President vetoes bill to block headwater protection

Yesterday, President Obama vetoed SJ Res 22, which would have nullfied rules adopted last summer by the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers to clarify that Clean Water Act protections apply to the small headwater and feeder streams and not just the downstream perennial waters.  Click here to read a response supporting these Clean Water rules, from Colorado TU and the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union. The President's veto message appears below and echoes TU's argument that protection of our larger downstream rivers depends on protecting them from their source in the headwaters. Colorado TU would also like to thank Senator Michael Bennet, who voted against SJ Res 22 and in support of anglers and water quality protection.  (Update: the Senate voted today 1/21/16 and the President's veto was upheld.  Thank you to Senator Bennet and all those who stood up in defense of water quality.)

The President's Veto Message follows:

I am returning herewith without my approval S.J. Res. 22, a resolution that would nullify a rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Army to clarify the jurisdictional boundaries of the Clean Water Act. The rule, which is a product of extensive public involvement and years of work, is critical to our efforts to protect the Nation's waters and keep them clean; is responsive to calls for rulemaking from the Congress, industry, and community stakeholders; and is consistent with decisions of the United States Supreme Court.

We must protect the waters that are vital for the health of our communities and the success of our businesses, agriculture, and energy development. As I have noted before, too many of our waters have been left vulnerable. Pollution from upstream sources ends up in the rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and coastal waters near which most Americans live and on which they depend for their drinking water, recreation, and economic development. Clarifying the scope of the Clean Water Act helps to protect these resources and safeguard public health. Because this resolution seeks to block the progress represented by this rule and deny businesses and communities the regulatory certainty and clarity needed to invest in projects that rely on clean water, I cannot support it. I am therefore vetoing this resolution.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,

January 19, 2016.

Benefits to Tying Your Own Flies

For many fly fishermen, the winter months are the best time to sit under a desk lamp in the basement with nothing but their fly tying tools and their imagination. Why?

Because fly tying offers benefits that cannot be achieved through purchasing flies.

For many, the cold, winter nights are spent in front of the bench because they feel it completes their fishing experience. According to the folks at Trroutfitters "There is no better feeling than catching a fish on a fly that you yourself have tied – period. When I can catch a fish on a fly that I have made myself, I feel as though I am completing the circle of casting, catching, thinking and preparing.  In the scheme of things, what else is there?"

When an angler ties their own fly, they are creating the pattern, size, color and style. All of these factor in to catching a fish. It's one thing to catch a fish on a fly that was tied by a professional, but when it's your own product in the lip of that rainbow, it provides overall satisfaction.

When an anger is tying their own fly, it allows their imagination to run wild. There are countless numbers of patterns in the world and this allows tiers to try something that probably can't be found in a local fly shop. It also provides tiers opportunities to learn more about the entomology of their local waters.

Through tying, anglers can get a chance to pick the brains of their local fly shop guides, their friends and other anglers about what patterns and colors work best in each area. There are also opportunities for amateur tiers to meet and tie next to some of the top tiers in the area and learn different tips and tricks.

It's a common thought that tying flies vs. buying flies is also a great way to save money. And like most things, the correct answer is, "It depends." The initial cost of purchasing the tools and materials can range anywhere from $50-200+ but, again, this depends on the quality and quantity of materials.

For someone to tie 25 wolly buggers, it would roughly cost them $18. Include this to the initial cost of around $100 (basic beginner tools), and it's going to be $118 for 25 flies. Maybe even less if the first few are no good.

But, if you look at the initial cost as an investment (which it is), then it could be cheaper to tie flies over time. If the average quality fly costs around $2 then 25 flies would be $50 each purchase, whereas it would be around $20 for each set of 25 flies after the initial, start-up cost.

Some people prefer to purchase flies for simplicity sake. It's certainly easier and more time efficient to go into the local fly shop and ask the outfitters which flies work best and they'll point them to a few perfectly tied flies that will catch fish.

But while the fishing may not stop in winter, those long winter nights are perfect for those who long for sitting in front of the bench and letting their imagination and hands run wild because of the benefits offered through fly tying.

And who knows? That strange fly that only you have, may just catch a few fish.

El Niño looks to revive the Colorado River Basin

Severe drought conditions have left the west starving for water. Reservoirs are dwindling down and the Colorado River is drying up before it can reach the Pacific Ocean. The area has tried to limit their water usage despite increased populations, but mother nature hasn't been too cooperative. Until she sent El Niño.

El Niño is classified by warmer than average surface waters in the Pacific ocean that cause warmer and drier than average temperatures over the western and northern United States with cooler and wetter than average conditions in the Southwest.

Currently, the warmer than average equatorial surface waters in the Pacific are moving further north, resulting in the strongest El Niño ever, surpassing the event in 1997 that dropped record amounts of snow in California and the Southwest.

This is great news for those along the Colorado River basin that are depending on a wet winter to bring life back to their crops, reduce drought conditions, and replenish their reservoirs.

The Colorado River basin receives the bulk of it's moisture in the form of summer monsoons and winter storms. These winter frontal systems, which are increased through El Niño, are what meteorologists are hoping will bring relief to the Colorado River basin.

"Winter and spring frontal systems originating in the North Pacific Ocean, provide the largest and most important source of moisture. These large-scale systems tend to carry moisture at higher levels in the atmosphere, with orographic effects of the mountainous West causing an increase in precipitation with elevation," according to the U.S. Geological Survey. "Cold frontal systems produce substantial amounts of snow above about 5,000 feet and rainfall at lower elevations in the Rocky, Uinta, and Wind River Mountains, which constitute the headwaters of the Colorado River and its principal tributary,the Green River. These storms build snowpacks that melt in the late spring, providing runoff to the Colorado River."

The increase in runoff will hopefully increase the flows of the Colorado, which are currently at some of the lowest recorded. But, unfortunately, with such dry surface conditions from consecutive drought years, the likelihood of flooding during the runoff is increased.

It's tough to predict the actual effects El Niño will bring, however meteoroligists are relying on previous El Niño events that have brought plenty of moisture to the Southwest, including the Colorado River basin.

What will occur throughout the state of Colorado remains to be seen with the unpredictable weather pattern.

Meteorologists are expecting Colorado's winter numbers to look close to average. However, according to the National Center for Atmospheric Research, 20-inch snowstorms are almost seven times as likely to occur during El Niño years. These snowstorms tend to happen in spring and fall while the mid-winter months drier than normal

Because Colorado is between the polar jet stream, causing warmer temperatures up north, and the subtropical jet stream, causing cooler temperatures in the south, it's tough to determine if Colorado will see any major changes.

According to UCAR (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research), the chances of having a wetter than average winter is roughly the same as having a dryer than average winter. "A single big storm surrounded by dry spells could leave a two- or three-month period close to or even below average, obscuring the impact of that one big storm."

Ask BLM: support balanced plan for fish, wildlife & energy on the Roan

In November 2014, Secretary of the Interior Jewell, BLM Director Kornze, Governor Hickenlooper, and a group of energy and conservation stakeholders announced a settlement of long-standing litigation over oil and gas development on the Roan Plateau.  The agreement struck a balance between protecting outstanding habitat for big game and native cutthroat trout fisheries, and enabling responsible development of natural gas resources on less sensitive lands.

The agreement was only a first step - now the BLM needs to finish the job and put in place a new final management plan that incorporates the settlement's protections and approach to responsible energy for the Roan . The BLM has issued its new Draft Environmental Impact Statement and is expected to make a final decision on the Roan in the next few months, so speaking out now can make a difference!  Click here to sign our petition to BLM supporting a balanced approach that protects the Roan's unique cutthroat trout and outstanding big game habitat.

Proper Fish Handling Techniques

That 20" Rainbow you've been going for all day has just been netted. You hand the camera to a buddy, grab the trout out of the net and hold it up at eye level so the world can see the ear-to-ear grin. Upon reviewing the photo, you ask for another one- still holding the fish two feet above the water. The photo is finally good enough for Facebook so you place the fish into the river and let it hang in the water for a second before it regains strength and swims away awkwardly while high-fives are shared. The "Catch and Release" hashtag may tell everyone that the fish is back out there to be caught again, but the grip-n-grin picture shows an entirely different scenario.

That beautiful rainbow may have swam away. It's energy may seem like it was back to normal, but the fish is actually still in distress- and when trout are in distress, the chances of it dying are significantly increased.

The Fight

It all starts when the hook is set and the fight begins. According to Dr. Andy Danylchuk, an associate professor of fish conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, fish release sugar (glucose) into their blood to fuel muscle activity and fight when they are hooked. When the excess glucose levels are released, it causes a build up of lactate in the blood and can have long-lasting affects on muscle function. This is the same issue that occurs in humans when they suffer a cramp during exercise.

It's best practice to not play with the fish to the point of exhaustion. Do everything you can to land the fish as quickly as possible.

Air Exposure and Handling

Once the fish is landed, the stress doesn't end. In fact it could be increased due to prolonged air exposure and poor handling techniques.

Taking the fish out water essentially stops the trout's ability to breathe. Fish breathe air by taking water in through their mouth, over the gills and out through the gill flaps (the operculum). "Taking fish out of the water stops dissolved oxygen from getting into the blood via the gills. No, the gills are not adapted to capture oxygen from air," says Dr. Danylchuck. "We are forcing the fish to hold its breath after running a race."

Even if the fish is out of water for only a few seconds, harm could still be done through improper handling. When handling a fish, always wet your hands prior to any touching. Trout have a protective coating (a slime layer) that protects them from disease. Wet hands reduce the risk of rubbing too much of the slime layer off. Adversely, when touched with dry hands, the coating is likely to rub off the trout's skin onto yours- leaving them exposed to disease.

Reducing exposure and handling time can be aided by using barbless hooks, or simply crimping the barbs on current hooks. If the hook is too deep, "several studies have shown that it is much better to cut the line and leave the hook in place rather than trying to dig the hook out," says Dr. Danylchuck.

Overall, the best practice would be to remove the hook while the fish is in the water.

This isn't to say that taking a fish out of water will definitively kill the fish. There are tricks to minimizing air exposure and handling while still getting photo proof of your catch.

Allow the cameraman "to call the shots and get the angler to keep the fish in the water until the camera is ready," says Dr. Dalynchuck. Holding the fish only a few inches over the water will also help reduce air time. Regardless of the photo, however, the fish should be dripping wet (which makes the shot look even cooler). Underwater cameras make for a nice image as well.

Releasing

When it comes to releasing trout, it's not as simple as getting it back in the water and then it will be fine, (hopefully, it doesn't need to leave the water). Even when the handling time is minimal, fish still need be released properly as well. When fish have experienced considerable physiological stress due to exercise and handling, they can lose their equilibrium, coordinated movements of their fins and roll or nosedive- resulting in death further on downstream.

Good fundamentals in releasing, involve placing the fish in the water with it's head pointing into the current. Remember that the water needs to go through their mouth to exit the gill flap. Anglers should grip the fish lightly and look for coordinated fin movements to show that the fish has their equilibrium and can swim regularly own their own before letting the it go.

"Move a fish in a forward direction when helping it recover, do not move a fish back and forth—recall that water moving backwards over the gills does not help, but in fact, can actually harm the fish," says Dr. Danylchuck. "Let the fish go when its fins are showing coordinated movements, it can keep itself upright and it is actively trying to swim away from you."

Remember that fish belong in the water and as responsible anglers it's up to us to help protect and keep them there. This includes, keeping the fight time minimal, reducing the trout's air exposure, keeping hands wet, and releasing the fish back into the water properly.

For more information on the affects of keeping fish wet, visit KeepEmWet.org or read Dr. Dalynchuck's Fundamentals of Fish report.

Dateline Durango: Animas after the spill

On August 5^th, 2015, the Gold King mine near Silverton unleashed 3 million gallons of mine wastewater into the upper Animas River. Within hours, the plume had traveled downstream to Durango – right in the middle of a busy summer in a tourism-based town. The striking pictures of the orange plume spread across the globe in minutes. The media coverage was massive and the world took note. Lost among the “Orange River” pictures, the apocalyptic commentary with words like disaster, catastrophic, etc., and the hyperbolic ventilating about the impact to the fishery has been the good news: the Animas River has weathered the spill and the fishery through the Town of Durango is doing well.

If you didn’t know to look for very faint traces of iron residue, you wouldn’t even know we had this insulting event in early August. The Animas is back to its usual state of water quality. As to the fishery, there has been no fish mortality documented from the spill, while bug sampling by an aquatic biologist with Mountain Studies Institute indicates a still thriving population of mayfly nymphs and caddis pupa. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) had installed pens of fingerling trout in the Animas before the plume arrived – a canary in a coal mine, if you will. None of those fish died either. In the past few weeks we have seen Baetis, midges and Tricos coming off. CPW ran an electro-shocking episode after the “Spill” with the usual re-capture protocol and got essentially the same results as the year before. Actually, the survey showed a slight improvement.

While long-term effects of the spill are yet unknown, anglers, local fly shops and outfitters are breathing a sigh of relief that one of America’s great trout rivers has survived this ugly onslaught.

This is not to diminish our concern for the Animas River and the fishery in the canyon below Silverton. This reach has been substantially impacted by three draining mines at the headwaters of Cement Creek, which flows into the Animas at Silverton. This, plus the recent “Spill”, highlights the very need for Good Samaritan Legislation for which TU is strongly advocating – so that abandoned mine cleanup projects can proceed here and elsewhere.

The bottom line is Durango is still a great place to visit and to be your base for fly-fishing outings.

- Buck Skillen, President, Five Rivers Chapter TU

The latest fishing report/forecast from Duranglers:

Except for some rain events the Animas has been fishing very well with solid Trico and midge hatches. Streamers have been effective as well. The Dolores River below McPhee Reservoir has suffered due to low flows the last few years but, with this past good water year, has been fishing much better. With forecasts for a good snowpack we are optimistic for the rebound to continue. Our high mountain streams will continue to fish for a bit but winter will come soon to the high country. The Piedra River and its tributaries are great options in the fall. The San Juan River below Navajo Dam has been fishing great this year. From now until at least Thanksgiving expect great midge and BWO hatches with some good dry fly fishing on the right day. And of course the San Juan is one of the best winter trout fisheries anywhere.

Hidden Mile of the Conejos

The San Luis Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited (SLVTU) has been working on a Fishing is Fun project on the Hidden Mile along the Conejos River in cooperation with the US Forest Service (USFS), Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), Conejos River Anglers Fly Shop and FlyWaters Inc.

It has taken several years for project leader, David Kenvin and other volunteers to get grants, permits and environmental statements. But this summer the actual work commenced.  The project consists of stream and riparian improvement of 3/4 of a mile of the Conejos River on Rio Grande National Forest property. The fish habitat has been degraded from years of trespass grazing. The project includes placement of 300 rocks and twenty wood structures, the improvement of pool and riffle ratios by channel dredge and fill, construction of a parking lot, fencing the entire property to exclude livestock and planting willows to stabilize stream banks.

The total project cost is $96,000 with SLVTU providing $20,000 in cash and volunteer labor worth over $7,800. Conejos River Anglers will provide $500 for signing.  The USFS is providing fencing material and more than 200 hours of labor.  A $67,000 grant from CPW’s Fishing is Fun Program completes the project’s funding. CPW and FlyWaters Inc. will be coordinating the stream improvement portion of the project which is timed for the last two weeks of September 2015.

SLVTU is a small chapter of just over a hundred members.  Money needed for the cash contribution was raised through our annual auctions and donations from the Conejos River Anglers Super Fly contest.  This spring and summer, several volunteers have given more than 425 hours of work building 4-strand barbed wire fence surrounding the riparian zone and floating PVC river-crossing fence at the lower and upper ends of the Hidden Mile.  In the spring of 2016 we anticipate another 90 hours of volunteer work in planting willows along the stream to complete the project.

George is a Sleeper

Moose stands in the wallows and wet of George Creek

Not too long ago I was able to scout some new greenback territory with two colleagues. Upon arrival at George Creek we promptly stretched and yawned then headed to see the stream. It appeared to be a disappointing trickle surrounded by cattle, moose and dense vegetation. We stood, looking at the stream, wondering, who chose this creek and why.

The following Tuesday, in a meeting with Boyd Wright, a Native Aquatic Species Biologist with Colorado Parks and Wildlife we got our answer. Boyd was able to shine new light on George by explaining the details of the stream. George Creek sits at 9000 feet and has an easy gradient over about six land miles to it's confluence with Cornelius creek- most streams being looked at for greenback restoration are at 10000 ft or higher. Because of the easy gradient and elevation George Creek holds a consistent temperature above its high mountain counter parts. The temperature and elevation duo make George a well above average home for greenbacks.

With temperature and elevation taken care of, the next and most important question to ask is, did greenbacks originally inhabit this area of our state? Yes. The primary aspect of George is its location, after its confluence with Cornelius Creek it flows into the Cache La Poudre, from there its waters eventually wind their way to the South Platte, placing it squarely in the greenbacks native range. So although George may look like a challenging reintroduction site it offers up a robust ecosystem with many benefits. With our doubts eased we left the meeting satisfied with George Creek.

The road to George is a rocky one, literally. Windy, narrow, heavily forested, four wheel drive roads ensure your average sedan driving suburbanite is unable to access the miles of the moose ridden trout stream that is George Creek. With trucks and volunteers, Colorado Parks and Wildlife plan to build many fish barriers in George Creek to prevent nonnative fish from reentering the stream and to prevent the spread of whirling disease to the upper reaches of the creek. Without these barriers, nonnative brook trout would compete with the native cutthroat. Likewise, if whirling disease were to spread up stream it would wipe out the entire population of stocked greenbacks.

The barriers will do an adequate job of keeping the disease from moving up stream via fish, but it can also be spread by humans on dirty gear. It is important to take the proper precautions before recreating in the stream; be sure all of your gear is clean and dry and you walk from the headwaters of the stream down. To find information on cleaning gear see the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Angler Cleaning Card.

George Creek may not be seen as a divine ecosystem for greenbacks but given the current portfolio of streams for greenback restoration, it does provide the necessary diversity in habitat. Recruitment in the stream may be minimal per mile but with many miles of stream and a higher temperature range, along with lush riparian habitat to provide vibrant insect life, the stream makes it a livable home for the greenbacks.

Not to mention a nest egg for research biologists to study for years to come.

TU Report: LWCF Benefits Colorado's Great Outdoors

In 1964, Congress created the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to protect natural areas, water resources, and to provide recreation opportunities to all Americans. In its 50 year history, the LWCF has protected land in every state and helped support over 41,000 state and local parks.  It has invested in public lands like Rocky Mountain National Park as well as supporting local community recreation resources and parks, cultural heritage sites, and working landscapes.Yet the authorization for this successful program expires on September 30, 2015 - and Congress has not yet acted to extend it. On July 30, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted to send a bipartisan energy bill to the full Senate, but it still awaits that Senate vote.  (Click here to contact your representatives today and urge them to support the LWCF.) 

In Colorado, 77 percent of people are in support of the LWCF, the highest of any state.

Colorado has received $239 million in funds that have helped protect many state treasures like the Great Sand Dunes, Ophir Valley and Mesa Verde National Park- where $8.8 million in funds assisted in adding over 10,000 acres to the park since the year 2000. In return, outdoor recreation generates roughly $34.5 billion annually for the state.

To provide funds for recreation, LWCF uses revenues that stem from offshore oil and gas companies. Over $900 million is paid in royalties every year by these energy companies. However, in 50 years the LWCF has only been fully funded once, with Congress typically diverting some of the funds to other purposes.

While the LWCF has been an undisputed success in protecting public lands and promoting outdoor recreation, the program remains little known to many in the general public.  To help tell some of the LWCF's Colorado success stories, Colorado TU has issued a report: Colorado's Great Outdoors - The Land and Water Conservation Fund in Colorado (click to open the report as a PDF file).  Some examples of LWCF benefits to Colorado highlighted in the report include:

Fishing access & flood recovery.  In 1976 when the Big Thompson River was 19 feet above its normal level, lives, homes and businesses were all lost. In the aftermath of the flood, the county went to the LWCF for just over $1 million in funds that the state would then match. With the new funds the County acquired 80 key properties along the Big Thompson for parks and angling access - properties that were not redeveloped and, when the river flooded again in 2013, helped avert an estimated $16 million in property damages.

The Town of Lyons was in a similar circumstance when the floods of 2013 hit. On September 12, the St Vrain Creek was flowing at 19,500 cubic feet per second- normally averaging at 67 CFS in September. The devastating floods caused damages of roughly $50 million and wiped out 39 acres of major park facilities- the main source of revenue for the town. Funding from the LWCF will help rebuild and extend the St Vrain Corridor Trail that provides recreational access along the St Vrain Creek.

Protecting iconic landscapes.  President Herbert Hoover designated the Great Sand Dunes a national monument in 1932, but it would take nearly 70 years for the land to be recognized as a national park following the acquisition of the Baca Ranch. The designation was a direct result of grassroots efforts by residents of the San Luis Valley who recognized the unique landscape and the need to preserve it. The Great Sand Dunes, Baca National Wildlife Refuge, and the adjacent public lands all have benefited from LWCF funds in the past including with the critical initial acquisition of the Baca Ranch for the creation of the national park and preserve. Furthermore, Great Sand Dunes, Baca NWR, and the surrounding public lands have inholdings throughout the area, making management sometimes difficult because of the noncontiguous land pattern. LWCF funds have been used in the past to acquire some of these inholdings, easing management headaches and preserving this unique landscape.

According to surveys, 81 percent of voters approve of new land protection funding. In Colorado, Senators Michael Bennett and Cory Gardner are in full support of reauthorizing the LWCF to protect natural landscapes across the country for years to come. Members of Colorado’s House delegation are split on the issue.

Please visit the Action Center and urge your elected officials to reauthorize the LWCF!

A Trip To Zimmerman

Summer is ending, as we get ever closer to fall and winter our minds start to turn away from fishing toward the ski slopes. As summer is not quite over yet I think a couple more trips could be in order. Zimmerman Lake is a high mountain body of water nestled in a mountain bowl. It is surrounded by acres of National Forest, rimmed by scree fields that transition into craggy peaks that seem to kiss the clouds. The beauty of the place is not its most redeeming character though. Zimmerman is home to the only population of stocked greenback cutthroat trout in the nation. These fish represent the first step in greenback restoration across the state.

The greenbacks in Zimmerman are part of ground breaking genetic science that has never been seen before in the trout world. Right now the fish in Zimmerman are being weeded out by nature, any deformities, abnormalities or sickened fish will eventually die. This leaves only the fittest fish, these will be retaken and their genes will be analyzed to ensure breeding in captivity is as effective as possible. The genetic work surrounding the greenbacks is groundbreaking, by selectively breeding the fish biologists are attempting to steer greenbacks away from a genetic bottleneck.

There is one inflow stream coming into Zimmerman, it is not large but it does offer adequate habitat for spawning trout. In the spring greenbacks make their way up the stream to spawn, they return to the lake after eggs have been fertilized and fatten up the rest of the summer. Depending on the snow pack emerging fry swim down into the lake from mid October to November. By this time the summer has come to a close and food has become scarce, adult greenbacks in Zimmerman are eager for a free meal. When the fry enter the lake most, if not all, are eaten. The tiny inflow stream that brought the fry life delivers them as dinner to a waiting crowd of hungry mature greenbacks.

Fishing for these mature greenbacks is legal and easy. Zimmerman Lake is about a two and one half hour drive from Denver followed by a one mile hike from the parking lot. When at the lake pick up trash, fish with crimped barbs and respect other lake goers. Some effective flies are small streamers, small dark nymphs fished with an indicator, and the occasional hopper. It is important to fill out a catch card on the way out as these give Colorado Parks and Wildlife information on the usage of the area. Enjoy the fishing and the fish at Zimmerman because both are one of a kind.

Be sure to follow the greenbacks journey by visiting CTU's Greenback Recovery Efforts page here or at http://coloradotu.org/greenback-recovery-efforts/