Celebrating STREAM Girls with Awesome Kids and A Special Guest Volunteer

Margot giving the Girl Scout Handshake and STREAM Girl patch to Eloise, a participant in the STREAM Girls program.

We had a wonderful STREAM Girls program on Sept. 21st at the CSU Environmental Learning Center in Fort Collins. Margo Iwanchuk, Great-Great Niece to Juliette (Daisy) Gordon Low, the founder of Girl Scouts, was among the volunteers that helped make this program possible.

Margot, an avid angler herself and lifetime Girl Scout said “Aunt Daisy was an avid fly fisher both in Georgia as well as Scotland. Juliette Low, Founder of the Girl Scouts, would approve of TU’s STREAM Girls.”

18 girls attended this event with about 10 volunteers. They learned about the Cache de Pourdre, caught aquatic macroinvertebrate, experienced a hatch of mayflies, and learned some fly fishing skills. At the end of the program the girls (who were all Girl Scouts) received a STREAM Girls patch for their sash.

CTU is excited to continue partnering with Girls Scouts and offering STREAM Girls across the state. Learn more about Juliette Gordon Low, her life, and her legacy on the Girls Scout website. Check out some photos below of the fun we had at STREAM Girls.

CCTU Fly Tying Fanatics Fest

Join Cutthroat Chapter on October 26 at Orvis Park Meadows from 10 am - 4 pm to hang with 27 of Colorado's finest fly tyers!

There will be refreshments, a Chili Cook Off, and raffles for prizes donated by Orvis, Umpqua, Montana Fly Company, and Solarez. Bucket raffles will be held for flies donated by each of the tyers. Enter your chili into the Cook Off - the winning chili will also be awarded a prize!

This is a fun opportunity to meet and talk with greats of the Colorado tying community, many of whom are signature tyers, fly designers, and artists.

This is a FREE Event, in a comfortable setting that is kid-friendly, where tyers are up close and approachable.

Come by and spend an hour or the day! Browse the latest Orvis products in the store, vote on the best chili, and learn about the origins of tyers' most effective designs!

CPW introduces Trojan Male brook trout in a historic effort to protect native cutthroat trout in Colorado

Aquatic Biologist Jon Ewert stocks Trojan Male brook trout into Bobtail Creek during a historic stocking event in the headwaters of the Colorado River basin.

From Colorado Parks & Wildlife:

HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS, Colo. - On Tuesday, Sept. 17, in an effort to restore native cutthroat populations in the headwaters of the Williams Fork River, Colorado Parks and Wildlife stocked 480 Trojan male or YY brook trout into Bobtail and Steelman creeks.

“This is a pretty historic moment for Colorado and native cutthroat trout restoration across the state,” said CPW Aquatic Biologist Jon Ewert. “This is a combination of both the hard work and dedication of CPW biologists current and retired.” 

“This is yet another example of the groundbreaking work done by CPW biologists and researchers to preserve native species,” said George Schisler, CPW Aquatics Research Section Chief. “While Bobtail and Steelman creeks are the first to be stocked with YY brook trout, they will not be the last. This is just the first of many for Colorado.”

In 2010, an alarming number of non-native brook trout were discovered after completing a fish survey in the headwaters of the Williams Fork River. While it is unknown when brook trout invaded these creeks, it was evident the thriving brook trout had nearly decimated the native cutthroat population over time.

Cutthroat trout found within these two creeks are some of the highest-valued native cutthroat populations in the headwaters of the Colorado River basin. Considered a species of special concern in Colorado, this subspecies of trout is genetically pure and naturally reproducing. 

“In 2011 we found 123 cutthroat trout combined in both creeks. Today, after 13 years of hard work by dedicated biologists we are seeing a little more than 1,400 cutthroats in these creeks,” said Ewert. 

Trojan male brook trout are often called YY because they have two Y chromosomes, unlike wild males with an X and Y chromosome. These trout are stocked into wild brook trout populations and reproduce with the wild fish, producing only male offspring. Without a reproducing population (male and female fish), the brook trout will eventually die out, allowing for native cutthroat trout to be restored.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife will continue to stock both streams with YY brook trout over the next several years to sustain the number of Trojan males in the population, eliminating the production of female brook trout in the creeks. 

To learn more about Trojan male brook trout and cutthroat trout restoration project in the Upper Williams Fork drainage, read our latest Colorado Outdoors Online Magazine article. 

The New Fall 2024 Issue of High Country Angler is Live!

Your new Fall 2024 issue of

High Country Angler is here!

Check out the Fall 2024 issue of High Country Angler e-zine, including these stories:

• Landon Mayer with Getting Lined Up

• Jeff Ditsworth with A Tribute to My Dad

• Brian La Rue with Texas Intercoastal Redfish

• Colorado TU Staff with Good News for Abandoned Mine Restoration

• Hayden Mellsop with Into The Flattops

• Other columns by Barbara Luneau, CTU Staff, Peter Stitcher, and Joel Evans

Denver Fur Ban Initiative a Threat to Fishing

Colorado TU is urging its members and supporters in the City and County of Denver to vote no on Initiated Ordinance 308 this year, the proposed Denver Fur Ban. While farming of fur bearing animals and sale of luxury fur apparel are not coldwater conservation issues, the proposed fur ban is written broadly and vaguely enough that it puts at risk the purchase or sale of fly tying materials and many flies and lures. That poses a threat to our fishing and tying members in Denver, and to our business partners in the fishing industry.

Those industry members are not just important in sustaining angling, they are stalwarts in funding fish conservation. The fishing industry many years ago agreed to federal excise taxes that are charged on all fishing tackle items sold in the U.S., with the proceeds from those taxes earmarked for grants to state fish and wildlife agencies to support their fishery management programs. The program, popularly known as Dingell-Johnson, is a critical source of funding for Colorado Parks and Wildlife and its peer agencies across the country. Every time an angler purchases a rod, a reel, and yes, a fly or fly tying materials – a part of that purchase helps fund conservation through grants to those state agencies.

Unfortunately, under initiated ordinance 308, it appears that sale and purchase of flies, lures, or fly tying materials including animal fur would be prohibited in Denver – including delivery to a Denver address from retailers located outside of the city. If 308 passes – Denver anglers will no longer be able to purchase those flies and lures, or materials with which to tie them at home, within the City and County of Denver.

Other groups beyond the fly fishing community have expressed concern about the effects of 308 due to its broad and vague wording, including the National Western Stock Show (where exhibitors sell items that include fur, such as traditional cowboy hats); and tribal interests who note that 308’s exemptions for tribal cultural purposes are narrowly written and would not apply to the majority of Native Americans.

While the measure would apply only in the City and County of Denver, Colorado TU encourages members across the state to take note as proponents of the fur ban have previously voiced their interest in using passage of a ban in Denver as a stepping stone to seeking a similar statewide initiative.

If you live in Denver – VOTE NO on Initiated Ordinance 308!

Sig and Relay Creeks Passage Project Completed

Trout Unlimited (TU), in partnership with the San Juan National Forest (SJNF) and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), recently completed the Sig and Relay Creeks Aquatic Organismal Passage (AOP) project; it was successful due to the effective teamwork of these organizations as well as the commitment and dedication of the contractor, Medved Global.

The AOP effort replaced existing culverts with structures that allow all aquatic organisms to access upstream reaches of each tributary. This work is part of the Hermosa Creek Colorado River Cutthroat Trout (CRCT) Reintroduction effort and was listed as a project in the Hermosa Creek Special Management Area Plan legislation, signed in 2018.  CPW and the SJNF have worked to reestablish a genetically pure CRCT population in the Hermosa Watershed.  

“Between the two culverts, approximately 1.5 miles of new habitat will be available for cutthroat trout located downstream, which is significant because Sig and Relay Creeks regularly provide more water to the watershed than East Fork Hermosa during low flow periods.” Clay Kampf, Supervisory Aquatic Biologist, San Juan NF             

The CRCT populations in the greater Hermosa drainage are experiencing a substantial rebound due to over 35 years of effort. Past endeavors dating to the 1990s included the construction of fish barriers to prevent upstream migration of non-native trout species and widespread habitat improvements. Decades of accomplishments were headlined by and in partnership with the San Juan National Forest, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and Trout Unlimited Five Rivers Chapter.

Sources

USDA Forest Service Partnership Peaks, Winter 2023. “Connecting Habitat for Cutthroat Trout”; Abe Proffitt- SJNF Partnership Coordinator

Durango Herald, August 23, 2024- “Part of Hermosa Park Road closes through September 13”; Reuben Schafir- Herald Staff Writer

RSC Supporters Tour Colorado River Connectivity Channel

On the weekend of September 14, a group of Colorado TU’s River Stewardship Council (RSC) donors joined CTU staff and a representative from Northern Water for a weekend of fishing and a tour of the Colorado River Connectivity Channel, informally known as the Windy Gap Bypass.

When Windy Gap Reservoir was constructed in the 1980s, it began a steady decline in fish and bug life downstream. Impacts of the dam included blocking fish passage and eliminating the natural movement of stream bed materials (gravel, cobbles) needed to keep spawning and macroinvertebrate habitat healthy. When Northern Water proposed its Windy Gap Firming Project to expand its use of Windy Gap water rights, they agreed to assess how a “bypass” channel might be built and if it could be expected to mitigate those historic impacts from the original dam. A few years and many millions of dollars later, the Connectivity Channel is now a reality, thanks to collaboration among Northern Water, Trout Unlimited, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Grand County, and the Colorado River District, the Upper Colorado River Alliance, and the Colorado Water Conservation Board.

The project included building a large new berm to decrease the reservoir’s footprint, opening up floodplain area to construct a connecting channel around the reservoir capable of passing water, fish and sediment, thereby reconnecting the upstream and downstream segments of the Colorado River.  Construction activities began summer of 2022 and are currently wrapping up.

The Connectivity Channel is an impressive reach of water, with pool-riffle sequences and habitat structure included to help provide quality habitat for fish and for the bug life that sustains them. The Channel will also provide approximately a new mile of river fishing access on its upper portion when it opens for angling use, likely in 2027 – once the channel and riparian areas have had opportunity to stabilize. Approximately six years later, nearly another mile of access will open up on the downstream portion of the channel under an agreement with downstream landowners.

The tour of this project was part of a weekend gathering for members of Colorado TU’s flagship donor society, the River Stewardship Council, members of whom contribute $1000 or more to support Colorado TU’s work each year. Along with the project tour, attendees enjoyed a half-day of fishing on private waters along the Fraser and Ranch Creek, a visit to the Headwaters River Journey museum in Winter Park, and a group dinner and social. Similar tours are organized each year for RSC donors to fish and see work that CTU donor support helps make possible.

EcoFlight Over Proposed Dolores National Monument

Last week, TU staff, along with staff from Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and members of the press, flew above the deep canyons and mesas surrounding the Dolores River in this remote area of the Western Slope, which is one of the most important concentrations of biodiversity and wild public lands in the US. The region lies within the ancestral lands of the Ute people, and includes many cultural sites and sacred areas.  

Conservationists, community members, and other stakeholders are coming together to find solutions to protect the whole Dolores River Canyon Country, from McPhee Dam to the Utah state line. In the southern part of the region, decades of collaborative work have resulted in the introduction of legislation to create a 68,000-acre National Conservation Area. We applaud Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper for their continued efforts to advance these protections. We must continue to advocate for passage of this bill in Congress to ensure adequate protection for the natural resources on the Lower Dolores in Montezuma, Dolores, and San Miguel Counties. 

To complement the protections in the south, Trout Unlimited and its partners are also advocating for protection of the northern region to help preserve uniquely biodiverse lands, wildlife, water resources, and a sustainable future for local communities. The area surrounding the Upper Dolores River is home to high-elevation cutthroat trout streams and quality habitat for big game species like elk, mule deer, and bighorn sheep.  

In this time of skyrocketing recreation and increased threats from development and climate change, the time is now to permanently conserve the Dolores Canyons. Learn more by visiting the Sportsmen for the Dolores website and let decisionmakers know that you support protections for the Dolores Canyons 

Restoration Work Completed on Butcherknife Creek

Youth at Steamboat Springs schools will benefit from restoration work completed right by their elementary and middle school on Butcherknife Creek, a stream that serves as an outdoor classroom that can be used in teaching science and math while also connecting kids with their home watershed. The project was spearheaded through the Yampa Valley Stream Improvement Charitable Trust with support from the Yampa Valley Fly Fishers Chapter of TU, and a Colorado Rivers Fund grant from Colorado TU.

Watch the full video:

August 2024 Currents

This month’s issue of currents features US Senate Passes Bipartisan Good Samaritan Legislation, Securing Future for High Quality Waters, Blue River Restoration, and More!