Colorado River restoration project secures $8 million grant

NRCS award a huge boost for ambitious project to restore threatened river

(Kremmling)—The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) today announced $7.75 million in funding for an ambitious slate of projects to address the impacts on the Colorado River of trans-mountain diversions of water from the West Slope to the Front Range.  Fisheries conservation group Trout Unlimited is the lead partner on the grant application.

The Colorado River Headwaters Project received $7,758,830 from the NRCS’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) to improve irrigation systems and reverse the decline in water quality and fish habitat in the headwaters of the Colorado River.

Led by an array of partners representing conservation interests, agriculture, local government, water providers, state agencies, and landowners, the Headwaters Project will create a bypass channel to reconnect the Colorado River at Windy Gap Reservoir, make channel and habitat improvements downstream of the bypass near Kremmling, Colorado, and improve irrigation systems as well as soil and water quality.

When fully implemented, the Headwaters Project will directly benefit more than 30 miles of the Colorado River and 4,500 acres of irrigated lands that provide sage grouse habitat and make available up to 11,000 acre-feet of water to improve the river during low-flow conditions.

“This is a huge win for the Colorado River,” said Drew Peternell, director of Trout Unlimited’s Colorado Water Project. “We’re seeing an exciting and ambitious conservation vision for the upper Colorado become reality. With this funding, we’ll be able to put the ecosystem pieces of the upper Colorado River back together and restore the river and its trout fishery to health.”

“The Colorado River Headwaters Project is a great example of how municipal water providers, ranchers, conservation organizations and others can work together to restore an important reach the Colorado River for both the environment and agricultural operations with benefits downstream,” said Matt Rice, director of American River’s Colorado River Basin Program. “A collaboration like this would have been unheard of 10 years ago. It’s a win for everyone in Colorado.”

At present, transmountain diversions divert over 60 percent of the upper Colorado River’s native flows across the Continental Divide for use in the Front Range and northern Colorado. The resulting low flows in the river have seriously undermined the operations of irrigation systems and the health of the Colorado River in the project area. Low flows make it difficult for irrigators to divert water, especially during drought, and also raise water temperatures and hamper the river’s ability to transport sediment, leading to sediment buildup on the riverbed that degrades aquatic habitat.

Local ranchers wanted to address these irrigation problems as well as river health, said Paul Bruchez, a Kremmling-area rancher who organized his neighboring landowners into the Irrigators of Land in Vicinity of Kremmling (ILVK) group, a key project partner. The project will install several innovative instream structures designed to provide adequate water levels for irrigation while also improving critical fish habitat. This will be the first project in the country to demonstrate these stream engineering practices on a significant scale.

“This news is life-changing for the headwaters of the Colorado River and those who rely on it,” said Bruchez. “Years ago, water stakeholders in this region were at battle. Now, it is a collaboration that will create resiliency and sustainability for the health of the river and its agricultural producers. Healthy ranches need healthy rivers, and the RCPP funding will help sustain both.”

The Windy Gap Reservoir bypass and the Kremmling area river improvements address several pieces of the puzzle in a long-term, regional effort to restore the upper Colorado River. Other pieces include agreements that TU helped negotiate with Denver Water and the Northern Colorado Water District that contained significant river protections as well as an innovative, long-term monitoring and adaptive management process (called “Learning by Doing”) that requires stakeholders to work together to ensure the future health of the river. That progress and collaboration is all the more remarkable coming after years of conflict between West Slope interests and conservation groups concerned about the health of the river, and Front Range water providers seeking to divert more water across the Divide.

“What’s happening on the upper Colorado shows that water users can work together to ensure river health while meeting diverse uses,” said TU’s Peternell. “This project is a model of what cooperation and collaboration can achieve in meeting our water challenges in Colorado and the Colorado River Basin.”

Other Headwaters Project partners who will provide assistance include the ILVK, Northern Water Conservation District, Denver Water, Colorado River Conservation District, Middle Park Soil Conservation District, Colorado Water Conservation Board, Grand County, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Trout Unlimited is the nation’s largest coldwater conservation organization, with 147,000 members dedicated to conserving, protecting, and restoring North America’s trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds. Colorado Trout Unlimited has more than 10,000 grassroots members across the state.

American Rivers protects wild rivers, restores damaged rivers, and conserves clean water for people and nature.

Welcome Our Youth Education Intern Derek Valenciano

Derek Valenciano grew up in Grand County where he learned a passion for the outdoors. Through this passion he has pursued a degree in the outdoor industry. He is currently a senior at Metropolitan State University earning a Bachelor’s degree in recreation management. As the Youth Education Intern for Colorado TU, Derek will be assisting chapters with their current and potential youth programs, work with classrooms and other youth groups to teach conservation and fly fishing, and help coordinate the Colorado TU Youth Camp.

Derek has always loved fishing and never knew the possibilities of working so close to the sport until he found CTU. He likes that CTU is making fishing better for everyone throughout the state and that the youth programs are ensuring that the conservation mindset is passed on through generations. He credits his grandfathers and father for the countless time that he has spent on the water and for his appreciation of nature and the need to preserve it.

Derek is very excited to work in this role and looks forward to seeing the progress that future generations can make in conservation and education with his help.

If you'd like to contact Derek, you can do so at CTUYouthIntern@gmail.com

Good News for Colorado Headwaters & Native Trout

Denver Water recently filed its application for an amended license with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for its Gross Reservoir/Moffat Firming project. The filing included valuable new commitments to benefit native trout in headwater watersheds within the Fraser and WIlliams Fork basins - and that's good news for cutthroats and the anglers who value them. More than two years ago, Denver Water came to an agreement with Grand County and TU that incorporated a variety of river protections and enhancements in conjunction with their Moffat Firming Project - measures that we agreed would result in a healthier Fraser and Upper Colorado River system than without the Moffat project. The agreement was a great model of collaborative conservation to achieve better outcomes than we could achieve alone.

On top of reiterating their past commitments to enhancing the Colorado headwaters, Denver Water's new FERC application includes additional commitments to benefit native trout on pubilc lands in the Williams Fork of the Colorado and the Fraser River watersheds. Specifically:

• Denver will install fish barriers on Bobtail and Steelman creeks in the Williams Fork headwaters to secure existing populations of native cutthroat trout in approximately 6.3 miles of habitat
• Denver will install a fish barrier in nearby McQueary Creek that will secure another 2.6 miles of habitat that can then be restored for native cutthroat trout by the US Forest Service and Colorado Parks and Wildlife
• Denver will maintain and operate its diversions on Hamilton and Little Vasquez creeks in the Fraser watershed to permanently secure existing native cutthroat trout populations in approximately 10 miles of habitat
• Denver will help coordinate and participate in a joint interagency restoration project to protect up to 15 miles of new cutthroat trout habitat in St Louis Creek, also in the Fraser watershed

These commitments were incorporated in a settlement agreement between Denver and the US Forest Service for the FERC licensing process, and represent another important step in ensuring that the impacts of Denver Water's Moffat project are mitigated. Denver Water has said that they intend to leave the watersheds impacted by their project in better health than they are today - and these new commitments to native trout restoration in the Williams Fork and Fraser basins are another positive move in converting those words into on-the-ground action.

Kudos to Denver Water and the US Forest Service for launching a strong partnership to benefit native trout!

CTU is Hiring! Grassroots Coordinator

CTU seeks an energetic, reliable self-starter with strong communications and social skills to work with our 24 local chapters to help engage their membership and communities in conservation and education. Colorado Trout Unlimited (CTU) is Colorado’s leading fisheries conservation organization with a mission to conserve, protect, and restore coldwater streams and their watersheds.  CTU has state offices located in Denver and 24 local chapters throughout Colorado.  CTU’s focus is on effective grassroots advocacy for river conservation, coupled with on-the-ground volunteer efforts that directly contribute to stream habitat improvement and native trout restoration.

Position Summary:   The Grassroots Coordinator is a full-time position supporting local TU chapters in organizing membership and citizens in support of river conservation and youth education.  The position is focused primarily on strengthening TU’s grassroots capacity and success at the local level – in other words, facilitating local TU chapter success, through training and effective communication, more than directly implementing education and conservation projects. We anticipate the position being based out of the state office in Denver.

The position work plan includes:

Member recruitment/engagement.  Assist Colorado TU chapters – through training (eg, at annual Rendezvous) and site-specific assistance with organization and strategic planning – to strengthen their programs for engaging members in chapter activities and for cultivating volunteer leaders from among newly engaged members.  Help promote and encourage local conservation and education projects to motivate membership and engage community leaders and partners.

Leadership development.  Identify and cultivate prospective new leaders within targeted chapters who wish to engage more deeply on conservation and education, and use engagement on key issues as a vehicle for building chapter capacity.  Assist those new local spokespeople (and existing leaders) in lending public voice to key issues through LTEs, op-eds, and direct outreach to decision-makers at events, public meetings, etc.

West slope “healthy rivers” engagement.  As part of chapter engagement and leadership development, work as a liaison for chapters with TU’s Western Water and Watersheds field staff to educate and engage existing and new grassroots volunteers in support of Colorado River conservation efforts, including promoting TU partnerships with agricultural partners, chapter involvement in local forums including Basin Roundtables, and chapter support for on-the-ground partnership projects.

Youth education support.  Assist local chapters with youth education efforts by connecting them with materials, curricula, and partners that can be used to maximize their success in connecting young people with rivers and conservation. Includes serving as liaison for core CTU youth programs (Stream Explorers, RiverWatch, Trout in the Classroom, National Fishing in Schools Program).  Assist volunteer leaders in coordinating annual Colorado TU Youth River Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp.

Liaison with National TU volunteer operations.  Help connect chapters with volunteer operations resources that can assist them in their activities, and ensure that new information from volunteer operations is disseminated to key chapter leaders.

Other duties.   Provide regular and timely content relevant to the above program areas for the Colorado TU blog, website and social media outlets; assist in identification and cultivation of prospective donors that become engaged through these efforts; participate in core Colorado TU events such as the Annual River Stewardship Gala and the Rendezvous.

This is not an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities.

Qualifications:  Strong communication and interpersonal skills.  Previous experience or demonstrated ability in coordinating grassroots campaigns, media relations, community and/or political field organizing.  Dedicated commitment to conservation.  Ability to recruit and manage volunteers. Background knowledge of water resource and fishery issues.  Ability to travel statewide (~ 10-15% of time) and to work weekend and evening hours when needed.  Solid computer and social media related skills.  Also helpful:  experience in delivering youth education programs; experience coordinating special events for community engagement.

Salary Range:  High $30Ks plus excellent benefits, depending upon experience.

To apply, please email cover letter and resume by December 21 to:  David Nickum, Executive Director, Colorado Trout Unlimited, at dnickum@tu.org.   No phone calls please.

TU is an Equal Employment Opportunity & Affirmative Action Employer pursuant to Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act & Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistant Act. TU hires staff without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status or disability.  Please fill out this voluntary form and submit it as an attachment to this email address.

Proposed Dam in Maroon Bells Wilderness

By Ken Neubecker, Regional Vice President, Colorado Trout Unlimited The City of Aspen is planning to build a pair of dams in some of Colorado’s most iconic mountain landscapes and streams. One is slated for Maroon Creek, just below the Maroon Bells, and the other on Castle Creek not far below the old town of Ashcroft. These dams would inundate significant portions of these free-flowing streams along with portions of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. Why is this coming up now? Because the City must go to Water Court every six years and demonstrate that they are working to build these dams.

This is not a good thing. Aspen has no need for these dams and reservoirs, no need to wreck these streams or the landscapes they inhabit. Colorado TU, along with partners at American Rivers, Western Resource Advocates and Wilderness Workshop are planning to object to these dams in Water Court.

Back in the 1960’s planners thought that Aspen’s population (1,101 in 1960) would reach 30,000 by the end of the century and that additional water supplies would be necessary. Aspen’s population didn’t grow much. In 2000 it was up to 5,914 and by 2010 had added less than a thousand more. Looking forward, the City’s population isn’t expected to grow much more over the next 60 years either, yet Aspen continues to hang on to the notion that they might, someday, need these destructive dams and reservoirs.

But they don’t, and the City itself claims they’ll probably never build them. Aspen currently holds a substantial portfolio of senior water rights on both streams. According to a study the City itself commissioned these existing rights can accommodate all projected water needs for the rest of this century even in the face of extreme climate change (City of Aspen Water Supply Availability Study, 2016 Update, June 2016).

So why is the City pursuing their conditional rights for dams they admit they will never probably build? Prudence is the excuse, but not a good reason. What the City is saying in court contradicts what they are saying in public. In court, they must say that they “can and will” build the dams. In public they say they probably won’t, but want to preserve the option. Preserving an option, to maybe, or then again maybe not, build the dams may sound prudent but it is not acceptable in Water Court. They either will, or they won’t. There is no “maybe”. Aspen can’t have it both ways.

Aspen’s primary argument is that they may need these additional water sources due to potential impacts from climate change. Climate change is a legitimate concern for water supply, but these dams will not help. Most models show that runoff and river flows will diminish throughout the Colorado River Basin, from Aspen downstream to the delta.

Aspen doesn’t exist in isolation from the rest of Colorado or the larger Colorado River basin. A 2012 study by the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) suggests that “the mean natural flow (of the Colorado River) … is projected to decrease by approximately 9%” by 2060. That means an additional 3.2 million acre-foot deficit in what is already a seriously depleted system (an acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons, or about what two normal families will use in a year). The BOR report also anticipates an “increase in drought frequency and duration”. Lake Powell is currently only half full, and Lake Mead even less (38%). Water shortage in the Colorado Basin is likely to be with us for a long time.

Colorado signed a compact with all the other Colorado River basin states in 1922. This compact requires that a certain amount of water be left in the river for the lower basin. If we do find ourselves amid a major water shortage the demands from the lower basin states will drain any reservoir with such junior rights as Aspen’s (1971). And there are numerous pre-1922 rights downstream that will also demand any water that might be stored behind these dams.

The dams would become empty monuments to the past, straddling diminished streams in what used to be vital and dynamic ecosystems.

Aspen does not need these dams and reservoirs. If they are truly prudent, and progressive, they never will. The people of Aspen would be much better served if the City dropped these outdated dams and develops real solutions that ensure both a reliable water supply and the important ecosystems of Castle and Maroon Creeks. Intact and fully functioning stream ecosystems are a much better hedge against climate change than a pair of outdated and useless dams.

CTU and its partners are willing and able to work with Aspen to develop realistic and modern 21st century solutions for future water needs. Aspen, of all places, can and should take a leadership role and not just keep kicking the can of outdated ideas down the road. We need to work with these streams, not against them.

Trout in the Classroom

Colorado Trout Unlimited has been a proud partner of a Trout in the Classroom program, in which middle or high school level classrooms raise trout from the egg to the fry life stages. At the end of the year-long course, the classroom releases the trout into a local lake or stream- connecting the students back to their local environment. During the year each teacher tailors the program to fit their curricular needs.  Therefore, each program is unique. TIC has interdisciplinary applications in science, social studies, mathematics, language arts, fine arts, and physical education.

The program helps students learn hands on about water quality, biology, population studies, and environmental issues. "I really like having the tank in my classroom because it’s a new lesson every day," said Mike Sanchez, TIC teacher at Academy High School in the Maptleton School District. "There’s water chemistry, population dynamics, evolution, ecology, fish anatomy, etc. You can always come up with something to talk about and the kids are genuinely interested."

In 1997, TIC was started in New York through the efforts of the late Joan Stoliar, volunteers from Trout Unlimited and the Theodore Gordon Flyfishers. Since its inception, TIC in NY has grown from four classrooms to more than 200. This rapid growth is a testament to the program’s adaptability, effectiveness, and ability to interest students of all ages and backgrounds.

In Colorado, there are currently six active tanks involved with the TIC program. These classrooms are located all over Colorado. CTU helps these classrooms by assisting in obtaining trout eggs, coordinating supplies, and helping with the required disease testing prior to the release.

The trout fry are released into a local river, stream, or lake. This allows the kids to be connected and engage with their local environment and ecosystems. Some of the sites teach kids about fishing and how it relates to conservation and the fish they raised. "We also spend a few days enjoying some fishing at local ponds and the stocked Lake Lehow in Littleton," said Sanchez. "Kids appreciate the biology and learning how to fish, it’s a great week."

Sites are typically teamed up with a local chapter that will also help with some of the funding and supplying the classroom with the necessary equipment. This allows the chapter to connect with youth in the community and helps connect kids to their local ecosystems. "Trout in the Classroom helps our chapter engage local middle school students by connecting them to the habitats and ecosystems in their own backyard," said Ben Bloodworth, President of the Grand Valley Anglers. "The program allows students to learn hands-on about challenges facing trout populations and water quality unique to the western slope.”

Parents have also gotten into the fun through TIC. "While the program is targeted at the kids, the teachers involved have noted that many of the parents have been excited about the tanks as well, not only keeping up with the egg/fry progress through their children, but visiting the tanks during parent-teacher conferences, involving the whole family in the educational process," said Bloodworth.

If you or someone you know may be interested in developing a Trout in the Classroom site at your school, please contact Jeff Florence, for more information!

Trout's Fly Fishing- 5 Ways to Catch More Tailwater Trout

By: Kyle Wilkinson, Trout's Fly Fishing Marketing and Brand Manager Whether we like it or not- Winter is here. That pretty much gives us two choices- quit fishing, or keep fishing. I’m always of the opinion to ‘keep fishing’. One of the best parts about living in Colorado- and particularly on the Front Range- is the abundance of Tailwater fisheries that lie within an easy drive of our homes. That said, I still believe many anglers aren’t catching as many fish as they should be. If you’ve ever found yourself struggling with your success on winter tailwaters, give these 5 tips a try next time you decide to bundle up and get the boots wet in the months to come:

1. Use Yarn- many of you reading this may have heard this recommendation before, but it bears repeating. I feel that strongly about it. Simply put, yarn indicators are WAY more sensitive than plastic bobber-style indicators. Fish this time of year can be pretty lethargic (compared to summer) and typically won’t eat your flies with much aggression. Oftentimes your yarn won’t even dunk underwater but rather just ‘pause’ or ‘lean over’ when a fish strikes. If you’ve never used yarn indicators before, be prepared to be amazed with the sensitivity you’ll get. Side note- tips for yarn success- carry several and liberally apply some fly floatant before starting the day. Be prepared to dry off your indicator every couple hours and reapply. If you decide that your indicator is too waterlogged after a few hours, simply swap it out for a fresh one. While I realize these do require a little more maintenance than a thingamabobber, the fact that it leads to more fish in the net throughout the day is always worth it to me.

2. Putty and Split Shot- if you’re not using both split shot AND putty, you’re really missing out. Flows are at their lowest levels of the year and being able to dial in the weight on your nymph rigs is paramount to success. Any of the commercially made tungsten putties will work great so don’t get too caught up on which ‘brand’ to buy. Here’s how I put both split shot and putty to use for me this time of year. To start, select the size of split shot that will get you by in the shallowest water you’ll be fishing. Anytime you come to deeper water, simply pull out a little putty and apply it directly on top of the split shot, rolling it into a nice round ball. Voila. That’s it! Throughout the day you can add and remove putty as necessary to make sure you’re always getting your flies right down into the fishes faces. When you decide you need to take off a little (or all) of the putty you added, simply peel it off and place back in the original container. You can use and reuse tungsten putty for months on end before running out. The best part of using tungsten putty is that it avoids having to constantly pinch and remove split shot throughout the day. This will help protect your light tippets and is also just a whole heck of a lot faster way to make weight adjustments!

3. Never make a cast standing in the water that you could have made standing on dry ground. This is another HUGE one for me, but is a mistake I see anglers make time and time again. Whenever you approach a likely looking area, always make it a point to fish it while keeping your wading boots on dry ground. Avoiding splashing around, crunching rocks, and in general- disturbing the water with your steps- is always going to leave the fish feeling much more at ease and in turn- more eager to eat your flies (this rule should actually be applied year round).

4. Tighten up your flies- If you don’t fish your flies spaced closely together during winter, I’m confident you’re missing out on a few fish throughout the day. I always like to say that a wintertime tailwater trout lives in a shoebox. (i.e. if you put a trout in a shoebox, it doesn’t have much room to move side to side). If I’m not getting my flies in this ‘shoebox’ zone, my confidence in getting an eat goes down drastically. My rule for spacing my flies during winter is to make a fist, and then extend my thumb and pink in opposite directions. This is the spacing you should be using- approximately 10” or so. If you’ve never fished your flies this close together, consider yourself warned- it’s probably going to seem a little weird at first. One thing I can promise you though is that you’re going to need your net more throughout the day if you give it a try!

5. Watch the bubbles- we’ve already talked about indicators and weight, and I firmly believe that one of the biggest reasons people don’t catch as many fish as they should is that they’re simply not getting down to them. Next time your nymphing make sure to keep an eye on the bubbles on the surface. What are they doing? Are they moving the same speed as your indicator? If so, this is a dead giveaway you’re not getting down to the fish. Most fish this time of year are sitting very close to the bottom. The water on the bottom of the river is moving slower than the water on the surface. If you’re indicator is floating the same speed as the bubbles on the surface, this means that you’re not getting down to the fish. Simple as that. The goal is to always have your indicator floating SLOWER than the bubbles on the surface. This can quickly be achieved by adding a little more depth and/or weight to your rig. If you’ve never paid attention to this before I think you’ll be amazed at how much of a difference it makes and how quickly you are now able to dial in your rig, ultimately achieving a perfect drift to the fish!

Trouts Fly Fishing is a full service fly shop located in the heart of Denver, CO between Downtown and Cherry Creek North. A second location was established in Frisco, CO located right on Main St. In addition to selling fly fishing goods, Trouts also offers a wide selection of fly fishing classes, guided trips and destination travel options. Some of their trips include both float fishing and wade fishing on the Blue River, Colorado River, Williams Fork River, Eagle River, Roaring Fork River, Frying Pan and Arkansas River. Trouts has been proudly serving the angling community for over 15 years.

Behind the Fin: Barbara Plake

• Name: Barbara Plake
• Member of Collegiate Peaks Chapter of TU
• Chair of the chapter's women's group 'Flygals'
• Works as a consultant for agencies with testing requirements
• Being a member of TU means, "It means that I have a group of friends to whom I don’t have to explain why I enjoy fly fishing and being out of doors; they 'get it'!"

How long have you been a TU member?

Since 2016

Why did you become a member and what chapter are you involved with?

I have been fly fishing for over 20 years, but lived in Nebraska where there wasn’t a nearby TU chapter. Once we moved to Buena Vista, my husband and I started attending the meetings of Collegiate Peaks Chapter of TU. Even though my husband has been a life member of TU for many years, I had not joined until we moved to Buena Vista. I wanted to be part of this vibrant and active TU chapter.

What made you want to become involved with TU?

I liked the work the chapter is doing for stream restoration and for youth education.

What is your favorite activity or project that you have done with TU?

I chair the women’s group called Flygals; we do many activities to encourage women to become interested in fly fishing.

I know you won’t tell me your top spot, so what is your second favorite fishing spot or favorite fishing story?

I like to fish high mountain lakes where you can cruising cutthroat trout. I am very fond of a small lake that has Greenback trout; they are so beautiful.

What does being a part of TU mean to you?

It means that I have a group of friends to whom I don’t have to explain why I enjoy fly fishing and being out of doors; they “get it”!

What else do you do in your spare time or for work?

I am a consultant with agencies that have testing requirement, like for licensure or certification. I travel a lot to service technical advisory committees for these groups or agencies. I was a professor at the University of Nebraska for 30 years before moving to Buena Vista. I drive to the Denver airport often!

Settlement Reached on Big Thompson Fish Kill

Colorado Parks and Wildlife has accepted a settlement of $207,000 from American Civil Contractors (ACC) for the accidental fishkill on the Big Thompson River this past March. The settlement, which will be spent restoring fish habitat in the lower Big Thompson will help ensure the river and trout fishing will be brought back to its former glory before the 2013 flood. “Colorado Parks and Wildlife is heartened by the cooperation of ACC, Larimer County, and Central Federal Lands in finding the cause of the fishkill,” said Area Wildlife Manager Larry Rogstad. “While the events leading to the fishkill were unintentional, the outcome was devastating to the rainbow and brown trout fishery in the lower Big Thompson, which prior to the flood was well known among anglers. The fishery is a valuable public resource therefore CPW has been dedicated to verifying what happened, and recovering appropriate compensation for the Big Thompson loss.  Everyone involved is pleased that this settlement will go directly back to the canyon, the habitat and ultimately to the fish, right where it should go!”

Although not related in any way, the larger Big Thompson/US Highway 34 project, spearheaded by Colorado Department of Transportation, to rebuild and make permanent repairs to Highway 34 and the adjacent Big Thompson River, has taken note of what happened with the fishkill.  The goal of this multiyear project, which started with the recent closure of the highway in the lower canyon, is to rebuild the highway, the river and the canyon in a manner that is ecologically functional, while providing recreational opportunity, and most of all with resilience against future flooding.  Since the 2013 flood, CDOT and its consultants, multiple federal, state and local agencies, and canyon residents have been meeting frequently to design and implement the canyon recovery plan between Estes Park and Loveland that will be a showcase of engineering and collaboration.   As part of the process agencies involved in the Big Thompson project, including CPW, have been working together to establish a set of best management practices to absolutely minimize chance that a similar event  occurs again. Lessons learned from the fishkill have been instrumental in establishing environmental protection on the Big T project.

“The 2013 floods devastated the river habitat which is precisely what ACC was working to mitigate,” stated Randy Maher, ACC President. “Along the North Fork project the team used the natural hydrology of the river to create and restore quality fish structure and repair and enhance 19 acres of riparian habitat so the fish and wildlife will thrive again.  We were so excited by what we were creating and were obviously devastated by the loss.”

Restoring the recreational fishery and creating a new road-river interface with long-term resiliency and natural function remains the priority for multiple agencies. According to Rogstad, “river restoration goals in the CDOT project, along with a little help from Mother Nature should bring the fishery back to pre-flood quality.” Along the way, money from the fishkill settlement will be put right back into the river to improve invertebrate and fish habitat that will benefit trout and other species for years to come. Once the road graders have finished the project CPW will sample and tweak the fishery as needed, and ultimately the Big Thompson will be better than ever for people, for wildlife and most especially for the trout.”

For more information on the fishkill, visit: http://cpw.state.co.us/aboutus/Pages/News-Release-Details.aspx?NewsID=5756

2016 CTU Success Stories

2016 was a big year for Colorado TU, the last 11 months have seen challenges present themselves from protecting our headwaters from acid mine drainage, to making sure our public lands remain in public hands, to ensuring the state's quality of water and natural habitat. While these challenges threatened our rivers and streams, the work by TU and it's chapters, made sure these threats remained just that and our watersheds remained protected. CTU also embarked on programs that would help sustain conservation and fishing for years to come. We engaged the next generation of river stewards through our Youth Camp, introduced a new group of kids to conversation through fly fishing, reintroduced native greenback cutthroat trout to their home watersheds along the front range, and made on-the-ground improvements to our state's fisheries through our chapter's volunteer efforts.

There were many great success stories over the last year that will be covered in the 2016 Year in Review coming out early 2017. The few stories listed below are highlights of the last year for CTU and just a glimpse into the great work done by the TU staff, our chapters, volunteers, and partners! Stay tuned for the 2016 Year in Review for more articles covering all of the great work done in Colorado!

Roan Plateau

Throughout the past decade, Colorado TU has also been involved in advocacy and litigation to help protect the Roan in the face of proposed oil and gas development. The legal battle culminated in productive settlement talks that produced the new Roan plan that BLM approved in November.  For the next 20 years, the most sensitive watersheds atop the Roan will remain unleased, while responsible development will be allowed on other areas on and around the Plateau that are closer to existing oil and gas infrastructure. Continued improvements in directional drilling technology over those years could make it possible, by the time BLM next updates the Roan plan, to extend development to natural gas reserves below the Roan without needing to sacrifice the valuable habitat on its surface. This agreement is a great example of how balance can be achieved when all parties sit down and try to listen honestly and respectfully to each other to craft a solution.

Thompson Divide

Concurrent with the Roan decision, The BLM also issued a decision canceling 25 contentious oil and gas leases within the Thompson Divide (the leaseholders to be repaid from government funds), while maintaining 40 other leases in surrounding lands – mostly closer to existing development areas. As with the Roan, the decision reflects a responsible balance between protecting our most valuable fish and wildlife habitats and enabling responsible energy development to move forward on public lands. Unlike the Roan, this decision does not yet reflect a larger consensus among conservationists and industry, nor does it provide longer-term protection for the Thompson Divide. The decision was a necessary victory in protecting the Thompson Divide from the imminent threat of oil and gas drilling, and TU remains committed to working with the BLM, Forest Service, ranchers, local governments, and the oil and gas industry to achieve a long-term solution that includes permanent protection of the Thompson Divide as part of a larger, responsible plan for energy development in the region.

Stream Standards

Trout Unlimited and a coalition of agencies, concerned citizens, and conservation and sportsmen groups rallied to defend Colorado’s water quality standards for temperature in coldwater streams. The Colorado Water Quality Control Division (WQCD) proposed changes in standards that would have raised standards for water temperature to levels that could prove fatal to trout in spring and fall seasons and year-round in mid-elevation “transition” waters. The proposal was based on flawed science and failed to adequately protect coldwater fisheries and to address the varied factors that influence temperature regimes in natural streams. Thanks to the efforts of TU and our coalition partners, the Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC) rejected the proposed changes, keeping in place the protective temperature standards that currently apply to coldwater streams.  It was an impressive team – including Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Colorado Wildlife Federation, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Western Resource Advocates, and others. The proposed changes would have weakened water temperature standards for around 1/3 of Colorado’s trout streams, based solely on their elevation, allowing the fish’ stress levels to increase and ultimately cause problems for feeding, growth and movement.  According to the EPA, the proposed standards for lower elevation coldwater streams could have actually proved lethal to trout exposed to them over seven days.

Greenback Recovery

Colorado TU teamed up with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to reintroduce Greenback Cutthroat trout into their native watersheds all along the Front Range. Efforts this past year including spawning Zimmerman Lake, receiving grants to help improve the Mt. Shavano fish hatchery that raises Greenbacks, and expanded Greenback efforts to educating the public on why all native trout reintroduction is vital to our ecosystems. CTU has also worked with Parks and Wildlife on preliminary plans for a fish barrier on Rock Creek that will eventually hold Greenbacks. CTU volunteers worked with CPW on the beginning stages of the project by stocking fish in a section of the stream.