Small stream cause of big fuss in state

The Upper Ark district protested the expansion of the Badger Creek water right at a March meeting of the CWCB in Canon City. In the months since, Assistant Attorney General Amy Stengel and Trout Unlimited attorney Drew Peternell have argued that no augmentation water rights are at risk by increasing the in-stream flow rate to 5.5 cubic feet per second (about 3.5 million gallons a day) from the current 3 cfs (about 1.9 million gallons a day). http://www.chieftain.com/metro/1194623125/8

By CHRIS WOODKA THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

A small stream in western Fremont County is causing a big ruckus as the state ponders expansion of a water right to protect its flows.

Expanding the water right on Badger Creek, a 30-mile-long stream near Howard, to include higher flows is supported by the Bureau of Land Management, Colorado Department of Wildlife, Trout Unlimited and other environmental groups.

The move is opposed by the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District, which says increasing protected flows for Badger Creek could impede augmentation plans for future wells in unspecified locations.

The Colorado Water Conservation Board, the agency which approves in-stream flows, will consider the Badger Creek issue again at its meeting next week. A three-hour block for a hearing is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 14, at the Golden Hotel, 800 11th St., Golden.

The Upper Ark district protested the expansion of the Badger Creek water right at a March meeting of the CWCB in Canon City. In the months since, Assistant Attorney General Amy Stengel and Trout Unlimited attorney Drew Peternell have argued that no augmentation water rights are at risk by increasing the in-stream flow rate to 5.5 cubic feet per second (about 3.5 million gallons a day) from the current 3 cfs (about 1.9 million gallons a day).

"We don't think there is that much water there every year," said Terry Scanga, general manager of the Upper Ark district. "All we're asking for is that they provide a number that won't take the whole flow."

Upper Ark said its augmentation plan incorporates a flow of 0.25 cfs (about 160,000 gallons a day) and suggested a "variable decree" that would account for that amount, Scanga said.

"I guess it's a matter of when is enough, enough, to maintain a good habitat?" Scanga said.

Stengel, in her brief to the CWCB, says the state's calculations of the flow of the creek show that the flow of Badger Creek exceeds the Upper Ark's potential domestic water supply requirements more than half of the time, with roughly enough water to sustain 117-900 homes, depending on lawn irrigation.

Beyond the simple water availability, however, the state said the water would preserve a natural environment in a 17-mile reach of the stream below a perennial spring. The Upper Ark also has not demonstrated how the proposed state water right would injure its right, Stengel said.

"The subject reach of Badger Creek is an exceptionally pristine section of stream supporting a thriving brown trout population," Stengel wrote, adding that 90 percent of the stream is on public land.

In its statement, Trout Unlimited pointed out the expansion of the in-stream flow would be junior to existing rights held by the Upper Ark.

"It's speculative. What they're really doing is protecting future growth in the upper reaches of Badger Creek," Peternell said. "The Upper Ark is protecting hypothetical future users, but this does nothing to injure their water right."

The Upper Ark is arguing the stream is intermittent in stretches, even below the spring, which is disputed by the Division of Wildlife and Trout Unlimited.

Reed Dils of the Collegiate Peaks Chapter of Trout Unlimited said there are occasions when flash floods move debris to some sections of the stream and temporarily "bury" them, but the flows of Badger Creek soon cut the channel again. A big flood in 2004 disrupted part of the stream, but Dils was able to find fish above and below the point before and after it reopened.

"It's an extraordinary place, and an in-stream flow is needed," Dils said.

The BLM has worked for years with Fremont County residents to protect the public lands on Badger Creek by cleaning up the area and restricting motor vehicle access.

What’s worse than an unethical hunter?

 Writers on the Range - by Pat Wray All-terrain vehicles aren't good or bad in themselves; it's all about context. When my son was lost for an entire night in the mountains of northeast Oregon, search and rescue volunteers from Union County showed up on their ATVs and set out to bring him home. I was never so glad to see machinery in my life. They helped find him later that morning.

Then there are those other occasions. A few years ago, I was slogging through deep snow near the Malheur River east of Juntura, Ore., in search of chukars -- Eurasian partridges -- when I heard the distinctive growl of ATVs. I looked up to see two of them cresting a hill above me.

I had a bad feeling about their presence in a place with no established trails. My concern was proven justified a few minutes later when I cut across their track. The two machines had simply driven straight uphill from the river, taking advantage of the deep snow to drive on top of sagebrush and bunchgrasses. The weight of the machines crushed the sagebrush, leaving a trail of shattered branches and trunks. Where the snow was shallow, tires had cut through to the soil, gouging it out and spraying it across the snow.

By the time I headed back that evening, the ATVs were gone. They had, for the most part, followed the same track down the hill. At least they hadn't carved a new track across the virgin desert, but their second trip completed the destruction of the sagebrush, breaking it down so completely that when the snow melted, it would no longer be high enough to prevent ATV travel. Predictably, ATV drivers began using the track regularly, and now it is a deeply rutted scar from which hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds of dirt washes directly toward the Malheur River.

Another time, after I had killed an elk near Enterprise, Ore., and was hiking back to my vehicle to pick up a backpack to begin hauling the meat, I met the rancher who owned the land on which I'd been hunting, and he offered to help bring the animal out -- an offer I quickly accepted. We hauled the elk up to an established trail, loaded it onto his ATV trailer and pulled it back to his house. The rancher and his machine saved me four roundtrip hikes of three miles each. It would have taken me a long, exhausting day.

Last year was a different experience. I was hunting chukars on the Owyhee River down in southeastern Oregon. I came up out of the canyon far from any road and worked along the rim into the wind with my pointer, Sadie. The dog became almost immediately "birdy" and began moving slowly and carefully. Her careful approach didn't help. A covey of 25 birds flushed almost 100 yards away and bailed off into the canyon. Bad luck, I thought. Two hundred yards later, a second covey of similar size flushed wild, this time nearly 125 yards away. Over the next mile the same thing happened again and again.

Then I found the cause: ATV tracks running along the canyon rim. Hunters using ATVs were busting through the desert, creating their own trails so they didn't have to walk while they hunted some of the best chukar ground in North America. And it was flat! What incredible laziness! The birds had been harassed into a level of paranoia I'd not seen anywhere else in the state, even where hunter numbers were much higher.

It's true that most of the habitat damage done by ATVs isn't caused by hunters, but by a small percentage of recreational riders. Their concept of the outdoors is a warped desire for a place where they can go fast without regard for laws or for anyone else around them. But hunters are far from innocent. Far too many have made the unethical use of ATVs the linchpin of their hunting experience, and instead of confining their driving to established trails as the laws require, they've succumbed to the lure of the easy way.

"The hill is too steep, I'll just make my own trail." "I'll just ride along until the dogs point the birds. Then I'll get out and walk." In following rationalizations like this, they damage both the game animals they pursue and the land on which wildlife depends.

In their slimy devotion to laziness, these hunters make one thing crystal-clear: The only thing worse than an unethical hunter is an unethical hunter on an ATV. And hunters like that are too stupid to know what they have lost.

Pat Wray is a contributor to Writers on the Range, a service of High Country News (hcn.org). He is an avid hunter and outdoor writer who lives in Corvallis, Oregon.

Grand County drill leases halted

BLM notes the furor over 31,000 acres with little energy imprint.

By Steve Lipsher The Denver Post

Article Last Updated: 10/31/2007 01:22:34 AM MDT

 The federal government on Tuesday removed 23 oil-and-gas-exploration leases in Grand County from its upcoming sale after residents protested what they considered an unwarranted intrusion into unmarred country.

U.S. Bureau of Land Management officials announced that they would defer the Nov. 8 sale of 12,802 acres of BLM land and 18,276 acres of "split-estate" property - in which the landowner does not control the mineral rights beneath the ground - including scenic parcels just outside the county seat of Hot Sulphur Springs.

"We acknowledge that, with little federal oil-and-gas leasing in Grand County in recent years, all parties involved will benefit from additional discussions and outreach on the federal oil-and-gas leasing process," said BLM deputy state director Lynn Rust.

Granby Mayor Ted Wang expressed relief, saying that he recognized a groundswell of opposition to energy exploration in the fast-growing ranching and tourism region.

Wang and officials in four other Grand County towns indicated they had not been aware of the extent of the exploration that could occur and expressed concerns over the impacts to roads, housing, social services and the local economy.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife and environmental groups including Trout Unlimited also protested the leases.

Wildlife officials still harbor concerns about the leases proposed for parcels in Jackson, Routt and Moffat counties that could intrude into big-game habitat and undermine efforts to protect endangered fish.

The BLM plans to continue with sales of 135 parcels covering 129,726 acres across Colorado despite receiving protests on all of them, although no exploration will be allowed until those concerns are considered.

Grand County is not believed to harbor a significant profitable quantity of natural gas, a big reason that records say just one drilling permit has been issued there since 1988.

Wildlife defenders take a stand

By Charlie MeyersThe Denver Post

Article Last Updated: 10/30/2007 11:14:58 PM MDT

Amid the continuing bad news from the Roan Plateau and other energy development hotspots, one light continues to shine brightly. Even in the face of political sellouts and unbending bureaucrats, defenders of wildlife values keep slugging away with an organized determination that should serve their cause well, now and in future battles.

Following the dictates of their Washington, D.C., masters, regional operatives of the Bureau of Land Management have announced plans to expand leasing beyond these earlier centers to include key parcels that will impact high-country wildlife habitat.

A planned Nov. 8 auction of 189,000 acres in 170 scattered parcels includes public land in Jackson, Grand, Moffat and Dolores counties. These contain big-game wintering range, important sage grouse habitat, and streams that contain wild and native trout populations.

Wildlife proponents, caught by surprise, have been quick to react.

"This lease sale is indicative of the BLM and its mad rush to drill new country, despite the existing values these places harbor," said Scott Linn of Granby, president of the Colorado Rivers Headwaters Chapter of Trout Unlimited. "For sportsmen, this sale could be a real mess and the fact that we're just hearing about it is troubling."

Even as wildlife advocates fight this new fire, the battle continues on the Roan Plateau, where state officials join conservation groups in trying to limit damage that seems to spread daily. From road kills to outright poaching by energy workers to general environmental degradation, the Roan has become a symbol for all that's wrong with this push by the Bush administration to give developers everything they want.

As a case in point, the BLM determination to drop the drilling boundaries along three streams - Trapper, Northwater and the East Fork of Parachute Creek - holding remnant populations of threatened Colorado River cutthroat trout down the slopes above the streams.

"We wanted to keep the drilling along the tops of the ridges to reduce sediment going into the streams," said JT Romatzke, district wildlife manager for the Colorado Division of Wildlife. "If the leases go through, the wells will be all over it."

At the same time, the Colorado Mule Deer Association has filed a protest over another BLM ploy to intensify drilling along South Parachute Gap. In conjunction with the Colorado and National Wildlife Foundations, CMDA has appealed to BLM's state director as part of an action it plans to force all the way to the Internal Board of Land Appeals.

"We hope to force BLM to start managing the land as they're supposed to do, to get the oil companies to tell us what they propose to do," said Bob Elderkin of Silt, a member of CMDA's board of directors and retired BLM employee.

Considering that BLM seems determined to flaunt whatever blurred rules it uses to direct these operations, court action may be required to sort things out. Should proponents choose that alternative, one beneficial result could be a delay in development of certain sensitive areas until the administration changes early in 2009.

Meanwhile, wildlife advocates continue a fight that the wild places of Colorado can't afford to lose.

Nov. 8 energy lease sale prompts protests

By BOBBY MAGILL The Daily Sentinel

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Oil and gas leasing where nary a drilling rig has ever touched the ground will exact a tremendous toll on wildlife, tourism and the Colorado River, Grand County officials, environmentalists and wildlife managers said Wednesday.A slate of environmental groups, the Colorado Division of Wildlife and U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, D-Colo., are asking the Bureau of Land Management to either remove thousands of acres of parcels from the agency’s Nov. 8 oil and gas lease sale or cancel the sale outright.

Massive tracts of public land —  including more than 31,000 acres in Grand County and more than 56,000 acres in wildlife-rich Jackson County —  are slated for the auction block next month in Middle Park, North Park, sensitive wildlife habitat in Moffat County and in the Paradox Basin south of Grand Junction.

“North Park, Middle Park, the area around Craig: Those are core areas of most of the greater sage grouse in Colorado,” which could be devastated by widespread energy development, DOW Regional Manager Ron Velarde said.

Habitat damage from energy development, he said, could lead the federal government to list the sage grouse as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

To stop the damage before it starts, the DOW is asking the BLM to remove more than 120,000 acres of parcels in North and Middle parks and Moffat County from the BLM’s lease sale, Velarde said.

Wildlife officials are hardly alone. Udall asked the BLM on Wednesday to postpone the entire 189,000-acre lease sale because local communities and wildlife officials haven’t had enough time to analyze the impact of potential oil and gas drilling in an area that has seen little development.

Udall said he wants the BLM in Colorado to follow the lead of the agency’s Utah office, which canceled that state’s November oil and gas lease sale because of inadequate environmental analysis.

“My impression is everyone was caught a little off guard by this,” Hot Sulphur Springs Mayor Hershal Deputy said. “I’m not sure we particularly saw this coming.”

Neither did the town of Granby, Mayor Ted Wang said.

The BLM announced the sale at the end of the summer, and its details have been available on its Web site, www.co.blm.gov, since then.

“Granby is a cooperating agency with the BLM, and we had no notification about this at all,” Wang said. “My board is not pleased they didn’t let us know.”

BLM spokeswoman Jaime Gardner said the BLM does not communicate with individual towns, but instead relies on county commissioners and the media to spread the word about oil and gas leases sales.

Even though Grand County Commissioner Gary Bumgarner said he thinks there has been adequate communication between the BLM and the county about the lease sale, “We are protesting.”

The BLM didn’t do adequate environmental analysis of the lease sale because it is using a 15-year-old analysis, he said.

“We’d like to have (the BLM’s) management plan updated before they went ahead with oil and gas leases,” Bumgarner said. “They’re in the process of upgrading that management plan now.”

“If it becomes like Rifle and down in that country, it would be a major impact,” he said.

Wang said if such large tracts of land in the county are leased, it could hurt water quality in the headwaters of the Colorado River and send an influx of workers into an area already in a construction boom.

“I think the changes would be really profound,” he said. “We have so little water in the river now because of transmountain diversions. Consequently, the Colorado and its tributaries are in a perpetual state of drought.”

More silt from new roads and new oil and gas well pads and any new interference with an already strained Colorado River “could be disastrous,” Wang said, adding that he expects most of Grand County’s municipalities to join Granby’s protest of the lease sale.

Kremmling Mayor Thomas Clark said his town will not protest the lease sale.

“I think it’s a pretty high-risk area for oil and gas,” he said.

The town board, he said, agreed that the county, state and federal governments have enough safeguards in place to ensure energy development won’t harm the environment.

But he said he understands how Hot Sulphur Springs and Granby are frightened by the prospect of a natural gas boom akin to that in Garfield, Rio Blanco and Mesa counties.

“Looking at what’s going on on the Roan Plateau and thinking that’s going on here, it could really scare them,” Clark said.

In North Park, where there are more state wildlife areas than towns, Jason Bodner of North Park Anglers said he worries energy development could hurt the quality of the area’s fishing.

Oil and gas drilling “is also going to detract from recreation if it screws up the watershed,” he said. “It’s my biggest concern.”

Walden Mayor Dirk Ramsey said energy development is a concern “to a point,” but he needs to “look into it further.”

At least seven environmental and sportsmen’s groups have also filed protests against the lease sale, including the Colorado Wildlife Federation, the Audubon Society, Trout Unlimited, the Wilderness Society, the San Juan Citizens Alliance, the Colorado Environmental Coalition and the Center for Native Ecosystems, whose objections to Utah’s lease sale proved successful in getting it cancelled.

“This lease sale is indicative of the BLM and its mad rush to drill new country despite the existing values these places harbor,” said Scott Linn, president of the Colorado River headwaters chapter of Trout Unlimited. “These areas are extremely important to hunters and anglers. The habitat for fish and game is just excellent.”

New temp standards set to protect trout

Global warming a wild card in new rules, experts say

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20071004/NEWS/71004014 

By BOB BERWYN summit daily news October 4, 2007 BRECKENRIDGE — Along with monitoring concentrations of toxic pollutants like heavy metals from leaky mines, local streams will also soon be subject to strict temperature standards. After a rigorous scientific process, the state is adopting new rules to protect fish and other aquatic life by setting maximum temperatures.

The idea is to make sure that impacts like discharges from water treatment plants and urban runoff don’t kill fish, or impair their ability to reproduce.

Temperature standards are important because the body temperature of fish basically matches the temperature of the surrounding water, said U.S. Geological Survey research biologist Andrew Todd.

Trout and other species have evolved and spawn under very specific temperature conditions and don’t have a mechanism to adapt to temperature changes in the short-term, Todd said, speaking Wednesday during a water quality summit in Breckenridge.

“When we introduce heat, we disrupt metabolic and reproductive functions,” Todd said.

A number of factors can affect stream temperatures, including sunshine, shading from stream-side vegetation, stream flows and water quantity, as well as direct discharges from point sources like factories and treatment plants.

The latter are less of a factor in the High Country, but increased urbanization around local streams and runoff from paved areas, as well as diversions for snowmaking and other needs, could conceivably influence water temperature in Summit County.

The biggest wild card in the deck is air temperature, which is beyond human control.

Given recent climbing temperature trends associated with climate change, it’s not clear how the state’s new rules will be effective in stemming any potential impacts from global warming.

But as they now stand, the temperature standards are stringent enough to protect even cutthroat trout, most sensitive of the trout species.

“Cutthroat trout drove the setting of the table-value standards,” Todd said, adding that 85 percent of the state’s cold-water streams qualify as cutthroat trout habitat.

Todd explained that the existing standards, set in 1978, were not considered to be scientifically defensible, and that the rules lacked any clear mechanism for enforcement and implementation.

The new temperature limits were determined after scrutinizing hundreds of scientific studies based mainly on laboratory work.

Todd said the rules include criteria for acute conditions (peak temperatures that can kill fish within days), and for chronic conditions — warm temperatures that, over a longer period, can impair reproduction and growth.

The limits also take into account seasonal spawning requirements and are broken down for different types of fisheries, from high mountain trout streams to lowland ponds and rivers with habitat for completely different species.

The rules cover eight cold-water species and 43 warm-water species.

Even these new protective limits may not be adequate to fully protect the resource in the long run, Todd said, explaining that the rules, for example, don’t cover thermal shock, a very sudden change in temperature that can kill fish in a short time.

The state may address that issue during a future round of rulemaking in 2010, he concluded.

The Breckenridge conference included tours of local river restoration projects, streams impacted by mine drainage and other presentations on watershed planning and water quality.

It brought together groups like the Colorado Watershed Assembly, the Colorado Watershed Network and the Colorado Riparian Association.

Local activist Sandy Briggs said the conference was a great networking opportunity, and that he was surprised that no local government officials attended, as far as he knew.

A presentation Tuesday evening by Rocky Mountain Regional Forester Rick Cables focused on the important role of forest health in watershed protection, a crucial issue in Summit County’s beetle-stricken and potentially fire-prone forests.

Wildlife Managers Concerned About ATV Use

(AP) St. Paul A conservation group released a national survey of state wildlife and fisheries managers showing that many of them believe all-terrain vehicles destroy habitat and disrupt outings for hunters and anglers. The Izaak Walton League of America, which released the report Thursday, also said those managers indicated that more enforcement was needed. The group called on Congress to look into the issue.

"Off-road vehicles are important to many people's lifestyles both for work and recreation, including many Izaak Walton League members who ride them responsibly everyday in states across the country," said Kevin Proescholdt, director of the national group's Wilderness and Public Lands Program. "However, our survey of agency managers clearly indicates a reckless contingent of riders is harming fish and wildlife habitat and ruining hunting and fishing experiences for many people."

The survey, conducted in July and August, contacted each of the 50 state wildlife managers and each of the 50 state fisheries managers. A total of 34 agencies, representing 27 different states, responded.

About 83 percent of the wildlife managers who responded to the survey said they have seen "resource damage to wildlife habitat" from those vehicles. About 72 percent cited "disruption of hunters during hunting season" as another impact. About 60 percent agreed or strongly agreed that the machines have a negative effect on hunting and fishing and those habitats in their states.

Who’ll call shots on south slope?

Access group fears role may be limited

Fishing the reservoirs was one reason Jim Williams, a member of Trout Unlimited, signed up for the group. "I think we may have to revise the whole policy," he said. http://www.gazette.com/articles/group_27774___article.html/utilities_south.html

By DAVE PHILIPPS

THE GAZETTE

September 27, 2007 - 12:14AM

The question at the first meeting of WAAG was who's wagging whom?

WAAG is the Watershed Access Advisory Group, appointed by Colorado Springs Utilities to make recommendations on how to regulate recreation in the long-forbidden south slope watershed. But would Utilities call the shots, or would the people?

"I don't have a problem with calling the group WAAG, just as long as it isn't ambiguous who is the dog and who is the tail," member and avid hiker Eric Swab said Wednesday at the group's meeting.

It was the start of a twoyear process to open a set of seven reservoirs on the south side of Pikes Peak to the public while ensuring the long-term safety of the water supply. The group expects to submit a plan to the Colorado Springs City Council in August 2009. There is no timeline for when hikers could hit the trail.

The 45,000-acre south slope has been closed to the public since 1913. For almost as long, locals have lobbied unsuccessfully to gain access. Robert Ormes, the pioneer of local hiking, tried for decades, then adopted a motto he called the Ormes Prayer: "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those we trespass against."

Colorado Springs has gradually opened a number of reservoirs to the public without incident, but has repeatedly balked at opening the South Slope, even after hinting it would open it twice.

WAAG was formed after heated watershed access meetings last winter in which Colorado Springs Utilities made an about-face after saying repeatedly it would not consider opening the south slope.

Wednesday, members of the newly formed group, made up almost entirely of hikers, bikers, fishermen and equestrians, made it clear they wanted to be the lead dog.

A mission statement drawn up by Utilities said the group should focus on creating four trails, including one that already exists and has been used openly for a century, and one that is 30 yards long. Several in the group immediately said the mission was too limited.

"Are we talking about a few trails, or are we talking about access to the whole watershed?" asked Friends of the Peak president Mary Burger.

The mission statement also said motorized recreation, hunting and fishing would not be considered.

Fishing the reservoirs was one reason Jim Williams, a member of Trout Unlimited, signed up for the group.

"I think we may have to revise the whole policy," he said.

Utilities staff assured them it was only a draft, and "everything is still on the table."

"We need to strive for a balance though - today's access versus tomorrow's water," said Scott Campbell, Utilities director of operations.

Gunnison River diversion successfully installed

Another partner in the project was the Gunnison Angling Society, a chapter of Trout Unlimited. Spokesman Mern Judson said the chapter has worked for 10 years to get the old dam replaced and even though the work was scheduled during the chapter's annual Superfly fundraiser, there was no question the work had to be done. http://www.gjsentinel.com/sports/content/sports/stories/2007/09/12/091207_OUT_db_gunny_dam_WWW.html

By DAVE BUCHANAN The Daily Sentinel

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

GUNNISON - An irrigation diversion on the Gunnison River that promises to be fish-, boater- and irrigator-friendly was completed last week after a decade of wrangling among concerned parties.

The new structure, actually three separate smaller dams, was designed by the Colorado Division of Wildlife to replace an earth-and-rock diversion that effectively blocked upstream fish passage during low water and also posed some hazards to boaters.

With Pagosa Springs-based stream rehabilitation contractor Dale Hockett of Elk Ridge Construction doing most of the heavy lifting and with water flow cooperation from the Bureau of Reclamation and the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users, the project was completed inside four days and within the $50,000 budget, said DOW aquatic biologist Dan Brauch.

"I'm very happy with the way it turned out," Brauch said. "From our initial design we put something together that would meet all the purposes of what we are trying to achieve in the project, which included easing kokanee passage upstream and improved boating safety downsteam."

Also vital was maintaining water availability for irrigators and Brauch said the new structure, built largely from large boulders donated by the Colorado Division of Highways from one of its projects near Gunnison, will not only provide water to ditches but also not need the annual maintenance the older dam required.

"The design met all those objectives and then Dale came in and did some slight modifications on-site to make it better," Brauch said. "We ended up with a much more natural-looking structure."

Hockett has worked extensively with stream-rehabilitation guru Dave Rosgen and does most of Rosgen's projects, Brauch said.

Hockett "is great at placing rocks and knows how they need to be built for stability," Brauch said.

That talent is critical, since the new diversion is built to be inundated during spring runoff without washing away, as the old structure did each year.

"Most of the structure will disappear during high water, the only part you'll see is right off the bank," Brauch said. "It's going to be more efficient than the old structure."

Another partner in the project was the Gunnison Angling Society, a chapter of Trout Unlimited. Spokesman Mern Judson said the chapter has worked for 10 years to get the old dam replaced and even though the work was scheduled during the chapter's annual Superfly fundraiser, there was no question the work had to be done.

"They were nice enough to call me and ask if we wanted to postpone the work since it meant lowering the water level in the Taylor River," Judson said. "But I said, ‘Heck no, we've worked 10 years to get this done.' "

The work earlier had to be postponed because of high water levels. The Uncompahgre Valley water users and the Burec agreed to lower flows in the Taylor by 75 cubic feet per second to assist the construction.

Also helping in the project was Ray Trucking of Gunnison and a grant from the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District paid $25,000 toward the work.

"Without their help this would not have happened," Brauch said.

The DOW paid another $20,000 with the remainder coming from water users

CTU Leads Great Colorado Rivers Cleanup Sept. 15

http://denver.yourhub.com/Boulder/Stories/Environment/Cleanups/Story~358219.aspx BOULDER, Colo. - Sept. 6, 2007 - Colorado Trout Unlimited (CTU), a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring Colorado's coldwater fisheries, will lead the fourth annual Great Colorado Rivers Cleanup on Saturday, September 15, to remove trash and debris from river banks and channels throughout the state. CTU members and volunteers will scour designated river stretches near Aspen, Basalt, Boulder, Buena Vista, Carbondale, Colorado Springs, Denver, Durango, Evergreen, Fort Collins, Glenwood Springs, Idaho Springs, Granby, Leadville, Lyons, Pueblo, Silverthorne, Salida and Winter Park to remove trash and elevate the health of Colorado's water sources.

"We rely on Colorado's clean water supply everyday - it is one of our most precious natural resources," said David Nickum, executive director of Colorado Trout Unlimited. "It is vital for people to work together to keep Colorado's rivers clean. The Great Colorado Rivers Cleanup is a way for people in the community to get involved and make a difference. By picking up trash along the rivers, volunteers can help restore and protect the water sources we use everyday."

The majority of the Great Colorado Rivers Cleanup events are planned for the morning of Saturday, September 15, with a few events taking place on September 8, September 29 and October 13. With most of the cleanup efforts on a single day, CTU hopes to attract hundreds of volunteers for a large-scale, coordinated cleanup effort. CTU plans the Great Colorado Rivers Cleanup for the fall season because river flow is generally lower, making access to the rivers and cleanup efforts easier and safer.

"Last year, the Great Colorado Rivers Cleanup attracted hundreds of volunteers," said Nickum. "We have no doubt that this year will be an even bigger success. We encourage people to find the event in their local community and get involved."

Fifteen CTU chapters across the state will host cleanup events on 13 Colorado river stretches, including: Animas River, Arkansas River from Leadville through Salida, Arkansas River near Pueblo, Bear Creek, Blue River, Boulder Creek, Cache la Poudre, Clear Creek, Roaring Fork River (in cooperation with Roaring Fork Conservancy), South Platte near Elevenmile Canyon, South Platte in Denver (in partnership with the Greenway Foundation), St. Vrain River and the Upper Colorado River. For more information about the Great Colorado Rivers Cleanup or Colorado Trout Unlimited, visit www.cotrout.org.

About Colorado Trout Unlimited

Colorado Trout Unlimited is dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring Colorado's coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. The statewide organization has nearly 10,000 members and is part of the national Trout Unlimited organization. Colorado Trout Unlimited fulfills its mission through advocacy and education efforts regarding the impact of drought and pollution on water-based ecosystems, and by engaging volunteers in hands-on projects to improve and rehabilitate Colorado's river systems. For more information about Colorado Trout Unlimited, visit www.cotrout.org.