Reprieve for the Roan

When BLM gave the green light for gas drilling on 54,631 acres on the Roan Plateau in 2008 it looked like a slam dunk. But a federal judge says there was a foul on the play.Judge Marcia Kreiger says the agency didn't look hard enough at alternatives such as directional drilling that might have reduced impacts on the Roan, which harbors genetically pure populations of Colorado River Cutthroat Trout. Here's an excerpt from a piece by Dennis Webb in the Grand Junction Sentinel:"

"In a 38-page ruling in a lawsuit by conservation groups, U.S. District Court Judge Marcia Krieger ruled that the agency failed to adequately address an alternative that would have kept drilling off the plateau top by making use of directional drilling from surrounding lands. It also failed to sufficiently consider cumulative air quality impacts in conjunction with anticipated development in the region, or to adequately address ozone impacts."

Read: Judge's ruling means second look for Roan drilling plan from the Grand Junction Sentinel.

Read more about the Roan at Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development.

The Roan was featured by Field & Stream as one of its Best Wild Places in 2010. Read Part 1 of the 3-part series. Read Part 2. Read Part 3.

More Good News for the Roan

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has approved a $125,000 grant to Colorado TU to support continued restoration atop the Roan Plateau, including fencing, restoring native vegetation, removing non-native fish and reintroducing native cutthroat trout.

CPW Issues Fishing Closure on Yampa

Extremely low flows and rising water temperatures have prompted Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials to implement a voluntary closure to all fishing in the Steamboat Springs section of the Yampa River. The closure will be in effect from the upstream boundary of the Chuck Lewis State Wildlife Area downstream through the city limits of Steamboat Springs, and anglers are asked to avoid this area.

News from Colorado Parks and Wildlife Contact Name: Mike Porras Contact Phone: 970-255-6162

Minimal spring snowmelt and lack of significant rain so far this year has led to very low flows and high water temperatures for many rivers and streams throughout the state. In Steamboat Springs, wildlife managers observed Yampa River water temperatures at 71 degrees on June 20 and the current flow of 81 cubic feet per second is well below the minimum 85 cfs established to trigger the voluntary closure.

In these conditions, already severely stressed fish weakened by warm waters often die when caught, even if they are quickly released back into the water.

"There appears to be little chance of precipitation adding measureable volume to the stream flow in the immediate future," said Senior Aquatic Biologist Sherman Hebein. "In this section of the Yampa River, median historical flows for this date are slightly over 1400 cfs, and the most current reading is well below that rate."

Diligent monitoring of rivers across western Colorado has been ongoing this year due to concerns about little to no moisture so far, and if current conditions continue, other rivers may see similar voluntary closures this summer.

"We ask the public for their cooperation to help us preserve our state's fisheries," said Northwest Regional Manager Ron Velarde. "We do not know how long this voluntary closure will remain in effect, but as soon as conditions are once again favorable, we will lift it and the public can once again enjoy world-class fishing in the Yampa River."

Velarde stresses that the Yampa River closure is voluntary for now and anglers are asked to avoid fishing there during the hottest part of the day, or preferably, to fish in other areas. However, if conditions worsen and several criteria established by regulation are met, a strict emergency closure enforced by law may become necessary.

For more information about the voluntary closure, please contact the Colorado Parks and Wildlife office in Steamboat Springs at: 970-870-2197

For more information about fishing in places not affected by extremely low flows, please visit: http://wildlife.state.co.us/Fishing/Pages/Fishing.aspx

Colorado Parks and Wildlife was created by the merger of Colorado State Parks and the Colorado Division of Wildlife, two nationally recognized leaders in conservation, outdoor recreation and wildlife management. Colorado Parks and Wildlife manages 42 state parks, all of Colorado's wildlife, more than 300 state wildlife areas and a host of recreational programs.

To learn more about Colorado's state parks, please see: http://www.parks.state.co.us

To learn more about Colorado's wildlife programs, please see: http://wildlife.state.co.us

For more news about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us/NewsMedia/PressReleases

For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.

Golden Milestones

In May 2009, West Denver Trout Unlimited dedicated its Golden Mile project---a $300,000 value-added improvement of a stretch of Clear Creek running through the city of Golden that greatly enhanced cold-water fishing for anglers living in the immediate area. It was lauded at the time by leaders of the City, Jefferson County, the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as an exemplary public-private partnership.

The Clear Creek Comeback

Since the completion of the project, angler use and success is up markedly for the Golden Mile stretch, and is drawing national attention as an important urban fishery.

The Chapter believed that while it was extremely important to improve trout habitat on a section of the stream that runs through the city of Golden, a corresponding value of the Golden Mile project was to increase public awareness of Clear Creek's potential as a recreational resource, and to serve as a catalyst for new partnerships and future improvements.

WDTU also - correctly - envisioned successful completion of the Golden Mile as a means for angler conservation interests to secure a place at the table when future decisions were made that might impact Clear Creek.

Success Spawns Success

There has been a remarkable increase in trout habitat improvements on Clear Creek since the dedication of the Golden Mile, including a “Fishing is Fun” project just upstream of Idaho Springs, another habitat remediation project in downtown Idaho Springs, and plans for a large habitat enhancement effort as part of the CDOT's Highway 119 improvements below the town of Black Hawk. Although it may be a stretch to attribute these subsequent endeavors to the success of the Golden Mile, the chapter  is encouraged by the levels of commitment and cooperation among private and public entities.

Extending Their Reach

The success of the Golden Mile project encouraged WDTU to plan and execute a second, major Clear Creek restoration effort—the Canyon Reach project—west of Golden. This project, completed in September and dedicated in October, 2011, breaks new ground in its special attention to people with restricted ability to access and appreciate what the river has to offer.

The restoration was done in three sections, chosen especially to provide safe access to and from both the highway and river for young families and marginally mobile anglers. The downstream section is located at Mayhem Gulch, near the Highway 6 Mile Marker 262; the middle section is upstream at a large unpaved parking area near Mile Marker 261; and, the upper section is at a paved parking area further upstream near Mile Marker 260 (the top of the project is a short distance below the junction of Highways 6 and 119).

Classic structures like cross vanes, J hooks, and boulder clusters provide winter habitat, bank stabilization, feeding lanes, and improved access.

Two innovative toe-wood structures provide large organic masses to encourage riparian growth in extremely rocky terrain.

Major contributors to the Canyon Reach project include Jefferson County, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s “Fishing is Fun” program, the Alfred Frei and Sons quarry, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, Henderson Mine, the Trask Family Foundation, and a Colorado Trout Unlimited Gomo Grant (named for former Colorado TU staffer Leo Gomolchak). Capital outlay to date is approximately $300,000, exclusive of both past and future volunteer hours and planned signage.

The reality is that Clear Creek is becoming a respectable urban fishery. In this economic climate, with high gas prices, high unemployment and people who may be working extra hours or holding down two jobs to make ends meet, many people simply don’t have the time or the wherewithal to travel long distances to fish. They’re looking for fishing opportunities in close proximity to where they live. And, if they live along the northern Front Range, those opportunities may reside in Clear Creek.

West Denver believes there’s value in providing an improved, accessible fishery to a very large urban demographic group. And, the Chapter is hopeful that the success of the Canyon Reach project serves as a rallying point for community pride as well as a testament to Clear Creek's potential that inspires further efforts on the river.

Help TU Protect Bristol Bay

Trout Unlimited has long opposed the proposed Pebble Mine, which would be situated in the headwaters of two river that feed into Alaska's famed Bristol Bay.

We are joined in that opposition by a diverse group of fishermen, guides, lodge owners, Alaska Natives, scientists - and even chefs, restaurant owners and seafood lovers.

One of the world's most productive wild salmon strongholds, Bristol Bay supports a $500 million commercial and sport fishery. Few places like it remain. It is unspoiled, and it is vulnerable.

The Pebble Mine would be one of the largest in the world, spanning more than 20 square miles. Because of its size, geochemistry and location, there is a high risk that pollution from acid drainage and metal leaching will foul Bristol Bay.

In light of the recent release of a draft watershed assessment by the Environmental Assessment Agency, Chris Wood, President and CEO of trout Unlimited, has written a letter to TU members asking them to take action to protect Bristol Bay.

Here's his letter:

The EPA has released its draft watershed assessment for Bristol Bay. EPA, not surprisingly found that the rivers of Bristol Bay support the world’s largest sockeye salmon runs (46% of the “global abundance” of sockeye) and its Chinook runs are near the world’s largest every year. Did I mention the fact they also have 30” plus native rainbows?

The study notes that the fishery supports 14,000 sustainable jobs every year, and generates more than $600 million in total economic impact. And while the EPA makes no pronouncements or decisions through this document, one fact becomes very clear in reading through the document. Bristol Bay is the wrong place to allow industrial scale mining.

The Alaska program, led by Tim Bristol and Shoren Brown, has done a fantastic job of building support for protecting Bristol Bay. Unlike most Alaska conservation issues, the support for protecting the area starts with the affected Native Alaska villages, and resonates throughout the state. In fact, the strongest allies for protecting Bristol Bay are the native villages in the region and commercial fishermen.

Just yesterday, the Republican President of the State Senate called for EPA to do what is necessary to protect the area from industrial scale mining.

The job of convincing the Obama Administration to take action before January 20, 2013, now begins in earnest. Please take 5 minutes and go to...

http://www.capwiz.com/savebristolbay/issues/alert/?alertid=61010161&type=ML

... and ask the President to initiate the Clean Water Act process that will enable EPA to limit industrial scale mining in Bristol Bay.  Ask your friends and family to do the same.

Chris Wood President and CEO Trout Unlimited

CO Roadless Rule nears the finish line

After the Clinton Administration's 2001 "Roadless Rule" faced legal challenges, Colorado began an extensive process to develop its own plan for roadless protection. But then, the Clinton era rule got the legal green-light, and there were questions about whether Colorado would be able to continue with its own roadless plan. This week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack endorsed the Colorado roadless plan, saying it includes "higher protections" and "fewer exceptions."

Read more in the Denver Post:

The new proposal contains some notable improvements - particularly in strengthening protections for 1.2 million acres of "Upper Tier" roadless backcountry lands. However, questions remain about how the rule addresses protection of native cutthroat trout and potential water development projects within backcountry areas.

Read Colorado TU's News Release

The rule is currently available for a final round of 30 days of public review before a final record of decision is issued. Trout Unlimited is pleased by the improvements reflected in this latest version, but will use the 30 day period to carefully review the new proposed rule and the associated Environmental Impact Statement and work with the Forest Service to ensure that backcountry resources including native trout receive the protection they need.

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Sucking the River Dry

"How much water does a river need to stay alive? At what point does the upper Colorado cease to be a functioning river? We may be dangerously close to finding out."

Sucked Dry: Will State Leaders Help Defend the Embattled Colorado River?

By Drew Peternell, Trout Unlimited

If you’ve driven down the hill on I-70 recently, perhaps after an escape to one of Colorado’s West Slope playgrounds, you might have seen a billboard near Golden that warns, “Don’t Suck the Upper Colorado River Dry.”

It’s a blunt wake-up call to state leaders, water utilities, Front Range residents, and all Coloradans who care about the future of our state’s namesake river.

The Colorado River, from its headwaters in Rocky Mountain National Park down through Granby, Kremmling, Glenwood Springs and beyond, has long been a favorite destination for Front Range residents. Generations of Coloradans have fished, hunted, hiked, camped and floated along the waters of the Colorado.

But most Front Range residents don't realize that much of the water they use at home comes directly from the streams and rivers of the upper Colorado River basin. A spider-web network of dams and pumps and pipelines delivers water from the Colorado and other West Slope rivers to showerheads and sprinklers in Denver and surrounding areas.

Already Front Range utilities take about 60 percent of the water that originates in the upper Colorado River basin, draining Grand County to the point that many of its once pristine streams now run dry.

The Fraser River, a Colorado tributary where President Eisenhower spent summers fishing, is among the hardest hit.

The low stream flows take a devastating toll on river health. Studies show dramatic declines in the size and health of trout, and entire classes of aquatic insects have disappeared from the river. Because of low stream flows and high water temperatures, the Colorado and several tributaries are choked with silt and algae.

More Proposed Diversions

And now, Front Range water providers are planning to drain the Colorado and Fraser rivers some more.

Two proposed water-diversion projects -- Denver Water's Moffat Collection System Project and the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District's Windy Gap Firming Project -- threaten to push the Colorado and Fraser rivers and their tributaries past the tipping point. Combined, the projects could leave as little as 25 percent of native upper Colorado River water on the West Slope.

A river with one quarter of its natural flow. If present trends continue, the mighty Colorado River could someday be called Colorado Creek -- or the Colorado Trickle.

How much water does a river need to stay alive?  At what point does the upper Colorado cease to be a functioning river? We may be dangerously close to finding out.

The CPW Study

A 2011 report by the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife (CPW) underscores the poor ecological health of the upper Colorado River. Led by respected veteran CPW biologist Barry Nehring, the study documents a river in sharp decline, suffering from multiple maladies caused largely by water diversions to the Front Range (see sidebar).

The CPW study acknowledges that these problems are likely to worsen with additional water withdrawals. It outlines several measures needed to maintain the health of the Colorado River under the lower flow conditions that would result from the projects Denver Water and the Northern Water District are proposing.

The three key measures are: (1) preservation of higher spring flushing flows to help remove sediment that smothers fish and insect habitat; (2) stream reconfiguration to narrow the channel, so that the remaining water flows are deeper, cooler, and faster; and (3) construction of a bypass around Windy Gap Reservoir -- a source of silt, algae, thermal pollution, and the lethal rainbow trout whirling disease.

Current project plans do not include the protections the CPW report identified as necessary to maintain the health of the upper Colorado River under the increased diversions.

Insufficient Protections for the River

In a formal letter issued in February, the EPA listed a host of concerns about the river impacts of the Moffat and Windy Gap project proposals. Citing the CPW study at length, the EPA called for stronger protections than in the fish and wildlife mitigation plans the Colorado Wildlife Commission approved for the projects last summer.

But Governor Hickenlooper and other state officials responsible for protecting Colorado’s natural resources recently have distanced themselves from the CPW report, asserting that the present mitigation packages are sufficient to preserve the river -- notwithstanding the conclusions of state wildlife biologists and the EPA to the contrary.

There is no doubt that the Colorado Wildlife Commission and its staff reviewed the fish and wildlife mitigation plans carefully and secured as much protection for the Colorado and Fraser Rivers they thought they could. But state law -- as interpreted by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office -- limited the Wildlife Commission’s authority to demand broader protections. During the hearings, several wildlife commissioners publicly lamented that they could not do more.

Time for a Way Forward

Hickenlooper is rightfully proud of the so-called “Cooperative Agreement” he helped broker last year between Denver Water and a number of West Slope stakeholders. The agreement places some restrictions on future Denver Water projects that impact the Colorado River, and it requires Denver to increase its conservation efforts.

But let there be no confusion. The agreement does not address the Moffat and Windy Gap project proposals, and it does not fully resolve the problems facing the Colorado River.

Governor Hickenlooper has a golden opportunity to follow-up on his good work on the cooperative agreement. He should bring interested parties to the table to craft a final mitigation plan that fully addresses the impacts of the current water withdrawal proposals.

If state officials are unwilling or unable to join the effort to protect these important resources, they need to step aside and let the federal agencies do their job as they review the projects.

Much to Lose

No one would claim that finding a solution will be easy -- these are tough, complex challenges. But, with cooperation and leadership from the state, the project proponents and other interested parties, it should be possible to craft a way forward that supplies additional water to the Front Range while keeping the Colorado River healthy.

The West Slope rivers that we tap to deliver water to the Front Range are priceless. They are vital to the health of mountain communities, Colorado's $10 billion-a-year outdoor recreation economy, and the high quality of life Coloradans enjoy.

Given all we stand to lose, now is the time to find a solution that preserves the Colorado River as the state treasure that it is.

For more information and to add your voice to those calling for protection of the Colorado River, go to www.defendthecolorado.org.

A River on the Brink

A 2011 study by the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife found that water diversions to the Front Range have caused severe ecological damage to the upper Colorado River. The impacts to the river below Windy Gap Reservoir include:

• A 38 percent decline in aquatic insect life;
• A complete elimination of native sculpin fish -- a key indicator of stream health;
• An almost total loss of the population of giant stoneflies -- once the dominant aquatic food source on the river;
• An “armoring” of the river bottom from sediment and silt, destroying spawning habitat for trout and smothering aquatic insect populations.

The study concludes that additional water withdrawals from the proposed Moffat Collection System and Windy Gap Firming projects will make these problems worse.

Drew Peternell is director of the Colorado Water Project for Trout Unlimited, whose mission is to conserve, protect and restore North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds.

Read this opinion piece by Drew Peternell, director of TU's Colorado Water Project at DenverPost.com.

And go to www.defendthecolorado.org to learn more and join the effort.

TU Kicks Off Green with Envy Tour

TU's Green with Envy roadshow is an effort to protect the Green River and Flaming Gorge from the effects of a massive pipeline project. Here's an excerpt from a report in the Wyoming Business Report.

Presenter Walt Gasson, Trout Unlimited's endorsed business director, briefly invoked Dr. Seuss's Lorax in his impassioned plea to save the Green River.

"This is not a problem for people in Colorado or Thneedville who just want to wash their car or water their lawn," Gasson said. Instead, he said it is Wyoming and its $118 million local outdoor economy that will suffer the consequences of exporting 250,000 acre-feet of water annually. Of that water, 85,000 acre-feet would come from the Green River above Flaming Gorge while the rest would come from the reservoir itself. Read the full story by Mark Wilcox.

Green with Envy scheduled dates:

Steamboat Springs: May 15, 8 p.m., Community Center 1605 Lincoln Ave.

Grand Junction, Colorado: May 17, 7 p.m., Roper Music Ballroom, 130 N. 5th St.

Kerber Creek Gets 50K Grant

Trout Unlimited's Kerber Creek restoration project received a $50,000 grant from the Commission for Environmental Cooperation to help fund the next phase of restoration work on Kerber Creek, near the town of Salida in southwest Colorado.

Trout Unlimited has worked for six years to restore Kerber Creek from the impacts associated with the effects of mining. In the last three years, Trout Unlimited has spent $1.3 million to improve the stream.

"This grant will allow us to take the next critical step in a project that holds vital importance to the area," said Elizabeth Russell, Trout Unlimited's mine restoration project manager.

The Kerber Creek Restoration Project is a joint partnership between Trout Unlimited, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety (DRMS), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Bonanza Stakeholders Group (BSG), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), local landowners and other partners.

Historic mine tailings from mining that occurred decades ago have washed down through Kerber Creek and are contributing metals and acid drainage into the waterway. The project will work to treat the mine tailings and will install fish habitat and stream bank stabilization structures. (The Collegiate Peaks Chapter has been a key player in the Kerber Creek restoration. Read an October 2011 article by Salida Mountain Mail's Joe Stone on the Kerber cleanup.)

Trout Unlimited and its partners are working to increase understanding of the environmental issues associated with legacy mining and public awareness of restoration projects.

03/09/2012 Contact: Erin Mooney, Trout Unlimited, (215) 557-2845, emooney@tu.org

Trout Unlimited is a non-profit organization with more than 147,000 members dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring North America's trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds. Follow TU on Facebook on Twitter via @TroutUnlimited.

The Upper Colorado: "a collapsing eco-system?"

Is the Colorado River Cooperative Agreement a good deal? While some praise the pact between Denver Water and west slope interests, others question whether the best interests of the Colorado are at the forefront.

"Studies conducted by the Colorado Division of Wildlife clearly show that the upper Colorado River is a collapsing ecosystem. Most of this is due to the fact that well more than 65 percent of the upper Colorado is drained by diversions to the Front Range."

On the Vail Valley Voices page of the Vail Daily's website, CTU Past-president Ken Neubecker questions just how good the CRCA is for the river when all things are considered. Read Ken Neubecker's letter.

Win a Gunnison Gorge Float Trip

The Colorado TU raffle could put you in cold water. And you'll never forget it!

The Trip of a Lifetime

When you buy tickets for Colorado TU's statewide raffle, you'll help us fight to keep water in streams, support on-the-ground habitat projects, and help young people develop an appreciation for the aquatic life.

But hey, what's in it for you? How about a three-day float trip through the spectacular Gunnison Gorge? If you're the winner, you'll enjoy three days and two nights along the river as part of a Dvorak Expeditions pack-in trip.

All meals are provided and your camping gear will be packed in (you'll need to hike in about a mile with your personal gear). And experienced guides will row you through one of Colorado's true natural wonders where you'll enjoy world-class fishing on a Gold Medal river.

The trip can be used in the 2012 or 2013 seasons, subject to availability. Retail value is $1,425.

Raffle tickets are $10 each, or $25 for three. The drawing will take place at 7 pm at Colorado TU's Spring Rendezvous on April 21, 2012 at Redstone, Colorado. You need not be present to win.

Click here to purchase single tickets @ $10 each.

Click here to purchase groups of 3 tickets @ 25.

Thanks to Dvorak Expeditions for their generous support of Colorado Trout Unlimited. To learn more about their fishing and rafting trips on the Gunnison, Arkansas, and other great rivers visit www.dvorakexpeditions.com

This raffle is conducted under Colorado Raffle License No 2012-05008, and is open only to residents of Colorado.