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..
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.
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!
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Who: Sportsmen, hikers, campers, rafters, kayakers, wildlife enthusiasts--anyone who cares about our state’s rivers and outdoor quality of life
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Why: To ask Gov. Hickenlooper to use his authority to protect the Upper Colorado River from expanded diversions such as Windy Gap and Moffat
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Where: Colorado State Capitol building, downtown Denver, west steps
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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
Video: Sen. Udall Cites TU in Hardrock Cleanup
Today, [Senator] Mark Udall spoke on the Senate floor about the ongoing pollution occuring at abandoned hardrock mines across the West, raising the issue to gain support from his colleagues to find ways for Good Samaritans to clean up those contaminated sites without assuming full legal liability for contamination they did not create. Last week, Senator Udall sent a letter specifically asking the EPA for a policy that gives Good Samaritans some legal certainty for abandoned mine cleanups. Senators Michael Bennet of Colorado and Barbara Boxer of California also signed the letter."Hardrock mine pollution is a terrible reminder of irresponsible mining in the West. Where Good Samaritans are willing and able to responsibly clean up pollution, leaving our treasured landscapes and watersheds better than they were before, we should do everything we can to support them," Udall said. "Good Samaritans are too valuable of a resource to keep on the sidelines. Congress should do what is necessary to bring their efforts to bear on the cleanup of abandoned mine pollution," Udall concluded in the speech. "Good Samaritans can't solve all of our abandoned mine pollution problems, but we can't afford to turn away those willing to help any longer." The mines pollute watersheds and endanger the health of communities and wildlife that depend on the clean water downstream. Udall has advocated for a fix to this problem since his days in the House. In 2009, Udall introduced the Good Samaritan Cleanup of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act in the Senate (S.1777), which would free Good Samaritan volunteers to help clean up abandoned mines without taking on the liability. Since then, Udall has met with Good Samaritan groups to discuss their efforts, and he continues to work with the EPA to find a way to legally protect these groups that are willing and able to responsibly clean up polluted sites around the state. Please contact Tara Trujillo or Jennifer Talhelm at 202-224-4334.
Watch the video of Senator Udall's speech
Below is text of the speech as prepared for delivery: Mr./Madam President, I have come to the Floor today to talk about an environmental problem that affects many parts of Colorado as well as other Western states: abandoned hardrock mines. These mines pollute thousands of miles of streams and rivers in America with a toxic soup of heavy metals, including arsenic, lead and mercury. This pollution impairs drinking water and kills aquatic and plant life for miles downstream. This is a problem that does not get enough attention in Congress. It is my hope that by speaking today I can spur this body and the administration to take greater steps to help solve the problem. I invite my colleagues to join me in this effort. First, a little background: Starting in the 1800s, miners flocked to the West in search of fortune following the discovery of precious minerals like gold, lead, copper and silver. They settled in places with names like Leadville and Silverton and Gypsum. Mining became an important part of our history, settlement and development in Colorado. But it also left a deadly and dirty legacy. When a claim was mined for all it was worth, the miner frequently packed up and left without a thought about the lasting problems the mine would cause. This was an era before modern mining laws that hold miners accountable for their impacts on the land. In many cases, it is impossible to identify today the persons responsible for the vast majority of these abandoned mines. The Government Accountability Office estimates there are over 160,000 such abandoned hardrock mines in the West: 73 hundred are in Colorado, 47 thousand are in California, and another 50 thousand are in Arizona. Today, highly acidic water still drains from these mines, polluting entire watersheds. Following the logic that a picture is worth a thousand words, I want to show my colleagues what acid mine drainage looks like. This is the Red and Bonita mine in San Juan County, Colorado, near Silverton. For scale, note the pickup truck on the left hand side. Over 300 gallons of water drain from this mine every minute. The water is contaminated with all kinds of heavy metals that produce the orange and red streaks you see here. Highly acidic water flows into Cement Creek and eventually into the Animas River, impairing water quality and aquatic life. For a region of Colorado that thrives on tourism, including angling, this situation is extremely harmful. From EPA data we can conservatively estimate that over 10 thousand miles of streams and rivers and nearly 350 thousand acres of lakes are impaired in this country as a result of acid mine drainage. So, what is being done? For one, at those sites where a responsible party can be identified, the federal government has tools at its disposable to hold them accountable. Also, the federal land management agencies have a variety of programs that mitigate abandoned hardrock mine pollution. However, the efforts I want to focus on today are those undertaken by a third category of people - entities that had no role in creating the pollution at an abandoned mine yet want to make the site better. Appropriately enough, we refer to these entities as Good Samaritans. One such Good Samaritan is the Animas River Stakeholders Group in southwestern Colorado. They are working to find solutions to clean up the Red and Bonita Mine. Often these Good Samaritans are non-profits whose mission is to restore the natural environment. Sometimes they are community groups who want to improve their cities and towns. Sometimes they are mining companies looking to be good stewards in the communities they operate. And sometimes they are state and local governments. Take, for example, the Tiger Mine near Leadville, Colorado. This picture was taken before any remediation actions were taken. You can see the piles of mine waste and drainage coming from the mine flowing beside it. At peak flows, as much as 150 gallons per minute of water contaminated with cadmium, copper, lead, zinc and iron flows out of the Tiger Mine. Some remediation work has already been completed, as you can see in this second picture. The mine waste was moved out of the way, capped and revegetated. And ditches were put in above the mine to divert surface water runoff and further reduce contamination. You can also see in this picture that four pits have been dug below the mine. This represents the next phase of the cleanup being led by Trout Unlimited - another Good Samaritan. Eventually, these pits will become what is known as a sulfate-reducing bioreactor. As the presiding officer knows, I was not a chemistry major. I won't attempt to describe how this thing works. But the end result is a good thing: acid mine drainage flows in and cleaner water flows out. However, Trout Unlimited has run into a problem that has frustrated many Good Samaritans. The bioreactor counts as a point source of pollution. Therefore, before Trout Unlimited can turn the bioreactor "on," they must obtain a Clean Water Act permit. Trout Unlimited cannot meet the stringent permit requirements without investing in far more expensive water treatment options. Nor can they afford to assume the liability that comes with a permit. As a result, the bioreactor sits unused. Federal law is, in effect, sidelining some of our best hopes for remediation. I have tried for several years to give Good Samaritans some relief. I have introduced legislation every congress since 2002 that creates a unique permit specifically for this kind of work. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to convince enough of my colleagues just how good an idea this is. But I will keep trying. In addition, I have been working with Senator Boxer to encourage EPA to better use the administrative tools they have at their disposal. Good Samaritans report to me that administrative tools have been cumbersome to use so far and don't offer the full Clean Water Act protection they need. So Senator Boxer and I, along with Senator Bennet, have asked EPA to make this tool more accessible to Good Samaritans. And last week we asked the agency to provide Good Samaritans with assurances they will not be subject to enforcement for appropriate actions taken to clean up acid mine pollution. I am grateful for the work EPA has done to focus on these issues and for Senator Boxer's leadership. Good Samaritans are too valuable of a resource to keep on the sidelines. Congress should do what is necessary to bring their efforts to bear on the cleanup of abandoned mine pollution. Good Samaritans can't solve all of our abandoned mine pollution problems. But we can't afford to turn away those willing to help any longer.
CTU Gala Seeks Sponsors
Colorado Trout Unlimited presents our annual dinner and gala, Friday, March 16 at the Arvada Center. Proceeds from this high-profile event benefit statewide programs for river protection, legislative advocacy, on-the-ground projects and more. The Colorado TU gala is much more than an auction, and it's about far more than fishing. It's an entertaining social event for couples, members of the business community, clients and others who support healthy streams and clean water. It's also a great event for our sponsor group, which includes financial institutions, legal firms, micro-brewers and others. Varying levels of support make sponsorship easy.
If you're interested in becoming a sponsor, or would like to help us recruit new sponsors, we'd love to hear from you. Call David Nickum at 720-581-8589.
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
Colorado TU Youth Camp
We are now accepting applications for the seventh annual River Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp, June 10-15, 2012 at the High Lonesome Ranch near DeBeque, CO. Applications must be received by April 15, 2012. The camp is designed to educate 14 to 18 year old students on the importance of coldwater conservation and provide hands-on fly fishing instruction. Approximately 20 students are selected each year, based on their qualifications and a written essay on why they would like to attend the camp.
“Our hope is that kids who attend our camp today will become the conservation leaders of tomorrow," said Shawn Bratt, a veteran youth camp counselor and winner of national Trout Unlimited's Outstanding Youth Education Volunteer. "It’s important for these students to understand the value of healthy streams and clean water and how they relate to our everyday lives. The camp curriculum has been structured to provide the necessary foundation for that education.”
Camp classes include: principles of ecology, hydro-geology, aquatic vertebrate and invertebrate sampling, hydrology, trout behavior, trout stream entomology, the biology of pollution, acid deposition, and politics of conservation and human effects on the Rocky Mountains.
In addition, the camp will include hands-on classes such as fly tying, fly casting, streamside ethics, angling literature, streamside botany, wader safety and survival, and the evolution of an angler. Students will also participate in a watershed project to repair habitat in a nearby stream.
The River Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp includes faculty from various environmental fields and state agencies such as the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Department of Environmental Protection and National Forest Service. The cost to attend the six-day camp is $450. Download the materials below or contact Mike Nicholson at 303-987-8425 for more information.
- 2012 River Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp Flyer
- 2012 River Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp Application
For Parents
- Parents will receive an information packet which contains several forms that require a parental signature, after the student has been selected for the camp.
- All camp personnel undergo a background check through the national Trout Unlimited organization.
- Campers "camp out" in tents under close supervision, and are expected to bring proper equipment.
- Flight leaders supervise the camp and both male and females are represented.
- Food is catered by local company and all is cooked on the site.
Rky Mtn Flycasters Expo 2/15
Rocky Mountain Flycasters Fly Tying Expo
Nearly two dozen professional and experienced tiers from our region converge in Fort Collins to demonstrate their fly tying skills and share tips on tying and fishing with their special patterns.
Wednesday, Feb 15, 5:30-9:00pm
Every year, well over 100 people attend the Rocky Mountain Flycasters Fly Tying Expo. Th is year's Expo promises to be even bigger and better.
- Well-known tiers share their skills and tips
- Food from Old Chicago
- Random drawings for each tier’s flies
- Random drawing for a terrific fly rod
- Silent auctions for many quality equipment items, supplies, books, etc.
- Beginners table where you can learn to tie your own flies
- Admission: $20 per person ($10 for students with ID).
Fort Collins Senior Center - 1200 Raintree Dr
With the price of admission you get a plate of food and a beverage, 10 raffle tickets ( 5 for students) for the fl y and rod drawings, and a wealth of tying and fishing information.
Learn from Rick Takahashi, Marty Staub, Dave Coulson, Jerry Hubka, Connor Murphy, Dennis Martin, Jason Haddix, Caleb Van Wagner, Mark Tracy, Marc McMillan, Dick Shinton, Jake Ruthven, Ted Meredith, Al Ritt, Grant Houx, Jin Choi, Tanner Irwin, Guy Turenne and others.
Don’t miss this once-a-year opportunity! Map and more at rockymtn ycasters.org.
West Denver Fly Clinic Saturday
Jeffco Fairgrounds 8:30a
The West Denver Chapter of Trout Unlimited is holding its 36th Annual Fly Tying Clinic on February 11, at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. This Clinic has become a staple for the local fly tying community, featuring about 60 of the best tiers from the Rocky Mountain Region, in addition to some outlying States such as Texas and Nebraska.
You'll have an opportunity to learn how to tie a wide range of patterns from the masters, asd well as the chance to buy their flies. In addition to the tiers, Alan Kube, recently named "Bamboo Rod Maker of the Year" will be available to discuss the merits of bamboo, and Jonathan Walter, a certified fly casting instructor, will be willing to provide you with tips on improving your casting. And, there will be door prizes, a bucket raffle, silent auction, and a chance to purchase tickets for a "Fantasy Raffle which offers the winner over $3,500 in merchandise.
Admission is $10 (children 12 years of age or under are admitted free), and $2 discount coupons are available at local fly shops. Doors open at 8:30 AM. Food and drinks will be available at the site. If you have any questions and/or want more information, please check the Chapter's website at wesdenvertu.org or call Jon Weimer at 303-830-1609.
