Kirk Deeter to Edit Trout Magazine

Trout Unlimited has chosen author, angling guide and local boy Kirk Deeter as the new editor of Trout Magazine, which reaches 140,000 TU members nationwide.

"TROUT is the Gold Standard in this industry," Deeter said, "and I take my new responsibilities very seriously. I've been a Trout Unlimited member for years, and I've long admired TU and the work it does on behalf of fish and fishing all over the country. Serving its members through the pages of TROUT, and helping them channel their passion for fishing into helping TU accomplish its goals is something I'm very excited to take on."

Read National Trout Unlimited's press announcement

Oil & Gas Ad Doesn't Add Up

A controversial radio "Public Service Announcement" produced by the Colorado Oil and Gas Association includes a sound bite by Governor Hickenlooper to the effect that there hasn't been any groundwater contamination associated with drilling or fracking in Colorado since 2008.

There are those who differ:

“There are spills on a weekly basis that affect groundwater,” said Earthjustice attorney Mike Freeman, adding that state records show there were 58 spills from oil and gas operations in 2011."

That quote is one of several in a piece written by Bob Berwyn for the Summit County Citizen's Voice.

Read Bob Berwyn's article

Black Canyon Fishing Show Saturday

It won't cost you a dime to drop in at the Black Canyon Fly Fishing show this Saturday, March 3 at the Montrose County Fairgrounds.

The Black Canyon Fly Fishing Show is sponsored by Gunnison Gorge Anglers and features:

• 40+ Fly tiers
• Youth events including fly tying, casting and contests
• Hourly fishing programs
• Local fly shops and vendors
• A fantastic raffle package & door prize of an HDTV
• Evening banquet and auction - $25

Hours: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm - show is one-day only, March 3

Location: Friendship Hall at Montrose County Fairgrounds.

Visit the Gunnison Gorge Anglers website

Bass Pro Shops Fishing Classic

This mega event takes place over 3 successive weekends - February 24 through March 11

There's a ton of stuff going on over the next few weekends, including fishing seminars, rod trade-ins, daily specials and fly tying exhibitions by renowned local anglers. Be sure to stop by the Cherry Creek Anglers and West Denver TU tables and say hello.

Here's a link to their website, where you can find all the scheduled events.

Here's a link to a flyer listing all the participating tyers.

River Rally II Rocks Capitol

Hear Case Philip sing "Don't Suck the Uppper Colorado Dry" on YouTube.

A group of more than 70 boisterous Defend the Colorado advocates gathered at the state capitol to hand-deliver a giant post card to governor Hickenlooper's office. Why a giant post card? Because it had to have enough room for the 2,000 people who wanted to sign it and comment. Their message?  'Don't Suck the Upper Colorado River Dry.'

"Can you hear us now?"

Since the rally happened right outside his office window, the governor - or at least his staff - probably heard it loud and clear. A group of about 70 river advocates turned out to hear several speakers, including Drew Peternell, director of TU's Colorado Water Project, who told the crowd that the recreation opportunities many Coloradans take for granted "will no longer exist" on the Upper Colorado if the river is not protected.

Fraser Valley TU Headwaters chapter president Kirk Klancke emotionally recounted how his children had worried about the health of the Upper Colorado and wondered if it would be there for them.

And Field and Stream columnist Kirk Deeter offered an analogy to plans to take two-thirds of the Upper Colorado flows -- would it be acceptable, he asked, if the state decided to take two-thirds of Pikes Peak, another Colorado icon?

Read Deeter's terrific blog post on that theme here.

The governor certainly won't be "the decider" when it comes to water projects on the upper Colorado River, but we believe he should weigh-in and try to influence the final decision. Here's what we think water-project developers need to do:

• Manage the water supply to keep the rivers cool, clear and healthy.
• Ensure healthy flushing flows to prevent river habitat from filling in with silt.
• Monitor the rivers’ health and a commitment to take action if needed to protect them.
• Bypass the Windy Gap dam to reconnect Colorado River and restore river quality.

The Defend the Colorado coalition includes Colorado Trout Unlimited and a range of stakeholders, including conservation and wildlife groups, landowners, and outdoor recreationists. More than 400 western slope businesses have signed a petition asking state leaders to protect the Upper Colorado.

The event received some good media coverage, including a report on Colorado Public Radio and a great column in the Denver Post by outdoor writer Scott Willoughby. http://www.denverpost.com/willoughby/ci_20014054

For more information, go to www.DefendTheColorado.org.

FERC Rejects Million Permit

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has dismissed a hydropower permit application for a proposed 500-mile water pipeline from the Green River to Colorado’s Front Range.

Developer Aaron Million’s idea was to use the water flowing downhill from the top of the Continental Divide to generate power to - at least partially - offset the enormous cost of pumping it up there in the first place. But FERC may have viewed the application by Wyco Power and Water as an attempt to short cut the federal review process for the entire pipeline project. It’s clear that this is a massive water supply project and that hydropower would have played a small part. “We are pleased that the FERC recognized that Aaron’s proposal is premature,” says Drew Peternell, Director of TU’s Colorado Water Project. “In our view, the time will never come when this project is deserving of a permit.” While this doesn’t kill Million’s dream, it highlights how much work is yet to be done, least of which is to determine the pipeline’s precise route. FERC emphasizes that uncertainty in its Order of Dismissal:

Until some certainty regarding the authorization of the pipeline is presented, Wyco will not be able to gather and obtain the information required to prepare a license application for a proposed hydropower project.  Therefore, there is no purpose under the FPA for issuing a permit to Wyco for its proposed hydropower project at this time.  For this reason, Wyco’s preliminary permit application is dismissed as premature.

Read the full Order of Dismissal: http://elibrary.FERC.gov/idmw/file_list.asp?accession_num=20120223-30

Read the Denver Post article by Bruce Finley.

Healthy Rivers: Check!

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..

Read more about the Colorado Healthy Rivers Fund

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.

Read the full text of the letter.

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!

• Who:  Sportsmen, hikers, campers, rafters, kayakers, wildlife enthusiasts--anyone who cares about our state’s rivers and outdoor quality of life

• Why:  To ask Gov. Hickenlooper to use his authority to protect the Upper Colorado River from expanded diversions such as Windy Gap and Moffat

• Where: Colorado State Capitol building, downtown Denver, west steps

• 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