SLV restoration project earns BLM award

Pueblo Chieftain VILLA GROVE —  Trout Unlimited’s Kerber Creek Restoration Project has received the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s 2010 Hardrock Mineral Environmental Award.

The BLM award is given to organizations that highlight environmental stewardship and acknowledges exceptional track records of meeting or exceeding federal, state or local reclamation requirements.

“This project would not have been possible without the dedicated efforts of our project partners at the BLM and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, as well as from local landowners who are invested in restoring the creek from the effects of mining,” said Elizabeth Russell, Trout Unlimited’s manager for the project.

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_76db782c-dff2-11df-8570-001cc4c002e0.html

Cleaning up a mine field

Pueblo Chieftain

By CHRIS WOODKA

Cleaning up old mining districts in Leadville has been a contentious issue in the community.An Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site was set up in California Gulch more than 20 years ago following releases of toxic metals that killed fish in an 18-mile reach of the Arkansas River. Issues with blockage in the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Leadville Tunnel erupted two years ago, leading to a major drilling project to relieve pressure from water backed up in drain tunnels.

The goal of the Lake Fork group is to avoid the same sort of controversy over cleanup efforts by bringing agencies, landowners and environmental groups together, said Melissa Wolfe, another faculty member who works with the team.

“The outreach has been a challenge, but we’ve had good participation from the agencies that are involved,” Wolfe said.

 A core of landowners who helped form the working group are still active but do not attend meetings as often as in the past, said Cathy Patti, CMC contract administrator.

Federal agencies include the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Geological Survey, EPA, Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service.

State agencies include the Department of Public Health and Environment, Division of Wildlife and the Division of Reclamation and Mining Safety.

 Local government, landowners and Trout Unlimited are also connected to the process.

http://www.chieftain.com/article_cd1cc392-dfef-11df-83de-001cc4c002e0.html

Lightner Creek runoff fouling Animas River

Durango Herald Lightner Creek is at it again. It would be hard to be a resident of the area, or even a visitor, and not notice the "stain" of gray-brown water that Lightner Creek is introducing into the Animas. While it is normal to see Lightner run turbid, or "off-color," during the spring runoff season, this level of turbidity and general nastiness at this time of year is not normal and is a cause of concern.

Why is this sort of turbidity - what I choose to call the Lightner Creek problem - happening at this time of year? One possible cause of the current problem is a substantial rain event back on Sept. 13 that dumped upwards of an inch of water on Durango and the Perin's Peak area.

Opinion piece from Buck Skillen, past president and current board member of Five Rivers Trout Unlimited and a local volunteer with River Watch.

http://durangoherald.com/sections/Opinion/2010/10/24/Lightner_Creek_runoff_fouling_Animas_River/

Division of Wildlife considers impacts of Windy Gap project

By Laura Snider

Camera Staff Writer

According to Colorado Trout Unlimited, if both the Windy Gap Firming Project and a proposed expansion of the Gross Reservoir -- which feeds Denver residents with water from the Colorado watershed -- are approved, as much as 70 percent of the upper Colorado River's native water flow will be removed on average.

"It's not happening in isolation," said Erica Stock, outreach director for Colorado Trout Unlimited.

In particular, Stock said her organization wants to make sure that Northern Water uses an accurate historical baseline of the Colorado River's flow to determine impacts and that it uses an "adaptive management" strategy, which would allow the mitigation measures to be changed if ecological effects are worse than anticipated.

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_16390616

Colorado Water Diversion Proposal Brings More Controversy

Kirk Siegler (2010-10-21)

GRANBY, CO (KUNC) - A proposal to divert more western Colorado water to the thirsty Front Range is bringing renewed debate over the health of the Colorado River basin. State wildlife commissioners will take public comment Thursday night in Granby on a plan by Northern Water to build a new storage reservoir on the Front Range.

The plan would require more water to be diverted from tributaries feeding Lake Granby and other reservoirs in Grand County.

Erica Stock of Colorado Trout Unlimited says anglers and wildlife advocates are already worried about existing water diversions near the headwaters of the Colorado River, "Which currently remove over half of the Colorado River,."

"And what's going to happen if we take 20% more of the river, how is that going to affect the ecosystem health if we don't address the current ecosystem impacts that we're observing every day today," Stock says.

Stock says taking more water out of the river system could lead to even higher water temperatures and more algae; seen as a detriment to fish.

Wildlife commissioners will hold a public meeting tonight at 6 the Inn at Silver Creek, 62927 US Highway 40, in Granby. © Copyright 2010, KUNC

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kunc/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1715774/Regional/Colorado.Water.Diversion.Proposal.Brings.More.Controversy

Speak up for the Upper Colorado River this THURSDAY

This Thursday, October 21st at 6:00pm at the Inn at Silver Creek (62927 US Highway 40, Granby), Wildlife Commissioners Dennis Buechler and Allan Jones will hold an important public meeting on the potential impacts of the Windy Gap Firming Project on the upper Colorado River and its surrounding communities. With significant declines in fish populations below Windy Gap reservoir already documented, the expansion of the Windy Gap project could lead to the ecological collapse of one of Colorado's valuable gold metal fisheries removing over 70% of the once mighty upper Colorado River's historic flows.

As stewards of Colorado's rivers and as sportsmen and women who will feel the impacts, it's our job to make sure this water project is done in way that protects our communities, fish, and wildlife.

Protecting the upper Colorado Headwaters is a HUGE priority for TU, CTU, and the  Colorado River Headwaters TU Chapter based in Grand County.  Join us if you can, but if not, feel free to get in touch with your local Wildlife Commissioner (click here for contact info).

Want to learn more? Need talking points?  Read the Windy Gap Firming Project Fact Sheet here, then click here to dig deeper into the project's potential impacts.

Hope to see you there!

Click here to share this action alert with friends on Facebook.

Salazar vows to protect habitat

by Emery CowanHerald Staff Writer

U.S. Rep. John Salazar on Friday announced plans to protect two areas of important wildlife habitat near Durango that have been considered recently for gas and oil development.

Under proposed legislation, Animas Mountain and Perins Peak wildlife areas would be protected from development for mineral extraction, Salazar, D-Manassa, said during a stop in Durango.

He also announced that he will draft legislation to protect the 155,000-acre Hermosa Creek watershed.

Trout Unlimited, in a news release Friday, lauded Salazar's announcement on protecting the Hermosa Creek watershed. The Five Rivers Chapter, based in Durango, said it has worked to balance local water and recreation concerns in the watershed and passed its recommendations on to Salazar.

http://durangoherald.com/sections/2010_Election/2010/10/09/Salazar_vows_to_protect_habitat/

Please help us collect 3,000 signatures to celebrate Colorado's rivers with the Protect Our Rivers plate!

During the upcoming 2011 legislative session, Colorado Trout Unlimited is introducing a bill to create the Protect Our Rivers license plate. The donations generated from these plates will be used to help CTU and our local chapters protect, conserve and restore Colorado’s rivers and watersheds – the money will remain local, 100% will be allocated within Colorado. To help ensure passage of the bill, we need your help to collect 3,000 signatures from Colorado residents that are interested in later purchasing the license plate. Note that signing the petition does not obligate you to purchase – at this time, you are merely expressing an interest.

Once the bill is passed, to obtain the Protect Our Rivers license plate, you must make a one-time, tax-deductible donation of $25 to Colorado Trout Unlimited. The design of the license plate has not been finalized yet, but it is likely to be very similar to the sample above.

To learn more about the Protect Our Rivers license plate, read the FAQ (frequently asked questions).

For now, we’d really appreciate it if you’d sign our petition! And don't forget to tell your friends!!

P.S. Special thanks to Cutthroat Chapter member Nick Hoover from Niby Design Group for the in-kind help designing the plate!!!

Colorado Volunteer Sharon Lance Receives Trout Unlimited’s Highest Award

Trout Unlimited has awarded its top volunteer honor to Sharon Lance, of Centennial, Colo.  TU President and CEO Chris Wood presented her with the award at the organization’s annual meeting in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire this past weekend. The Ray Mortensen Award for Outstanding Volunteer Leadership is granted annually to a “one in a thousand” individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to local coldwater fisheries conservation efforts.

During her 20-year involvement in TU, Lance has held numerous volunteer leadership positions, including president of the Cutthroat Chapter, located in suburban Denver. She has served as Colorado Trout Unlimited’s treasurer, vice president and president.  She has, for the last five years, served as a trustee on TU's board of trustees.

Lance, President of Fortin Financial Services, Inc., and a certified financial planner,  was a driving force in creating Colorado Trout Unlimited’s River Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp, a camp that teaches conservation and fly fishing to children ages 14 to 18. She was instrumental in bringing the Trout in the Classroom program to Colorado, an educational curriculum that teaches children about trout and conservation by having students raise trout in their classrooms.  Lance also led the Cheesman Canyon Restoration Project  along the South Platte River which rebuilt the Gill Trail and added river access trails to make the canyon safer and reduce erosion.  Read the full list of 2010 TU Volunteer Awards here.

State scrambles to find flows for fish

By CHRIS WOODKA

Pueblo Chieftain

Some of the raceways at the state fish hatchery have been shut down and thousands of fish stocked early in response to low flows in the Arkansas River. The Division of Wildlife scrambled this week to come up with a plan to keep a minimal amount of water in the Arkansas River below Pueblo Dam in order to save fish. Wildlife officials say cooperation helped, but a better solution is needed.

“There were some concerns from fishermen and Trout Unlimited about water temperature around Labor Day,” said Dan Prenzlow, southeastern regional manager for the DOW. “Here we are in a relatively good water year, seeing a drop in river levels.”

DOW purchased 1,000 acre-feet of water for $25,000 from Colorado Springs Utilities, but won’t begin releasing it until Saturday. In the meantime, State Parks continues to release water to keep flows up.

http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_d7fb9198-c7a9-11df-8bac-001cc4c002e0.html