EPA: Study downplays Windy Gap impacts

The EPA says Northern Water's analysis "downplays critical adverse impacts of already deteriorating ecosystems."

An EPA document, sent to federal permitting authorities last week, recommends further analysis of the Northern Water Conservancy District's Windy Gap Firming Project to prevent new violations of state water-quality standards and "a more robust monitoring and mitigation plan" to protect the river. Read the full story by Bruce Finley on Denver Post.com

Don't forget next Wednesday's (2/22) Rally for the River on the steps of the state capitol at 11:00am. Learn more.

Rally for the River II

Join us at the Rally for Upper Colorado River and help deliver a giant postcard to the Governor asking for his help protecting our rivers!

• Who:  Sportsmen, hikers, campers, rafters, kayakers, wildlife enthusiasts--anyone who cares about our state’s rivers and outdoor quality of life

• Why:  To ask Gov. Hickenlooper to use his authority to protect the Upper Colorado River from expanded diversions such as Windy Gap and Moffat

• Where: Colorado State Capitol building, downtown Denver, west steps

• When:  Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 11 a.m. to noon

"A River on the Brink"

Colorado’s namesake river is fighting for its life. A water diversion proposal could reduce the Upper Colorado River’s flows to less than 20 percent of its historic levels. As currently proposed, the Windy Gap Firming Project fails to include measures that will keep the Colorado cold, clean and healthy below Windy Gap—a stretch of the river that sustains local agriculture, mountain communities, and a thriving recreation economy. Unless the Upper Colorado receives stronger protections, this once-mighty river faces a long, continued decline and a potential ecological collapse.

Our Defend the Colorado coalition’s recent January rally in front of EPA building was a huge, noisy success, with more than 100 sign-carrying, chanting supporters calling on EPA to “be a hero” for the river (see photo above).  A few weeks later, EPA issued a letter that fully vindicated and supported our position on the need for further river protections in the Windy Gap Firming Project.

Now the ball is in Gov. Hickenlooper’s court—he has a chance to use his bully pulpit to tell state and federal officials to “do the right thing” for the river and recommend additional protection.

Our healthy, free-flowing rivers are a source of pride for Coloradans—it’s why many of us live here.

Once our rivers are gone—they’re gone. Come out and tell Gov. Hick that Colorado is our home--these places are ours—and we want them protected. Gov. Hickenlooper—be a hero for our rivers!

Speakers include:

Drew Peternell, director, Trout Unlimited’s Colorado Water Project Kirk Klancke, water manager, Fraser Valley For more background on issue, go to www.DefendTheColorado.org

Contact:

Drew Peternell, (303) 204-3057 dpeternell@tu.org Randy Scholfield, (720) 375-3961 rscholfield@tu.org

Explore the Upper Dolores

with TU and Fleld and Stream's Kirk Deeter 

Here's an excerpt from a three part series on Field and Stream's website:

"If ever there were a place where the conservation agenda should revolve around maintaining the status quo, this is it. That’s exactly the goal for Trout Unlimited as it endeavors to conserve and protect these waters and this region through coordinated efforts with private and public stakeholders. It’s also why TU and Field & Stream listed the Upper Dolores one of the country’s Best Wild Places.

I had a chance to join TU last year for a three-day backcountry adventure in the Upper Dolores watershed, where I showed several TU staffers and volunteers some of my old haunts, and gleaned some new lessons and insights from them along the way.

Read the entire series at FieldandStream.com

Don't Leave Home Without It !

Introducing the Spill or Kill Card.

It all started when avid carp angler Trevor Tanner spotted an oily mess in the South Platte near Sand Creek in [far eastern] Denver. Determined to report it, Trevor got on his cell phone and started dialing, trying to find someone who could do something about what turned out to be leak from a buried pipeline.

But who exactly do you call when you notice a toxic spill or fish kill?

It wasn't easy for Trevor, but it will be for you, thanks to the Spill or Kill card produced by the Denver Chapter of Trout Unlimited - Trevor's local chapter.

The toll-free number on the card connects you to the National Response Center for pollution emergencies. This is a 24-hour service of the U.S. Coast Guard, and they'll take it from there. You can print your own Spill or Kill card: Front of the card. Back of the card.

As for Trevor, he's become a hero of sorts. Besides getting his name in the papers, he has just been recognized by The Denver Chapter with a Hero of the South Platte Award. You can read more about Trevor's story in this Denver Post article.

Upper CO: Do More, Damage Less

Good advice for proponents of Chimney Hollow Reservoir

"Wildlife mitigation plans proposed by Northern Water and sanctioned by the state’s Division of Parks and Wildlife do not adequately address the issues," he [Drew Peternell, Director of TU's Colorado Water Project] said. “What we have currently is not enough,” he said. “We believe they can do more to make this a less-damaging project."

"Substantial springtime flows should be guaranteed," he said, "to improve the health of the [upper Colorado] river. Diverting the river around Windy Gap Reservoir should also be considered."

Read: Effects of Chimney Hollow Reservoir would ripple far and wide by Kevin Duggan on Coloradoan.com

CTU applauds new EPA rules for mercury and air toxics

Colorado currently has 22 waterbodies under Fish Consumption Advisories due to high mercury levels - where the fish themselves are literally too toxic to be safely consumed.  These include important fishing waters from Navajo Reservoir to Lake Granby to Horsetooth Reservoir and Carter Lake.  For an organization that has long championed catch-and-release fishing, supporting regulations to make fish consumption safer may seem a bit unusual.  But not only can reductions in mercury and other air toxics help protect the health of anglers and their families that eat some of the fish they catch, it is also good news for the fish themselves.  When a fish is too toxic to be eaten safely, it is a pretty strong indicator that the health of the fish and its habitat are also impacted.  Indeed, research has shown that elevated mercury levels impact trout's olfactory response - which in turn can harm their ability to feed, navigate, and reproduce. Fortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency has issued new rules that will restrict emissions of air toxics including mercury from power plants.  Not only will these changes help reduce air toxics, but they will also contribute to reductions in sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides - key pollutants that contribute to acid rain, another threat to fish habitat.  That is why Colorado TU Executive Director David Nickum joined physicians, state and federal officials, and business interests at a press conference at Children's Hospital on January 10, to voice support for EPA's new rules.  "We thank EPA for its efforts to protect the health of fish, the health of habitat, and the health of anglers," Nickum said.

Parks & Wildlife OKs Drilling

Here's an update from an industry release. Parks and Wildlife Commission has given unanimous approval for drilling at the Garfield Creek State Wildlife Area. With names like Dejour and Kokopelli, doesn't it sound more like a bistro than an oil and gas operation? Hey, it's only ten acres. And it's in the "rural" section of a state wildlife area. So what's the problem?

At its monthly meeting Thursday, the 14-member commission could authorize Colorado Parks and Wildlife director Rick Cables to negotiate a surface rights agreement to allow for energy development from a 10-acre well pad in a rural section of the park, with stipulations to protect the environment and visitors' experiences. Any drilling likely wouldn't occur until 2013.

Read the full article in the Denver Post

Update: The Sand Creek Leak

There's good news and bad news about oil seepage into the South Platte at Sand Creek.  

In a report for The Drake Magazine, Will Rice gives an update from the scene of the slime. Read the article.

Prez Profiled

The fly fishing blog Chi Wulff recently interviewed Colorado TU President Sinjin Eberle for its People of Fly Fishing feature. In a wide-ranging, two-part interview Sinjin touches on subjects from the Upper Colorado to mine drainage cleanup and roadless area regulations.

Read Part One of Sinjin's interview

Read Part Two of Sinjin's interview

A Look Back at 2011

It has been an eventful year for Colorado Trout Unlimited and our 23 chapters. We’ve seen a growth in capacity thanks to new full-time volunteers and additional National TU staff, conducted on-the-ground projects to improve habitat and restore native trout, extended our advocacy on behalf of rivers, and created new partnerships to strengthen our ability to conserve, protect and restore Colorado’s rivers and watersheds. All of these efforts were made possible through the involvement and support of our members, donors, and partners – and we deeply appreciate each and every one of you. Looking back at the past year, here are a few of the highlights from 2011:

• Yampa Valley Fly Fishers – long time leaders in conservation projects in the Steamboat Springs area – become the 23^rd active chapter of Trout Unlimited in Colorado.
• Colorado TU and the Colorado Water Project expand efforts to educate and engage the public in protecting the Colorado headwaters, launching a new Defend the Colorado website featuring the “Faces of the Fraser” – local residents from an Olympic skier to a logger who share their connections with the river.
• Colorado TU brings on two new OSM/VISTAs – full time volunteers funded with support from the Office of Surface Mining and Americorps – to strengthen our efforts with youth education and RiverWatch water quality monitoring programs.
• Denver Water and west slope interests announce an agreement to provide additional water and funds to benefit the Colorado River headwaters.  The agreement does not address the impacts of proposed new projects, but is a good start in collaboration to benefit the Colorado, Fraser, and Williams Fork.
• Upslope Brewing Company unveils its new craft lager with a “1% For Rivers” program where a portion of all sales of the new beer benefit Colorado TU.
• Our new ColoradoTU.org website launches with an enhanced design, pages on TU activities in basins across the state, and an improved set of tools for visitors to engage with TU in river conservation.
• Grand Valley Anglers and Colorado TU volunteers plant more than 200 willows along Trapper Creek on the Roan Plateau, helping improve riparian habitat for a key native Colorado River cutthroat trout stream.  Grand Valley Anglers also assists federal agencies with reconstruction of a reservoir atop Battlement Mesa as a refuge habitat for native cutthroat trout.
• TU and a coalition of agency and private sector partners – with volunteer support from the Collegiate Peaks Anglers chapter – complete award-winning mine restoration work along Kerber Creek in the historic Bonanza mining district.
• After years of advocacy and volunteer monitoring, TU and the Evergreen Chapter successfully get Bear Creek listed as an “impaired water” for temperature under the Clean Water Act – triggering a state regulatory process to identify the sources of the problem and develop projects to address them..
• The West Denver Chapter completes work on the Canyon Reach project, improving fish habitat and angling accessibility on Clear Creek.
• Colorado TU holds its first “Golf Classic,” engaging more than 120 participating golfers and raising funds for conservation and education.
• Denver TU provides seed money to launch development of a master plan for river restoration in the south Denver metro area; the plan wins unanimous approval from the South Suburban Parks & Recreation District and City of Littleton opening the door to a new “golden age” for the South Platte.

This is a long list, but still far from complete. And with your help, we will work to make 2012 an even better year for Colorado’s rivers and watersheds. Thank you – and happy new year to you all!