Purgatoire River Anglers Celebrate

Purgatoire River Anglers is inviting the community and fans of the Purgatoire to help kickoff the first stage of the Purgatoire River Demonstration Project this Tuesday (March 6) afternoon in Trinidad.

The initial stage includes the stretch of river from in front of Safeway to the Commercial Street bridge. The river will be stocked with trout in the spring and summer months allowing for fishing in the heart of Trinidad. Project partners include the City of Trinidad, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, Purgatoire River Water Conservancy District, Pioneer Natural Resources, Colorado Trout Unlimited, San Isabel Electric Association, Trinidad Community Foundation, COMCAST CARES DAY and the Trinidad & Las Animas County Chamber of Commerce.

“Coming this May folks will be able to fish for trout on the Purgatoire and see a professional baseball game in Trinidad all in one day,” says Howard Lackey, Purgatoire River Anglers (PRA) Past President, while current president Jim Muzzulin adds, “This project is important for tourism and the economy of Trinidad, and couldn’t have happened without the support of our members and the community as a whole.”

Event Time:    12:15pm Location:     The riverbank in front of Safeway and next to the Steam Train. Date:        Tuesday, March 6

Contact: Kim Schultz Kimschultz1@comcast.net

About the Purgatoire River Chapter:

The PRA Chapter 100 was started in September of 2009, and since its inception has worked to enhance and return the Purgatoire River below Trinidad Lake Dam to a healthy aquatic habitat.

Oil & Gas Ad Doesn't Add Up

A controversial radio "Public Service Announcement" produced by the Colorado Oil and Gas Association includes a sound bite by Governor Hickenlooper to the effect that there hasn't been any groundwater contamination associated with drilling or fracking in Colorado since 2008.

There are those who differ:

“There are spills on a weekly basis that affect groundwater,” said Earthjustice attorney Mike Freeman, adding that state records show there were 58 spills from oil and gas operations in 2011."

That quote is one of several in a piece written by Bob Berwyn for the Summit County Citizen's Voice.

Read Bob Berwyn's article

River Rally II Rocks Capitol

Hear Case Philip sing "Don't Suck the Uppper Colorado Dry" on YouTube.

A group of more than 70 boisterous Defend the Colorado advocates gathered at the state capitol to hand-deliver a giant post card to governor Hickenlooper's office. Why a giant post card? Because it had to have enough room for the 2,000 people who wanted to sign it and comment. Their message?  'Don't Suck the Upper Colorado River Dry.'

"Can you hear us now?"

Since the rally happened right outside his office window, the governor - or at least his staff - probably heard it loud and clear. A group of about 70 river advocates turned out to hear several speakers, including Drew Peternell, director of TU's Colorado Water Project, who told the crowd that the recreation opportunities many Coloradans take for granted "will no longer exist" on the Upper Colorado if the river is not protected.

Fraser Valley TU Headwaters chapter president Kirk Klancke emotionally recounted how his children had worried about the health of the Upper Colorado and wondered if it would be there for them.

And Field and Stream columnist Kirk Deeter offered an analogy to plans to take two-thirds of the Upper Colorado flows -- would it be acceptable, he asked, if the state decided to take two-thirds of Pikes Peak, another Colorado icon?

Read Deeter's terrific blog post on that theme here.

The governor certainly won't be "the decider" when it comes to water projects on the upper Colorado River, but we believe he should weigh-in and try to influence the final decision. Here's what we think water-project developers need to do:

• Manage the water supply to keep the rivers cool, clear and healthy.
• Ensure healthy flushing flows to prevent river habitat from filling in with silt.
• Monitor the rivers’ health and a commitment to take action if needed to protect them.
• Bypass the Windy Gap dam to reconnect Colorado River and restore river quality.

The Defend the Colorado coalition includes Colorado Trout Unlimited and a range of stakeholders, including conservation and wildlife groups, landowners, and outdoor recreationists. More than 400 western slope businesses have signed a petition asking state leaders to protect the Upper Colorado.

The event received some good media coverage, including a report on Colorado Public Radio and a great column in the Denver Post by outdoor writer Scott Willoughby. http://www.denverpost.com/willoughby/ci_20014054

For more information, go to www.DefendTheColorado.org.

FERC Rejects Million Permit

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has dismissed a hydropower permit application for a proposed 500-mile water pipeline from the Green River to Colorado’s Front Range.

Developer Aaron Million’s idea was to use the water flowing downhill from the top of the Continental Divide to generate power to - at least partially - offset the enormous cost of pumping it up there in the first place. But FERC may have viewed the application by Wyco Power and Water as an attempt to short cut the federal review process for the entire pipeline project. It’s clear that this is a massive water supply project and that hydropower would have played a small part. “We are pleased that the FERC recognized that Aaron’s proposal is premature,” says Drew Peternell, Director of TU’s Colorado Water Project. “In our view, the time will never come when this project is deserving of a permit.” While this doesn’t kill Million’s dream, it highlights how much work is yet to be done, least of which is to determine the pipeline’s precise route. FERC emphasizes that uncertainty in its Order of Dismissal:

Until some certainty regarding the authorization of the pipeline is presented, Wyco will not be able to gather and obtain the information required to prepare a license application for a proposed hydropower project.  Therefore, there is no purpose under the FPA for issuing a permit to Wyco for its proposed hydropower project at this time.  For this reason, Wyco’s preliminary permit application is dismissed as premature.

Read the full Order of Dismissal: http://elibrary.FERC.gov/idmw/file_list.asp?accession_num=20120223-30

Read the Denver Post article by Bruce Finley.

Healthy Rivers: Check!

Don't forget - you can donate to the Colorado Healthy Rivers Fund on your Colorado Tax Return.

Having someone do your taxes? Don't forget to remind them about line 34..

Read more about the Colorado Healthy Rivers Fund

Sportsmen Urge President to Restore Clean Water

Colorado hunters, anglers, and conservationists write to President Obama, urging his administration to restore Clean Water Act protections for wetlands, lakes, and streams.

Two Supreme Court Decisions during the past decade have muddied the waters when it comes to protecting Colorado's streams and wetlands. But actions by the administration show promise of restoring the crystal clear, Clean Water Act protections that had been in place since the 1970s.

Read the full text of the letter.

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.