized, communities need to create stream management plans, and lastly, the plan establishes the base work for evaluation trans-mountain water diversion.

Primarily on the Western Slope, TU is working with farmers and ranchers on modernizing their irrigation techniques. The new water plan and Colorado General Assembly help fund the transition and provide incentives and support to farmers and ranchers changing their techniques.

The community Stream Management Plans will help local communities better understand the importance of flows that support a healthy river as well as recreational and other usage.

“Steam management plans bring local water users together to determine how best to use limited water resources,” Said Drew Peternell, director of TU’s Colorado Water Project. “They are an exercise in collaboration.”

TU has opposed trans-mountain water diversions unless there is a large focus on conservation, shows that water is available for the project, and guarantees against environmental or economic harm to the basin of origin.

The Colorado Water Plan is just a beginning. The true test will be the implementation of the proposed ideas.

“The Final Water Plan is a beginning not an end,” said Nickum. “The key to Colorado’s water future will be actual on-the-ground collaboration to meet our water needs while protecting our state’s rivers and agricultural heritage.”

BLM Issues New EIS for Roan Plateau

Sportsmen welcome Roan Plateau progress Praise BLM draft plan as ‘important next step’ in efforts to conserve prized backcountry fishing and hunting lands

The Bureau of Land Management released its new draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Roan Plateau, a backcountry area prized by hunters and anglers for its fish and wildlife and a cornerstone of the area’s recreation economy.

Sportsmen’s groups are reviewing the draft EIS, but they welcomed the BLM’s designation of last year’s settlement as its preferred option in efforts to balance energy development with conservation.

“This keeps us moving toward a balanced, fair solution to protecting the Roan Plateau,” said David Nickum, executive director of Colorado Trout Unlimited. “We’re hopeful that the final management plan will preserve last year’s settlement, which protects the Roan’s best hunting and fishing habitat while allowing careful, responsible development of its energy reserves. Done right, we can meet both goals.”

TAKE ACTION: click to sign our petition to BLM supporting the Roan Plateau settlement.

In 2012, a federal court set aside the BLM’s prior management plan for energy leasing and remanded that plan for the agency to consider more protective development options. Last fall, a settlement was reached between BLM and Trout Unlimited, the National Wildlife Federation and other groups, represented by Earthjustice.

Under the settlement, BLM cancelled the majority of oil and gas leases on top of the Roan Plateau, including all of those in the Trapper and Northwater Creek watersheds—areas that encompass the best cutthroat trout habitat on the Roan. The BLM committed to considering a new management plan alternative that would allow for some limited development on remaining leases, preclude new leasing on top of the plateau for the life of the plan, and conserve important big game habitat at the base of the Roan.

“Hunters don’t call the Roan Plateau a ‘mule deer factory’ for nothing,” said John Gale, conservation director of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. “The hunting opportunities here are world class, and hunters in Colorado drive a nearly $1 million economic engine that generates sustainable revenue for local communities. BHA remains committed to the Roan Plateau and looks forward to working with the BLM to promote balanced development that prioritizes consideration of wildlife, hunting and fishing.”

For more than a decade, Colorado TU’s Grand Valley Anglers chapter, based in Grand Junction, has invested thousands of dollars and hundreds of volunteer hours into fish habitat and stream restoration projects on the Roan. The Roan holds in its small streams rare populations of genetically pure Colorado River cutthroat trout—a native species found in less than 10 percent of its historic range.

“Grand Valley Anglers is glad to know that progress is being made towards protecting the native Colorado River cutthroat trout on the Plateau,” said John Trammell, a Grand Valley Anglers volunteer who has worked on the Roan for over 20 years.  “We want to emphasize that drilling should be excluded from the drainages that hold native cutthroat trout, as agreed under the settlement.”

“Sportsmen and wildlife groups will continue to work with BLM and other parties in coming months to ensure that the balanced future for the Roan Plateau that is envisioned in these settlement provisions are adopted by the BLM in the final Resource Management Plan,” said Suzanne O’Neill, executive director of Colorado Wildlife Federation.

Hardrock Mining Bill Looks to Fund River Cleanup Costs

A bill introduced by Colorado and New Mexico legislators was introduced to Congress last week that would require a collection of royalties from companies mining on federal lands to provide funds for cleaning up abandoned mines. Senators Tom Udall, D-NM, Martin Heinrich, D-NM, and Michael Bennet, D-Colo unveiled the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2015 that would reform the 1872 Mining Law.

The Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2015 would require companies mining on federal land to pay royalties that go towards the cleanup and restoration of spills and abandoned mines. Currently, the 143 year old Mining Law does not require companies to pay royalties of any kind to fund the clean up of past and present mining projects. This is unlike the oil, coal, and gas industries which have been required to pay cleanup and restoration royalties for decades.

“It just makes sense to create the same kind of clean-up fund for hardrock mines,” said Brad Powell, director of Trout Unlimited’s Sportsmen’s Conservation Project for the Southwest region. “Mining companies that benefit from development on public lands should play a key role in the cleanup and not leave the bill for taxpayers.”

The bill was introduced exactly three months after the Gold King Mine spill that dumped 3 million gallons of toxic sludge into the Animas River near Durango. Fortunately there was no massive fish kill from the spill and the Animas is recovering nicely.

But the Gold King Mine is the tip of a very grim iceberg. Throughout the entire American West- from Colorado to Montana to California- abandoned mines pose an imminent threat to water quality and fisheries. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 40 percent of headwaters in the West are affected by abandoned hard rock mines.

Although the Animas was the most notable spill, the same tragedies are happening throughout the west. The Uncompahgre River near Ouray is lifeless until the metals fall into the depths of Ridgeway Reservoir. The upper Animas River suffers mine waste that steadily drains into the river at a volume equal that of the Gold King Mine spill once a week.

Senator Cory Gardner and Representative Scott Tipton are also working to introduce legislation for "Good Samaritans" like TU that would provide legal protection to those parties that voluntarily clean up abandoned mine sites and spills.

Behind the Fin: Allen Adinoff

• Name: Allen Adinoff
• Chapter President for Cutthroat Chapter
• TU Member for 10 years
• Semi-retired allergy and asthma doctor
• Best Quote from Allen: “We put in below the dam, and our oarsman told me we’d half to catch a fish before crossing under the cable.  As I was telling him he was full of bull... boom there she was!

- How long have you been a TU member? I've been a member for 10 years, give or take.

- What made you want to be President of the Cutthroat chapter? I thought the opportunity of Chapter president would give me a chance to further the TU mission, and become further involved with our members and Board. There was an opening, as our current President Cam Chandler was moving up to Vice-president of CTU. 

- What are some of your plans and goals for the Cutthroat Chapter?

We want to find ways to engage more members in becoming interested in the Chapter and it’s mission.  We have 1500 members, but the same 50 or so are the ones who consistently show up at the meetings and participate in the conservation projects. We have plans to initiate a “local fishing trip” program that would involve trips within an hour or less of south metro Denver. The goal would be to interest less experienced fishers to be “mentored” by the more knowledgeable. Hopefully this will interest newer, younger members to be more involved with the Chapter in general. We also want to expand our fundraising efforts, finding novel ways of bringing dollars into the Chapter. Two new programs initiated this year have been King Soopers gift cards and Amazon Smile.

- What is a favorite fishing spot and favorite fishing story? I love the Deckers area. The river canyon is gorgeous. It has really come back since the Hayman fire and is “home waters” for the Cutthroat Chapter. My favorite story is from fishing the Bighorn. We put in below the dam, and our oarsman told me we’d half to catch a fish before crossing under the cable.  As I was telling him he was full of bull... boom there she was!

- To you, what is the best tactic or fly for catching trout? Totally focusing on what you’re doing.  When you’re “in the zone”, good things will happen. - Beyond being an awesome angler, what else do you do in your spare time or for work? I’m semi-retired, still working a couple of days per week as an allergy and asthma doctor in a practice I’ve been devoted to for over 25 years. I love to hunt elk, deer, and pheasant. I also play drums with a weekly jazz group, cycle regularly, and still cut my lawn and own several chainsaws to keep in shape.

El Niño looks to revive the Colorado River Basin

Severe drought conditions have left the west starving for water. Reservoirs are dwindling down and the Colorado River is drying up before it can reach the Pacific Ocean. The area has tried to limit their water usage despite increased populations, but mother nature hasn't been too cooperative. Until she sent El Niño.

El Niño is classified by warmer than average surface waters in the Pacific ocean that cause warmer and drier than average temperatures over the western and northern United States with cooler and wetter than average conditions in the Southwest.

Currently, the warmer than average equatorial surface waters in the Pacific are moving further north, resulting in the strongest El Niño ever, surpassing the event in 1997 that dropped record amounts of snow in California and the Southwest.

This is great news for those along the Colorado River basin that are depending on a wet winter to bring life back to their crops, reduce drought conditions, and replenish their reservoirs.

The Colorado River basin receives the bulk of it's moisture in the form of summer monsoons and winter storms. These winter frontal systems, which are increased through El Niño, are what meteorologists are hoping will bring relief to the Colorado River basin.

"Winter and spring frontal systems originating in the North Pacific Ocean, provide the largest and most important source of moisture. These large-scale systems tend to carry moisture at higher levels in the atmosphere, with orographic effects of the mountainous West causing an increase in precipitation with elevation," according to the U.S. Geological Survey. "Cold frontal systems produce substantial amounts of snow above about 5,000 feet and rainfall at lower elevations in the Rocky, Uinta, and Wind River Mountains, which constitute the headwaters of the Colorado River and its principal tributary,the Green River. These storms build snowpacks that melt in the late spring, providing runoff to the Colorado River."

The increase in runoff will hopefully increase the flows of the Colorado, which are currently at some of the lowest recorded. But, unfortunately, with such dry surface conditions from consecutive drought years, the likelihood of flooding during the runoff is increased.

It's tough to predict the actual effects El Niño will bring, however meteoroligists are relying on previous El Niño events that have brought plenty of moisture to the Southwest, including the Colorado River basin.

What will occur throughout the state of Colorado remains to be seen with the unpredictable weather pattern.

Meteorologists are expecting Colorado's winter numbers to look close to average. However, according to the National Center for Atmospheric Research, 20-inch snowstorms are almost seven times as likely to occur during El Niño years. These snowstorms tend to happen in spring and fall while the mid-winter months drier than normal

Because Colorado is between the polar jet stream, causing warmer temperatures up north, and the subtropical jet stream, causing cooler temperatures in the south, it's tough to determine if Colorado will see any major changes.

According to UCAR (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research), the chances of having a wetter than average winter is roughly the same as having a dryer than average winter. "A single big storm surrounded by dry spells could leave a two- or three-month period close to or even below average, obscuring the impact of that one big storm."

Ask BLM: support balanced plan for fish, wildlife & energy on the Roan

In November 2014, Secretary of the Interior Jewell, BLM Director Kornze, Governor Hickenlooper, and a group of energy and conservation stakeholders announced a settlement of long-standing litigation over oil and gas development on the Roan Plateau.  The agreement struck a balance between protecting outstanding habitat for big game and native cutthroat trout fisheries, and enabling responsible development of natural gas resources on less sensitive lands.

The agreement was only a first step - now the BLM needs to finish the job and put in place a new final management plan that incorporates the settlement's protections and approach to responsible energy for the Roan . The BLM has issued its new Draft Environmental Impact Statement and is expected to make a final decision on the Roan in the next few months, so speaking out now can make a difference!  Click here to sign our petition to BLM supporting a balanced approach that protects the Roan's unique cutthroat trout and outstanding big game habitat.

Proper Fish Handling Techniques

That 20" Rainbow you've been going for all day has just been netted. You hand the camera to a buddy, grab the trout out of the net and hold it up at eye level so the world can see the ear-to-ear grin. Upon reviewing the photo, you ask for another one- still holding the fish two feet above the water. The photo is finally good enough for Facebook so you place the fish into the river and let it hang in the water for a second before it regains strength and swims away awkwardly while high-fives are shared. The "Catch and Release" hashtag may tell everyone that the fish is back out there to be caught again, but the grip-n-grin picture shows an entirely different scenario.

That beautiful rainbow may have swam away. It's energy may seem like it was back to normal, but the fish is actually still in distress- and when trout are in distress, the chances of it dying are significantly increased.

The Fight

It all starts when the hook is set and the fight begins. According to Dr. Andy Danylchuk, an associate professor of fish conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, fish release sugar (glucose) into their blood to fuel muscle activity and fight when they are hooked. When the excess glucose levels are released, it causes a build up of lactate in the blood and can have long-lasting affects on muscle function. This is the same issue that occurs in humans when they suffer a cramp during exercise.

It's best practice to not play with the fish to the point of exhaustion. Do everything you can to land the fish as quickly as possible.

Air Exposure and Handling

Once the fish is landed, the stress doesn't end. In fact it could be increased due to prolonged air exposure and poor handling techniques.

Taking the fish out water essentially stops the trout's ability to breathe. Fish breathe air by taking water in through their mouth, over the gills and out through the gill flaps (the operculum). "Taking fish out of the water stops dissolved oxygen from getting into the blood via the gills. No, the gills are not adapted to capture oxygen from air," says Dr. Danylchuck. "We are forcing the fish to hold its breath after running a race."

Even if the fish is out of water for only a few seconds, harm could still be done through improper handling. When handling a fish, always wet your hands prior to any touching. Trout have a protective coating (a slime layer) that protects them from disease. Wet hands reduce the risk of rubbing too much of the slime layer off. Adversely, when touched with dry hands, the coating is likely to rub off the trout's skin onto yours- leaving them exposed to disease.

Reducing exposure and handling time can be aided by using barbless hooks, or simply crimping the barbs on current hooks. If the hook is too deep, "several studies have shown that it is much better to cut the line and leave the hook in place rather than trying to dig the hook out," says Dr. Danylchuck.

Overall, the best practice would be to remove the hook while the fish is in the water.

This isn't to say that taking a fish out of water will definitively kill the fish. There are tricks to minimizing air exposure and handling while still getting photo proof of your catch.

Allow the cameraman "to call the shots and get the angler to keep the fish in the water until the camera is ready," says Dr. Dalynchuck. Holding the fish only a few inches over the water will also help reduce air time. Regardless of the photo, however, the fish should be dripping wet (which makes the shot look even cooler). Underwater cameras make for a nice image as well.

Releasing

When it comes to releasing trout, it's not as simple as getting it back in the water and then it will be fine, (hopefully, it doesn't need to leave the water). Even when the handling time is minimal, fish still need be released properly as well. When fish have experienced considerable physiological stress due to exercise and handling, they can lose their equilibrium, coordinated movements of their fins and roll or nosedive- resulting in death further on downstream.

Good fundamentals in releasing, involve placing the fish in the water with it's head pointing into the current. Remember that the water needs to go through their mouth to exit the gill flap. Anglers should grip the fish lightly and look for coordinated fin movements to show that the fish has their equilibrium and can swim regularly own their own before letting the it go.

"Move a fish in a forward direction when helping it recover, do not move a fish back and forth—recall that water moving backwards over the gills does not help, but in fact, can actually harm the fish," says Dr. Danylchuck. "Let the fish go when its fins are showing coordinated movements, it can keep itself upright and it is actively trying to swim away from you."

Remember that fish belong in the water and as responsible anglers it's up to us to help protect and keep them there. This includes, keeping the fight time minimal, reducing the trout's air exposure, keeping hands wet, and releasing the fish back into the water properly.

For more information on the affects of keeping fish wet, visit KeepEmWet.org or read Dr. Dalynchuck's Fundamentals of Fish report.

Herman Gulch Trout Salvage

The creek along Herman Gulch may not seem like much, and in some places it’s no more than two feet wide. But it’s still able to maintain a strong ecosystem that allows cutthroat trout to survive. After much consideration by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, it was decided, based on monitoring data from the West Denver TU Chapter, the creek was a great spot to reintroduce native greenback cutthroat trout. On September 11, the West Denver Chapter joined forces with The Greenbacks and Colorado Parks and Wildlife and set off to Herman Gulch to catch as many trout they could and transport them into Clear Creek.

Volunteers split the stream into five sections with each section getting two buckets and four anglers. At the end of the day, the groups successfully caught and transported over 100 healthy trout into holding pens downstream.

Future plans from CPW include shocking and removing the remaining non-native trout before winter. Native greenback reintroduction is set to begin in early spring of 2016.

Below are more photos from the event. Courtesy of Tim Toohey of West Denver Chapter.