Native trout hitch a ride home on the backs of volunteers

Photo Credit: Jack Bombardier, Confluence Casting

Photo Credit: Jack Bombardier, Confluence Casting

Photo Credit: Jack Bombardier, Confluence Casting

Photo Credit: Jack Bombardier, Confluence Casting

Pictured: UpslopeBrewing Co., Western Native Trout Initiative, and Colorado Trout Unlimited. 

CLEAR CREEK, CO – This week, the endangered Greenback Cutthroat Trout got a major boost from Trout Unlimited volunteers and agency partners in Colorado. 

Once thought to be extinct, this rare fish is making a big comeback thanks to the efforts of the Greenback Cutthroat Recovery Team – a partnership that includes the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife, the National Park Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Western Native Trout Initiative, and Trout Unlimited.

Over the course of two days in mid-July, 1,700 Year 1 Cutthroats (~4-6 inches) made their way into two headwater drainages in the Clear Creek Watershed, an hour west of Denver, CO.  The Dry Gulch and Herman Gulch creeks represent the first major river populations for this threatened species since it was rediscovered in 2012. 

To help agency partners stock these important little fish, over 80 Trout Unlimited volunteers carried the cutthroats in large packs up steep switchbacks and bush-wacked through dense brush to get to the remote rivers.  Some people hiked over six miles into the top of the drainage (over 11,500 feet)! These volunteers came from ten different TU chapters and represented all walks of life – anglers and conservationists coming together to recover this native trout.

“We couldn’t do it without the volunteers,” says Paul Winkle, Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologist for the Clear Creek Drainage.  It was a major undertaking that took a lot of support from agency staff, non-profit partners, and local businesses.

At Colorado TU, we are very proud of the hard work and dedication that our chapters and volunteers provide to these projects. It shows what can happen when people focus on collaboration and overcoming differences.  It didn’t matter whether someone was young or old, Democrat or Republican, a dry fly purist or never fished before – we were all side by side, climbing those steep trails together. All to save the Greenback.

That's right! Over 80 volunteers and 20+ agency staff from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, US Forest Service, and US Fish and Wildlife service packed up 1700 native Greenback cutthroat trout to be released along Dry Gulch and Herman Gulch on July 16 & 18. These little trout were raised in a hatchery as part of  a statewide effort to restore population's of Colorado's state fish. I'm not sure if you can tell if a fish is happy, but those little guys sure looked excited to be released into their new home. Check out the video spotlight that CBS Local Channel 4 did about the effort, below:

Feeling inspired? Learn more about Native Trout across Colorado - the efforts to protect and restore populations and ways to get involved.

Volunteers gather before setting off to deliver native trout to their new home. Volunteers and staff from: 

U.S. Forest Service-Arapaho & Roosevelt Natl Forests Pawnee Natl Grassland, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Southwest Region, Pikes Peak Chapter of Trout Unlimited #508, St. Vrain Anglers Trout Unlimited, The Greenbacks | Colorado Trout Unlimited, basin + bend, Western Native Trout Initiative, Dublin Dog Co., West Denver Trout Unlimited, Cutthroat Chapter of Trout Unlimited,Boulder Flycasters, Colorado Parks and Wildlife,Trout Unlimited, Gore Range Anglers - Trout Unlimited and Upslope Brewing Company.

A big shout out to all the volunteers who came out to hike and haul the native trout to their new homes, and to the various groups and agencies that came out to restore Colorado's native fisheries. Read the full story that CBS Channel 4 News did here.

Pictured: Western Native Trout Initiative Sticker and Dublin Dog Co. trout collar. 

Thank you to the following:

• Colorado Parks and Wildlife

• US Forest Service

• US Fish and Wildlife

• Western Native Trout Initiative

• Dublin Dog Co.

• Upslope Brewing Co.

• Basin + Bend

• Loveland Ski Co.

• The Greenbacks

• CBS Channel News 4

• Trout Unlimited Chapters

• Trout Unlimited

Cold Water 1: If it's good for the fish, then it's good for the beer.

Pictured: A glass of Cold Water 1, right from the tap. It's a lightly hopped pilsner with tones of mountain sage and wild currant (where the deep red color comes from). 

Odell Brewing in Fort Collins has become a valued friend of Trout Unlimited and the Rocky Mountain Flycasters Chapter. They recognize the benefit their business derives from low cost, high quality water. Equally important, many of their patrons enjoy and recreate on the rivers and streams that we are so committed to protecting or improving. They have been generous supporters of our work, and we both have come to realize that ‘If it’s good for fish, it’s good for beer’!

Recently, we received an invite to come into the brewery and craft a beer in honor of TU and specifically, the launch of the long-awaited Poudre Headwaters Greenback Restoration Project. On May 30th, members of Rocky Mountain Flycasters and US Forest Service met at Odell Brewing to craft a new beer to celebrate both the Poudre Headwaters Project and TU.

While many of us involved in crafting the beer enjoy the post-production product, none of us were well-schooled in the details of making beer. Marni Wahlquist, a head pilot brewer at Odell Brewing, guided us through every step of the approximate six-hour brewing process. Our first decision was to decide on type and flavor profile of the beer. Following discussion, we settled on a lightly hopped pilsner with tones of mountain sage and wild currant. The two-row barley used in the pilsner paid homage to the agricultural community from which the project has evolved. In keeping with a high mountain stream theme, we settled on a name for the beer – Cold Water 1. The name refers to a grading system used by State agencies to describe aquatic habitat. 

“Cold Water 1 references the highest level of stream water quality. Cold and fresh, just like beer should be!”

Pictured left to right: Matt Fairchild, USFS Fisheries Biologist and Project Lead; Mickey McGuire RMF President; Wil Huett RMF; Dick Jefferies, CTU Board Vice President

Fast forward to July 1st. A warm, sunny day. Perfect weather for the Cold Water 1 release party at Odell Brewing. While the party was scheduled for 1pm, I was determined to be at Odell when they opened to insure a chance at the first draw of our newly crafted beer. While not a beer aficionado, I find it to be refreshing, lightly hopped, a bit fruity but not overpowering, with a hint of sage on the nose after swallow. Cold and fresh! Just like beer should be. Just like streams should be.It is a beer that reminds us all – If it’s good for fish, it’s good for beer.

Check out Odell Brewing Co. and you can try the new beer at the location in Fort Collins.

Written by Dick Jefferies, CTU Board Vice President

Thompson Divide protections preserved in settlement

The BLM announced some good news for Colorado’s native cutthroat trout and big game populations on June 22 after reaching a settlement in the lawsuit filed by oil and gas company SG Interests over the cancellation of 18 leases to drill in the Thompson Divide area of the White River National Forest near Carbondale, Colorado. The leases covered more than 21,000 acres (about 33 square miles) featuring prime big game habitat and native cutthroat trout streams in watersheds providing source water to the Crystal and Roaring Fork Rivers, as well as local communities.

Thompson Creek in the Thompson Divide.  Photo: Josh Duplechian

Leases to drill in the Thompson Divide were improperly issued by BLM in 2003. A coalition of county and local governments, ranchers, local businesses, sportsmen and citizen groups – including Trout Unlimited – mobilized and worked for years to protect the Thompson Divide. BLM ultimately recognized that the leases had been issued in violation of the law and cancelled them in 2016. 

In early 2017, SG Interests filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court to challenge BLM’s decision. Under the settlement, SG agrees to dismiss its case in exchange for a payment of $1.5 million from the federal government. The settlement compensates SG for investments made toward developing the leases but leaves the 2016 lease cancellations in effect.

“SG’s leases were issued in violation of the law, and these lands never should have been leased in the first place,” said Michael Freeman, a staff attorney at Earthjustice representing Wilderness Workshop and Colorado Trout Unlimited.  “BLM properly cancelled the leases in 2016. We’re glad to see that SG is dropping its challenge to those cancellations.”

The Thompson Divide area stretches across Pitkin, Garfield and Gunnison Counties and encompasses no fewer than nine National Forest roadless areas. The area includes habitat for deer, elk and a variety of sensitive wildlife species, including cold water streams vital to native cutthroat trout. Because it supports recreation, ranching and other local industries, the Thompson Divide produces an estimated 300 jobs and pumps more than $30 million into the local economy.

“From its prime big game habitat to unique native cutthroat trout fisheries, the Thompson Divide is a Colorado treasure for hunters and anglers,” said David Nickum, executive director of Colorado Trout Unlimited. “For years, sportsmen and women have fought to protect these lands — so we’re pleased that BLM and SG have reached an agreement that will keep them intact.”

While the settlement is an important step toward protecting the region, it does not end the threat posed by oil and gas development. Sen. Michael Bennet introduced legislation last year (S.481 - Thompson Divide Withdrawal and Protection Act of 2017) to permanently protect the Thompson Divide. With the specter of SG's 2003 leases and lawsuit no longer hanging over the area, Colorado TU hopes that his bill can gain momentum so that this treasured landscape can receive the lasting protection it deserves.

Volunteers make way for Greenback trout recovery efforts along Rock Creek

Volunteers working to dislodge a disruptive beaver dam along Rock Creek drainage in Colorado. Image courtesy of: Basin+Bend. 

On June 21, 2018, volunteers and Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff met between Fairplay and Grant, CO to work on helping take down beaver dams along the Rock Creek drainage. The Rock Creek drainage is a critical piece of the Greenback recovery puzzle and will provide nearly eight miles of connected stream habitat once the project is completed.  With the help of Trout Unlimited volunteers and chapters, agency partners, and private landowners, there are 4.5 miles of stream that are currently being prepared for greenback reintroduction in the next 2-3 years.  The project below will help make progress on the remaining 3.4 miles of critical habitat.

Last Thursday, volunteers focused on removing beaver dams from sections of the Rock Creek drainage in order to help CPW treat the area for Whirling Disease and non-native brook trout. Volunteers hiked up about a mile and used various tools to help dislodge the dams that were blocking creek flows. A huge thank you to all the volunteers for all their hard work, which resulted in the second scheduled day of work not being needed! Nice job, everyone! If you are interested in future projects, we have upcoming ones listed here. 

To learn more about Native trout and restoration projects across Colorado check out our page here. Check out the great pictures taken by Erik Myhre of Basin+Bend in Evergreen, CO. 

Pictures courtesy of Basin+Bend. 

Joel Evans, CTU Board Member, featured in news report about saving the rainbow trout in Colorado

REPOST FROM KRTV.COM: 

Joel Evans has been fishing the same stretch of the Gunnison River in western Colorado for more than 40 years. Like most anglers in those parts, for him, one species of fish is king: the rainbow trout. 

Colorado wildlife officials working to save fish

But in the 1990s, that fight between fish and fisherman shifted to one between rainbow trout and a parasite that invaded Colorado rivers. It causes whirling disease, an aquatic plague where young fish are deformed, swim in circles and die of starvation. 
 
What does he like about them most? "There's a bit of fight involved," he said. since, Renzo DelPiccolo of Colorado Parks and Wildlife has been working to keep the rainbow trout alive through various breeding programs, but at great cost and with only limited success. He's seen a tenfold decrease in the fish's population. Ever

VIDEO: Reintroduction of Native Greenback Trout in Estes Park, CO

Join Alpine Anglers Trout Unlimited Chapter as they head out to the Big Thompson for a day of fishing. Learn about the important work going on in the area in regards to habitat restoration to help with the reintroduction of native Greenback Cutthroat Trout. Check out the great video below and learn more about what the chapter is doing here.

Learn about fishing the Big Thompson and other waters surrounding Estes Park, Colorado, along with the reintroduction of the Greenback Cutthroat Trout.

Stream Monitoring: What's New?

A note from National TU Staffer, Kurt Fesenmyer: 

"One great way to take the pulse of your local river is by monitoring stream temperatures. Inexpensive data loggers offer the opportunity to record water temperatures every hour for several years, providing easy access to important information on seasonal patterns, short-term trends, and the impacts of restoration projects or other activities in a watershed.

TU’s Science Team has spent the past few months test driving a new data logger for monitoring stream temperatures. We’re happy to report that the new loggers work very well and should make monitoring your local stream even easier. The new loggers — the Onset TidbiT MX series — are the latest iteration of the reliable Tidbit product line. We are recommending the Tidbit MX2203, which cost just over $100 each.

The new model includes several features that will prove very useful for long-term stream temperature monitoring—they have a four-year battery life under normal conditions and a replaceable battery; they can be launched and their data downloaded using a Bluetooth connection and the free Onset HOBOmobile app; and they have a ‘water detect’ feature that can be used for monitoring stream drying and patterns of intermittency. For more information about the loggers, including basic instructions on calibrating, setting up, and launching loggers, as well as details on how to receive a discount Onset is kindly offering TU volunteers, check out the newly updated Version 3 of TU’s Stream Temperature Monitoring handbook.

The handbook contains some basic guidance on "Why," "Where," and "When" to monitor and is a great starting place for chapters thinking about stream temperature monitoring. Additional resources are available on TU’s stream temperature monitoring resources webpage."

If you are interesting in citizen science opportunities in Colorado. Contact Grassroots Coordinator Dan Omasta, DOmasta@tu.org 

2018 Gomolchak Grant helps fund 6 different Colorado projects

The Leo Gomolchak Conservation Grants Program, named for Leo Gomolchak, a longtime CTU staffer and volunteer who worked tirelessly to promote wild and native trout restoration in Colorado helps benefit conservation efforts and organizational development at the chapter level by providing seed money which can be used as a starting point in financing grassroots conservation and/or education activities. This year at the 2018 Western Regional Rendezvous on Sunday, April 29, Keystone, CO, six projects across Colorado were awarded each $1300. Below are those recipients and their corresponding projects. Congratulations!

Boulder Flycasters: Trout in the Classroom and Watershed Education. The chapter, in collaboration with Lefthand and Fourmile Watershed groups, will establish four new Trout in the Classroom locations as part of a broader watershed education program to engage Boulder County students in watershed education and conservation.

The Greenbacks: Rock Creek / Black Canyon native trout. The Greenbacks are part of a multi-agency partnership to restore native greenback cutthroat trout in Rock Creek and its tributary Black Canyon (located in the upper Tarryall drainage). These funds will be part of the matching resources for construction of the final permanent barrier at the bottom of the total project. The Greenbacks will be holding a fall 2018 fundraiser with 100% of proceeds going toward this project, as additional matching resources for this grant.

Gunnison Angling Society: Adopt-a-Trout 2.0. Building on the well-received adopt-a-trout program conducted with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Gunnison area students on Tomichi Creek, this project will involve area students in a similar monitoring effort to assess fish migration among Tomichi, Cochetopa and Quartz Creeks.

Southern Colorado Greenbacks: Trout in the Classroom. The Southern Colorado Greenbacks will help launch a new Trout in the Classroom site with a Pueblo-area middle school, where the partner teacher would use the program to engage her students with hands-on learning about nature including the understanding of water quality. The chapter will match Gomolchak Grant funds with proceeds raised through their Frostbite Fishoff.

St. Vrain Anglers: Trout in the Classroom. The St Vrain Anglers are will be bringing Trout in the Classroom to a Lyons elementary school. The Gomolchak Grant will help cover the initial capital costs for equipment, with the chapter than providing annual support to cover site operating costs as a match on this grant.

West Denver: RiverWatch. The West Denver Chapter is tackling a water quality monitoring project with RiverWatch on three sites along Clear Creek, including not just basic water chemistry but also macroinvertebrate sampling. One of the sampling events would be conducted in partnership with a Forest Service kids day education event on the Forest.

Contact David if you have any questions (dnickum@tu.org, or 303-440-2937 x1).

Trout Unlimited in Colorado 2017 Annual Report

We are happy to announce that our 2017 Annual Report is live and available for your viewing. Last year was filled with great work across the whole state and the finishing up of many restoration projects and continuing others! Thank you to everyone who supported Trout Unlimited in Colorado last year.

Click here to read the CTU 2017 Annual Report

Rainbow trout resistant to Whirling Disease headed for Arkansas River

Check out Trout Unlimited volunteers working through the cold to help CPW aquatic biologists with their year-old rainbow trout that will be released into the Arkansas River. The fish are resistant to "whirling disease [which] is thought to be a major factor in the declines of wild rainbow trout populations in certain Colorado waters. It's suspected that the outbreak of the disease may be linked to other environmental factors that aren't yet apparent. The parasite has been confirmed in 13 of Colorado's 15 major river drainages, including the Colorado, South Platte, Gunnison, Arkansas and Rio Grande rivers, as well as in a number of state hatcheries." CPW Fact Sheet on Whirling Disease Video via Denver Post.