C-BT and the Colorado River

For over six million years, the Colorado River flowed from the Never Summer mountains in what is now Rocky Mountain National Park, to the sea of Cortez- cutting through over a vertical mile of a vast landscape while carving majestic canyons along the way. When the Ute and Arapaho tribes came to the Grand Lake area, near the headwaters of the Colorado River, they saw what was once a raging river. But through transmountain diversions, like Colorado- Big Thompson, the river seen by early inhabitants is not the same river it is today.

At the turn of the Century, when spring snow melt occurred, the waters of the Colorado would fill the banks and flood mountain valleys. While on the other side of the Continental Divide, farmers and ranchers along the plains were starving for water. In 1933, the Greeley Chamber of Commerce formed a committee to survey a transmountain diversion that would tap into the Colorado River headwaters near Grand Lake.

The groups lobbying for the diversion- named Colorado- Big Thompson (C-BT)- got their way in 1938 when Congress approved the project. And 19 years later in 1957, the project was completed. The C-BT was the biggest transmountain water diversion the state of Colorado has ever seen.

The water from the Upper Colorado flows from Lake Granby (which acts as the storage facility), then it is is pumped into Shadow Mountain Reservoir where it then flows down into Grand Lake. From Grand Lake, the water then is pumped through the 13.1 mile long Alva B. Adams Tunnel under the Continental Divide and flows into the Big Thompson River. From there, the water drops into power plants that supply the pumps on the western slope.

In it's first year, 230,000 acre feet were transferred across the divide annually. Since then, the  number of acre feet taken from the Upper Colorado is around 213,000 according to Northern Water. The tunnel can also contain flows of 550 cubic feet per second.

While the project is able to keep the eastern slope alive during drought years and helps support Colorado's agriculture economy, the Colorado River itself is harmed. In order to build the C-BT, Green Mountain reservoir needed to be constructed along the Blue River. This was built in order to store water that the C-BT took out of the Colorado.

However, there are about 34 miles of river between Lake Granby- where water is taken- and the Blue River confluence- where the water is returned. This leaves a "hole" in the river. Along this stretch, the river and it's fishery is slowing fading away.

As the flows of the Upper Colorado are depleted by the diversion projects, the natural cleansing of the river fails to occur. Each spring, rivers experience flushing flows- an increase in water flow that breaks up sediment buildup along the stream bed. When the river isn't able to clean itself from sediment buildup between cobblestone, it doesn't allow for insects to hatch or fish to spawn.

Insects in the river hatch from the bottom of the cobblestone, but when the sediment concretes between the rocks, they aren't able to access the underside of the rock and hatch- leaving limited food sources for the trout in the water. The trout also needs the rocks to spawn as they turn rocks over to create their redds, which can't be done when sediment cements the rocks in place.

Under Senate Document 80- the document approving the C-BT and requiring the construction of Green Mountain reservoir- the document also states that the project needs, "to preserve the fishing and recreational facilities and the scenic attractions of Grand Lake, the Colorado River, and the Rocky Mountain National Park."

The West needed water to expand. Currently, 80 percent of Colorado's population is on the east of the Divide while 80 percent of the water is on the west side. This means that in order to thrive, water needed to be diverted. The C-BT opened the door to other transmountain diversions- including the Moffat Tunnel from the Fraser River, another tributary of the Upper Colorado headwaters.

While these diversions help the east slope, they are hurting the river. Through collaboration work among TU and water suppliers with hemp from very passionate individuals, we are working together to bring the river back to health.

The river will never be what is once was when the Ute and Arapaho tribes hunted and fished along its shores, but the river can return to a health that is good for people, insects and trout alike.

Fly Fishing for Summer Campers

By: Ameen Hosain For the past two weeks, the Cheyenne Mountain chapter of Trout Unlimited teamed up with members of The Greenbacks to hold two, two-day fly fishing classes for the summer camp students at the Atlas Preparatory school in Colorado Springs.

The goal of the class was to give students a new perspective on the outdoors, and to introduce them to the basics of all aspects of fly fishing; including casting, knots, fish handling, and fly tying, as well as to give them an opportunity to catch fish themselves.

The first day began with a basic entomology class on bugs and their life cycles. Volunteers and camp leaders also showed the students what fish eat, and the flies that represent these species and phases. All of this was don in order to give students a better understanding of what the term “fly” fishing actually means.

The afternoon was then spent teaching the campers how to cast a fly rod.  With contests being held for both accuracy and distance, the students were all engaged and enjoyed the casting lessons. To complete the day, a fly tying class was taught- allowing each of the campers to tie three easy, yet effective flies that they could use the next day on the water.

The following morning, volunteers and campers loaded onto the bus to take a voyage to the Lost Dutchman resort- a private trout ranch stocked with high numbers of hungry trout. The kids then put to test what they had learned, casting the flies they had tied with high hopes. Many kids were able to hook up with and land their first ever trout! It was a great time for campers and volunteers alike, with smiles on faces all around.

TU Building Partnerships with the Cattle Industry

Photo Credit: Joshua Polsonjpolson@greeleytribune.com  The Greeley Tribune

Beef industry concerns about water Issues highlight Colorado Cattlemen's Association conference

From: The Fence Post, By; Nikki Work

Terry Fankhauser, executive vice president of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, stood in front of a small room of ranchers, a serious frown dipping under the corners of his gray handlebar moustache. The message he had for the breakout group at the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association annual convention was grim.

Without water, it’s not just farming that fails.

During the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association annual convention last week in Colorado Springs, ranchers, business owners and ag officials discussed the ways the state’s cattlemen can make a difference in water conservation and why the beef industry needs to have a role in the conversation. Many ranchers grow feed crops for their animals, like hay or grains, rather than purchasing them. Nearly all have to worry about water when it comes to the quality of their pasture and rangeland. Even for those that rely on purchased feed or who graze on federal lands, Fankhauser pointed out that the ag industry is all interconnected.

Fankhauser asked the group: If corn dries up, what will cattle eat? If farmers start to go out of business in an area, feedlots move out, then packing plants move out, Fankhauser said. When ranchers can’t keep the water on their land to sustain their pastures, they have to sell off their cattle herd, as they did in the 2012 drought.

Bill McKee, a rancher who lives in Carbondale but runs cattle in both Carbondale and Platteville, said if the beef industry does nothing else, it needs to make an effort to stop buy-and-dry, a practice in which agricultural land is bought up for its water rights and taken out of production.

“Ag has to be on equal footing with municipal and industrial and environmental concerns. We have to be at the head of the table, not at the end of the table.”

According to state projections outlined in the Colorado Water Plan, which was introduced by Gov. John Hickenlooper in November 2015, by 2050, the state will be about 560,000 acre-feet short of the water necessary to sustain its expected population. That’s a shortage that’s equivalent to three and a half Horsetooth Reservoirs at maximum capacity.

The water plan calls for ag water leasing to help make up a portion of that shortfall.

Through water leasing, farmers would maintain ownership of their water, but only use a portion of it and be paid for the rest, which would be used by someone else, like a municipality.

“There is no question that more buy and dry is going to happen, but the idea of leasing is to minimize that,” Fankhauser said.

There are a few different ways this could look, but according to a survey done by the Ag Water NetWORK, an organization formed by the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association and the Partners for Western Conservation, the most popular of them is for a certain portion of water to be leased, then the producer would receive reduced delivery of water over the rest of the season. About two-thirds of the respondents to the survey expressed some sort of interest in leasing their water.

Fankhauser said the point of water leasing is to give farmers an alternative option to selling their water rights while still addressing the water issues in the state.

T. Wright Dickinson, former president of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association who serves on the state’s Inter-basin Compact Committee, said ag water leasing is only part of the solution. Continued development of the reservoir storage system is necessary, too, but ranchers need to realize their role and the opportunities they have to manage their water in a way that protects ag’s viability.

“If we do it right, conservation goes a long way into solving some of this gap,” said Dickinson, a Moffat County rancher. “If we do it wrong, the state won’t look the same.”

At the convention, Carbondale and Platteville rancher McKee talked with representatives from conservation group Trout Unlimited, which works with farmers and ranchers on water management to benefit fish populations. He was looking into options to better handle water on his property, something he said he needs to do soon, because changes are coming to Colorado, and they’re coming faster than anyone is prepared for.

“It’s time to have an intelligent discussion,” he said. “Everybody should be looking at these issues.”

Stephanie Scott, outreach coordinator with Trout Unlimited, said she sees the conversation around water and other natural resource issues changing in the ag community every time she attends a convention like the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association’s. At first, ranchers hesitate when they see the Trout Unlimited booth. It’s nestled next to the trade show mainstays, like merchandise, livestock products and ag tech. Scott said she can see the questions in their eyes — the ones they’re afraid to ask a conservation organization.

Trout Unlimited want to help them better manage their water because it helps both the farmer and the organization accomplish their goals, Scott said. Once farmers and ranchers realize that, the conversation about conservation really gets going.

And as population grows and the pressure on water mounts, more people in the ag community — the whole ag community, not just traditional crop growers — are willing to try new things, Scott said.

Since the governor’s water plan is new and fresh on the minds of legislators, McKee said now is the time for ag to have a bigger part in water conversations.

“Ag has to be on equal footing with municipal and industrial and environmental concerns,” he said. “We have to be at the head of the table, not at the end of the table.” ❖

Fish Tagging in Tomichi is Moving Along

In Spring of 2015, the Gunnison Angling Society Chapter of TU partnered with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and Gunnison Watershed School District to Adopt-A-Trout. For this project, the chapter and partners purchased 15 RF tags that were surgically implanted into various fish in Tomichi Creek, a tributary of the Gunnison River. By attaching the RF tags to the fish in the creek, the chapter, CPW, and the partners involved could follow these trout and see what kind of movement they did and provide more information as to what causes fish to move.

After a year of data collection and following the fish in Tomichi Creek, only two fish have left the area. The release was near the confluence with the Gunnison River and it's believed the fish may have migrated into the larger river. "A team from CPW floated a stretch of the Gunnison River looking for them but were unable to detect any signals," Said Briant Wiles, member of the Gunnison Angling Society.

The 13 fish that they can currently track are still in Tomichi Creek- although not necessarily in the same area that they were released in. During the release, groups split the creek into three sections- Upper, Middle and Lower- then tagged and released fish in each section to compare the data.

"We have had a few fish travel a pretty good distance. One fish in particular, which was tagged at the Lower Tagging Location, hung out in the same area we had released him in for several weeks. Then right around the same time the runoff started picking up he bolted upstream and was last detected near the confluence of Tomichi and Cochetopa Creeks. A run of over eight miles," said Wiles. "Now there is another tagged fish that has run nearly as far. This leads us to consider that the two missing fish may be farther up the Tomichi. This has effectively expanded our search area from a five mile stretch to who knows how big. Careful what you wish for."

With help from a $2,500 grant from New Belgium Brewing, the chapter is expanding the project to include a website that will have a map of the Tomichi and points to where each fish is located.

The project was initiated to help study trout movement and involve kids into the learning process. When the project started there were two Gunnison High School classes that were involved and over 25 students have been on field trips to help track the movements. The chapter is also looking to expand the youth outreach and involve more partners.

"We have plans to work with students from a local Boy Scout Troop, the 4H club, and Gunnison Valley Mentors this summer and will have an educational booth set up at next weeks Gunnison River Festival," said Wiles.

“I wanted to get the program going locally to help students develop more awareness and appreciation for our watershed and I thought the experience might generate some interest in resource management career paths,” said Jesse Kruthaupt, Upper Gunnison Project Specialist for TU. “In addition to those benefits, understanding trout behaviors in this area will be a very useful discussion making and monitoring tool for future restoration work. TU couldn’t have done this alone, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District deserve a big ‘Thank You’ for helping to make this happen.”

Upcoming Boulder Creek Bash

By: Ameen Hosain

RepYourWater is an apparel company based out of Colorado, centered on a love for fishing and the outdoors.  With conservation as one of its main cornerstones, the company paired with Colorado Trout Unlimited early on in order to aid in the conservation of Colorado’s beautiful waters.

This year for the company's fifth anniversary RepYourWater is hosting an event called the Bash for Boulder Creek. This event is meant to celebrate the company’s fifth year, as well as raise money to help the Boulder Flycasters restore an adopted section of Boulder creek; an urban fishery that sees much destruction and pressure.

The event will take place on Saturday, June 19^th , from 4:30pm to sundown, at RepYourWater’s hangar on the edge of the Erie Municipal Airport Tarmac. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children, with the option to pay an additional $20 for a limited edition hat from the event, with all proceeds going directly to the Boulder Flycasters and their conservation project.

Great beer and food will be offered, as well as live music and a silent auction with tons of RepYourWater gear being sold.  Do not miss out on a great opportunity to connect with other conservation stewards and have some fun! Get your tickets now!

Meet the Newest Communications Intern Ameen Hosain

My name is Ameen Hosain, and I am very excited to have the opportunity to work for CTU as a Communications Intern for the summer of 2016.  I am a 19 year old Colorado native, and recently completed my freshman year at CU Boulder. I picked up a fly rod at the age of 14, and since that day the sport has consumed me, becoming my greatest pursuit in life.  I take pride in my abilities as an angler, and have a great love for the areas I fish in.  Outside of fly fishing, I am also an avid rock climber, something that I pursue with an equal amount of passion.  

Working for Colorado Trout Unlimited gives me the chance to help in solving real world issues, as well as gives me great experience in the field of conservation.  Through this internship I hope to learn how to effectively communicate the messages and goals of organizations like TU, and hope to learn how to use my passion to make positive changes in the world.

I am beyond thrilled to be writing blog posts and articles, attending events and volunteering for a great organization like TU, all in the name of conservation!

Simple Conservation Tips for Any Angler

By: Ameen Hosain As stewards of passion for the outdoors and as people who experience nature to the fullest, anglers should have a great appreciation for what the sport of fly fishing has to offer.

The environments that fishermen rely on offer much beauty and are fragile ecosystems that have been around for many years before our time.  These ecosystems are all valuable, and though most anglers treat them with respect, humans often have a large impacts on rivers and their surrounding wildlife areas- a lot of times the impact is unknown.

Conservation takes time and effort and can be done if a variety of ways.  As anglers it is our duty to help maintain wildlife and habitat as much as possible, and there are many things we can do both on and off the river to ensure the health of our waters.

For example, some waters contain what are called Aquatic Nuisance species, or invasive species that can have a negative impact on waters they are found in. These species are not native to Colorado Waters and have no natural competitors or predators that can stop their migrations That's why it's up to humans to maintain these species and keep them from spreading to waters all over.

Something that contributes to the spread of these unwanted species is the large number of wading boots with felt soles. These boots help aid in traction on the slippery surfaces found in rivers.  Felt is very absorbent and dries rather slowly, and can thus absorb and carry invasive species from river to river with the angler.  It's recommended not to and in some states illegal to use felt bottomed wading boots, because of the possibility of spreading Aquatic Nuisance species to new healthy waters.  On the contrary rubber soled boots reduce the impact anglers have on waters because they do not absorb water or hold invasive species.

To help keep waters invasive species free, it is always a good idea to spray down waders and let them dry completely in order to remove anything that may have stuck to them while wading. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has an Angler Cleaning card that offers suggestions on how to safely clean wading gear.

While fishing, anglers can do their part to protect the fish they so often seek by using barbless hooks, taking home any discarded tippet material,and properly releasing caught fish.

Barbed flies often wreak havoc on the inside of a fish’s mouth, and even when removed properly can cause lasting damage that alters a fish’s ability to eat and breath. Barbless hooks offer almost harmless removal and are a better choice in any circumstance. If barbless flies are not available, barbs on hooks can be crimped down using a pair of small pliers- a simple yet effective way to make sure fish experience less harm when hooked.

Tippet material is made of either monofilament or fluorocarbon, both of which are plastic materials and both of which take a very long time to decompose.  Much like any other plastics, this material can be considered litter and any pieces no matter how small may have a negative impact on the environment. As an angler, one should carry a small bag to discard any leftover material, in order to reduce the amount of litter and unwanted plastics that get into water systems.

The most important part of ensuring a fish’s survival after being caught is the way in which it is released.  Many anglers like to take photos as a way of documenting a day’s catch, however more often than not this requires a fish to be lifted out of the water for an extended period of time.  Fish are exhausted after fighting an angler, and if left out of the water for even a short period following a fight, can have their chances of survival severely reduced.  Thus it is best to keep a fish in the water as much as possible, with a photo being taken swiftly- holding the fish only a few inches above the water.

It is also essential that a fish be revived completely before allowing it to swim away.  Face a fish upstream and hold it still, allowing water to flow through the gills of the fish.  It is often assumed that moving a fish back and forth in the water allows it to breathe better.  The opposite is actually true, as a fish is only able to breathe while moving forward, not backwards.  A proper release is highly important in a fish’s ability to survive.

Recognizing Redds Can Help Sustain Healthy Trout Populations

By: Ameen Hosain As an angler it is often easy to forget the true value of the fish one is trying to catch.  In streams and rivers, trout must go through a long, and daunting process in order to sustain populations.  Naturally reproducing fish endure tiring days, where males endlessly compete with each other for territory and where females work extremely hard to create and protect the right environment for eggs to be laid and fertilized.

During spawning seasons, especially in waters with naturally reproducing fish, one of the most important and often unnoticed ways that anglers have an effect on trout populations is by disturbing trout on spawning redds.

When anglers have a lack of knowledge regarding what redds look like, as well as the purpose they serve, it increases the chance of disturbing the redds and ultimately harming the stream's trout population.

Locating trout redds can often be a difficult task, however there are a few things to look for before stepping into the water, or when observing fish.  The first and most telling sign of redd is a section of bright, clean gravel in shallow water (seen right).  Female fish will turn over gravel to create hospitable areas to lay their eggs. This process in itself consumes much of a fish’s energy and by stepping on or disturbing these gravel beds, a fish’s energy goes to waste.

Another telltale sign indicating a redd is a pair of fish swimming very close together- almost always on top of a recently created gravel bed.  These fish are a pair, one male and one female, with the female protecting her laid eggs, and the male attempting to fertilize them.  This male can often be observed voraciously defending his position, frequently chasing off other fish who are attempting to take his hard earned place at the female’s side.

Choosing whether or not to fish to spawning trout is an issue that sees much debate, however with conservation in mind, it is highly recommended to leave these fish alone.  In the act of spawning, fish expend large amounts of energy and are exhausted.  Hooking into these trout will often leave them much too tired, with mortality rates highly escalated even after a safe release.

In waters where trout rely on the spawning process to survive, harming fish can have a profound effect on populations, resulting in lowered fish counts, and less productive fisheries.  Anglers fishing in wild waters should pay close attention to spawning seasons, and steer clear of fish attempting to spawn.  Doing so will aid in maintaining healthy fish populations, as well as ensure that there are wild fish to catch far into the future.

Current Water Levels in Colorado

By: Ameen Hosain In the past years Colorado has experienced large fluctuations in water levels and rainfall, and thus has caused officials to encourage people who use large amounts of water to be conscious and responsible in monitoring water usage.

The above average snowfall levels in the state this past winter in combination with efficient water usage have had great effects on water levels in reservoirs across the state.  According to Denver Water, the reservoirs in the Denver area are close to 91 percent full as of May 24, a percentage that is 6 percent higher than the average levels at this time of year in the past.

This increased water level is expected to continue well into the summer months, with snow melt flows just beginning to make their way into local waters. Reservoirs are predicted to be at or past 100 percent capacity in the coming days, something that will have nothing but positive effects for both wildlife, and people using waters for recreation. Denver water thus encourages those who use water to continue being responsible with usage in order to maintain healthy water levels for the remainder of the year.

This responsible water usage has resulted in changed regulations regarding the collection of rainwater, with laws now allowing Colorado residents to collect up to 110 gallons for use in watering lawns and gardens.  If not one who collects rainwater, another way to assist in the maintenance of healthy water levels is to pay close attention to sprinkler systems; making sure to turn off systems when it rains, and ensuring that they are only used a maximum of three times a week.  These things are easy to do and are highly recommended by Denver Water in order to keep Colorado’s reservoirs in good shape.

Catch a Pike, Save Native Fish

Colorado Parks and Wildlife along with Colorado Water Conservation Board have given anglers an opportunity to catch pike, make money and save native fish. Several years ago, Green Mountain Reservoir was illegally stocked with Northern Pike- a predatory fish that feeds on trout among other species. State biologists are now concerned that the Pike will move out of Green Mountain Reservoir and into the Blue River that confluences with The Colorado River.

The reach of the Colorado River that concerns biologists and conservationists is federally listed as critical habitat that is home to the state's endangered native fishes - the Colorado pikeminnow, humpback chub, razorback sucker and bonytail.

"Northern pike are aggressive predators with big appetites and if their population continues to grow in Green Mountain Reservoir, that will have profound impact on the fish we have stocked there, as well as potential impacts to the endangered native fish we are currently trying to recover," said CPW's Jon Ewert, aquatic biologist from Hot Sulphur Springs.

In order to combat the Northern Pike potentially moving downstream, CPW  created the Green Mountain Reservoir Angler Harvest Incentive Package. Beginning Thursday, May 26, the program will give anglers the opportunity to earn $20 for every northern pike caught in the reservoir and delivered to Heeney Marina.

To participate, anglers must bring their northern pike to the Heeney Marina along with their driver’s license and fishing license. CPW will keep fish heads for analysis, returning the body of the fish to the anglers. Anglers not wishing to keep northern pike can donate their catch to the Marina for later distribution.

For more information, contact CPW's Hot Sulphur Springs office at 970-725-6200.