Hidden Treasure Mine Decommissioning and Rehabilitating Project

Saturday, August 23, 2014 We are calling for a maximum of 20 hearty CCTU volunteers to join forces with the Coalition for the Upper South Platte and the city of Alma to complete the  Hidden Treasure Mine, aka. Orange Fence Mine Decommissioning and Rehabilitating Project.  By closing access and rehabbing the site, this work will both help to preserve the historical aspects of the area, populations of rare plants recently discovered at the site as well as to improve water quality of Buckskin Creek  and ultimately the important fishery of the Middle Fork of the South Platte River.

Where and When:  We plan to meet on Saturday, August 23rd at 9:00 AM at the Alma Town Hall located at 59 Buckskin Street, Alma, CO 80420.  There is a lot of work to do so we are planning on working till 2:00PM.  

Lunch!  A BBQ Lunch  will be provided by a generous supporter for all volunteers.

Project Description:  Work will include rehabilitating the  abandoned mine site on USFS property 4 miles  outside of Alma on County road 8..  The site has significant erosion issues exacerbated by illegal digging with heavy equipment.  Runoff flows over tailings and goes subterranean before entering Buckskin Creek, which then drains into the Middle Fork of the Upper South Platte.   Part of the project entails creating a diversion to curtail water moving over the tailings.  The illegal use activity also created access point for off road vehicles, multiplying the damage.  Work will minimize the issues through decommissioning the site, re-seeding with native perennials, transplanting trees and shrubs.  This work will  reduce degradation of this ‘attractive nuisance’ and enhance regeneration at this polluted site, improving downstream water quality. The Town of Alma will donate heavy equipment and staff for the project, CUSP will donate staff and seed, and a generous supporter will provide a BBQ lunch.  This project will be completed through genuine dedication of key local community members and committed efforts of CCTU volunteers.  Please plan to join us on this collaborative and impact-full effort.

Important Notes:

CUSP will provide materials and necessary tools to complete project work.

Events may be canceled or rescheduled due to bad weather, which could create hazardous conditions for volunteers and staff.  Staff will monitor weather and notify you of any changes in a timely fashion.

Please Bring:

Any applicable medicines (including epi-pen and inhalers, if needed)

Sun block and sun glasses (or safety glasses)

Layered clothing appropriate for outdoor work

Waterproof work boots

Work Gloves

A container for water, the use of reusable containers is encouraged, refills will be provided

Please Call Jim Klug at 303-565-7504 to sign up and to arrange for car-pooling.

Colorado TU Recognizes Colorado River Day

The Colorado River is recognized by American Rivers as one of as one of the most endangered rivers in the country. Restoration efforts, including those by Colorado TU and other non-profit agencies have been in full force to help protect the Colorado. On July 25, 2014, the same day Congress renamed the river from the Grand to the Colorado back in 1921 the states of Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona are celebrating Colorado River Day.

Colorado River Day is when urban and rural organizations and progressives and conservative groups come together to celebrate the river and unite in support of maintaining the sustainability of the Colorado River.

The Colorado begins in Colorado at the Continental Divide and runs west through seven different states. The river supplies roughly 36 million Americans with clean drinking water, supports roughly 15% of the nation’s agriculture and provides recreation that accounts for about $26 billion annually into the economy.

The high demand on the river is depleting the resources and usually the river completely dries up before it can reach the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean. The depletion of water has lead to the endangerment of many fish species living in the river system including the Colorado pikeminnow, razorback sucker, humpback chub and bonytail.

Colorado TU is the leading voice in Colorado dedicated to the conservation efforts of the Colorado River. Colorado TU is working on many different projects dedicated to protecting the waters of the mighty Colorado including the Moffat Expansion Project, Blue River restoration, Windy Gap Firming Project and the Fraser River project.

Currently chapters west of the Divide are working on projects that will help restore the Colorado River and its tributaries. The Ferdinand and Hayden Chapter is helping put on a river clean up where volunteers will help pick up trash along the Roaring Fork and Colorado Rivers in Glenwood Springs and Glenwood Canyon.

For more information or to help volunteer for this event and help save the Colorado River, click here.

With assist from Trout Unlimited members, and other conservation organizations, Colorado TU can help restore the Colorado River back into the life force it once was and hopefully one day, the waters of the Colorado will reach the Sea of Cortez year after year.

Boulder Creek TU River Cleanup

We'll meet at 9:00 a.m. October 11th for registration and clean-up beat assignments.

The cleanup will get underway at Boulder Flycasters Memorial Park approximately 2.5 miles up Boulder Canyon. The park is about 150 yards past the tunnel on your left.

Bring gloves and waders if you'd like to pull out trash from in the stream. An old rake can do wonders to help with in-stream work.

Each volunteer will be responsible for about 1/2 mile of stream and we'll have teams of two so bring a buddy or another family member to help us!We'll have plenty of trash bags and safety vests provided by the county and they'll pick up all trash we gather later on during the week.

Trout Unlimited and the U.S. Forest Service teaming up to restore our rivers!!

The U.S. Forest service along with residents, local governments, other agencies and many others have a long road ahead of them to restore what was damaged during the 2013 floods. To begin this process the U.S. Forest Service need to assess the damage of the rivers in order to develop a prescription for restoration across the entire watershed. They have turned to Trout Unlimited because we have an expansive network of dedicated volunteers that care about the watershed and want to make a difference. The Forest Service is hosting a training exclusively for Trout Unlimited members to learn how to assess the damage in the watershed based on the scientific protocol that they have developed. The surveys will take place in Northern Colorado along the Big Thompson, St. Vrain and Boulder Creek areas.

The training session will be on Tuesday evening, July 29, from 6:00 PM until 8:30 PM. It will take place at the Forest Service office building, 2150 Centre Ave. Bldg. E in Fort Collins.

We already have a large number of people signed up for this training but still have some space available for additional volunteers. If you attend this training you will be able to sign up for certain stretches of river to assess on your own time with a partner. If you CAN attend this training and are interested in being trained by the Forest Service to assess rivers then please let Stephanie Scott  know ASAP!!

The remaining spaces are first come first serve, so if you want to attend this training I will fill the remaining spots in order of response.

To RSVP or for additional questions please contact Stephanie Scott sscott@tu.org or 720-354-2647

Bear Creek Cleanup in Evergreen

9am - Noon. Participants meet in the parking lot across from the Little Bear in downtown Evergreen and should bring waders and gloves. Children are welcome, but each child under 12 should be accompanied by an adult. For more information, prospective volunteers should contact me at ronbelak@msn.com.

West Denver Trout Unlimited Annual Stream Cleanup

September 27, 2014 @ 9am Congregate at the Mt. Tool and Feed Store (Mountain Gateway Mercantile) parking lot.  Take exit 243 from I-70 (Central City Gateway Highway).  The West Denver  TU chuck wagon will be there.

Things to bring:

-- waders for crossing the stream or retrieve trash among rocks in the stream

bottom or stream bank .

-- gloves for your safety.

-- pinchers/grabbers to reach unreachable areas.

-- folding chair if you have one and would like to sit for lunch.

-- hat/cap – sunscreen

-- radios or cell phones for communication  – there NOW is cell phone service.

-- water bottles – can be filled at the feed store.

Schedule:

*** juice & coffee & energy snacks at 9:00 – 10:00

*** sign waivers

*** pick up orange safety vests and orange trash bags

*** divide into groups/teams to work both sides of Clear Creek only if access is safe!!

10:00 - Teams will be driven to sites/pull-outs then picked up at the next pull out, either up or down stream.  We will be working up stream from Mayhem Gulch toward the Feed Store parking lot.

CDOT is planning to have “Shoulder Work Ahead” signs along the area we will be “de-trashing” – hopefully the signs will cause the traffic to drive slower and help them become more alert.

Back to the chuck wagon as teams finish, to brag about the best find.

Lunch – 11:30 ish (provided).   There is a fund raiser cook-out planned for the Feed Store customers so the grill will be ready any time you choose to eat.

Call Jackie for questions/concerns or to be added to the volunteer list.

Cell:  303-503-9356

Home:  303-278-2282 (leave a message if no answer)

e-mail:  jorgedwards@aol.com

FRIENDS OF THE DILLON RANGER DISTRICT WATERSHED RESTORATION DAY

Volunteers are needed to help rehabilitate the watershed with natural vegetation. Projects will include burying logs for erosion control, collecting and planting willow shoots, transplanting native trees and grasses, as well as some spreading of native seed and hay to encourage regrowth. Please register online at FDRD.org

*This project is a partnership with the Blue River Watershed Group, Trout Unlimited, Summit County Open Space and Trails, and the USDA Forest Service.

SCHEDULE: September 13, 2014 9am: Meet in parking lot - Introduction and overview of the day

12pm: Lunch

1pm: Arrive back at trailhead - wrap up discussion.

ITEMS TO BRING OR WEAR: Our summer mountain weather can range from sunny and warm to cold and wet. Be prepared.

• Work or hiking boots--no sandals or minimalist shoes
• Long pants, long sleeved shirt, other layers
• Rain gear, hat, sunglasses
• Sunscreen, insect repellant, allergy medications
• Day pack Lunch Snacks for munching on the trail Drinking water (AT LEAST 2 liters per person per day)
• Leather or heavy-duty work gloves (optional)

AGE REQUIREMENTS:

• Ages 6-15 must be accompanied by an adult.
• Ages 16-18 must have parental consent via FDRD waiver to attend.

REMINDERS

• Pets are not permitted
• Drink plenty of fluids before and during the project
• Smoking on the project site is not permitted
• Carpooling is highly encouraged

Glenwood Springs River Commission River Cleanup

The Glenwood Springs River Commission's River Cleanup and Community Barbecue! Volunteers are needed to pick up trash along the Roaring Fork and Colorado Rivers in Glenwood Springs and Glenwood Canyon. Volunteers will work from shore and from boats. Boaters are urged to participate. After the cleanup, volunteers will be treated to a barbecue and picnic with food donated by local restaurants. 9am - 2pm Directions: Two Rivers Park is the location for volunteers to check in and receive assignments.  The midday barbecue for volunteers will also be at Two Rivers Park. Walk or ride your bike. Parking is limited.    - Across from Centennial Drive  on Devereux Road  Glenwood Springs, CO  81601

See more at: http://web.glenwoodchamber.com/events/eventdetail.aspx?EventID=5083#sthash.ODjpvwt9.dpuf

Help needed at Big Thompson Wildlife Area

Big Thompson Wildlife Area - Lend A Hand DayWhen: Saturday, July 19th Volunteer Project Time: 7:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. with lunch provided at noon Number of Volunteers Expected: 100

Project Description: Big Thompson, fondly know as Big T has been significantly damaged from the flood in the fall of 2013. Volunteers will help remove fence, clean up a lot of debris, and help to scatter seed and plant willows to help restore some of the damage. Volunteers will be encouraged to car pool as parking is limited. Amenities will be primitive. Check out this link for more information on Big Thompson: http://cpw.state.co.us/swa/Big%20Thompson%20Ponds%20SWA

Ways to get involved: • Volunteer with the project or serve as a group lead • Help with volunteer registration or lunch set up and clean up • Donate money, tools, expertise or resources towards project

*Will give some career type demonstrations or talks geared towards younger volunteers over lunch and via group leads. SIGN UP: If you are interested in getting involved or volunteering for either of these projects please contact Vicki Leigh at vicki.leigh@state.co.us or at 303-291-7299.

Fish On with the Greenbacks and Big Brothers Big Sisters

What is better than hearing the excitement in a child’s voice when they have hooked into their very first fish or chased down a grasshopper and finally caught it? That excitement and enthusiasm was exactly what we experienced these past couple weekends in the annual Greenbacks and Big Brothers Big Sisters fishing and river exploration events. The event consisted of a two part session on consecutive Saturdays. The first session was held at Reynolds Landing in Littleton where the kids had the opportunity to learn about several different aspects of fishing, ecology, and entomology. We started off the day learning about the differences between spin fishing and flyfishing. After a quick lesson in the technique of fly-fishing the kids had the opportunity to practice their casting skills!  Once these skills were honed, we moved onto bugs! What kid doesn’t like bugs? The kids were given the opportunity to observe and identify the aquatic insects that live in the South Platte, conduct some experiments to understand the impacts of temperature and light, and then tie some flies that imitated the insects that they previously identified. The day ended with the kids chasing and catching grasshoppers, which were used in their bottle ecology experiments. The day was a huge  success, and all of the kids were anxious for the following weekend where they would be given the opportunity to apply everything they learned.

The second session of this event consisted of fishing.The weather was perfect on Saturday when approximately 15 matches arrived at Lake Lehow, a Colorado Parks and Wildlife area. The energy and excitement in the air was buzzing and everyone was anxious to get on the water. These kids, and their mentors, came out to build some new relationships, get a little dirty, and try their hand at catching some fish!  After a safety briefing and a discussion about the practice of catch and release we were off.  It wasn’t soon after that we had lines in the water that you heard squeals of excitement “FISH ON”!!!  Fishing that day was absolutely amazing. We’re pretty sure every kid caugh at least one or maybe five fish. With the help of CPW and The Greenbacks volunteers, we were able to share our love of the outdoors and fishing knowledge to the next generation of anglers!

Be sure to visit our website for more information and sign up for our newsletter. http://thegreenbacks.org