Blue River Habitat Restoration Project

Blue River Watershed Group and Trout Unlimited begin community-led design to improve the Blue River in Silverthorne

On behalf of the Blue River Watershed Group, we are excited to announce the launch of a community-driven river improvement project on the Blue River. 

The Blue River Watershed Group (BRWG) non-profit organization was founded in 2004 by local community members passionate about protecting the health of the Blue River basin. Our mission is to promote, protect, and restore a healthy Blue River watershed through cooperative community education, stewardship, and resource management. As a result of the Gold Medal delisting of sections of the Blue River below the Dillon Dam in 2016, our community came together to address the underlying causes of the habitat decline. 

The Integrated Water Management Plan was conceived by BRWG and Trout Unlimited to research the reasons behind the degraded ecosystem and provide restoration-based solutions. Through this research, the Blue River Habitat Restoration Project was conceived and is currently in the planning phase.

The Blue River Habitat Restoration Project (referred to as Project) addresses the significant decline in habitat quality on the Blue River as outlined in the IWMP. The Verdantas team was recently contracted to provide design engineering services on his highly anticipated project. The most important aspect of the design process is that it will incorporate the input from a wide variety of stakeholders to ensure the redesign of the river is accomplishing the needs of its many users while capitalizing on the opportunities this restoration project offers our diverse community for future benefit. 

Your input is paramount. To ensure we obtain sufficient community input, the design team has developed a substantial outreach plan including the following components: stakeholder interviews, a design workshop, public meetings, a technical advisory team, and an iterative design process. You are invited to participate in the process of  redesigning and revitalizing the Blue River in your community.

The Project will address two sections of the river, one through the Town of Silverthorne and the other 7 miles north of town near the Blue River Campground. The Project will enhance degraded aquatic habitat and restore the Blue to a more sustainable and healthier ecosystem. Enhancements will likely include channel shaping in overly wide and shallow areas, creating appropriate pool-riffle-glide spacing, adding fish habitat features, planting riparian vegetation, importing gravel for fish spawning habitat, and improving access trails, stairs, and ramps for all recreationists.

The Town is interested in evaluating its recreational in-channel diversion (RICD) water rights for potential coordinated releases from the Dam, which could enable significant improvements for non-motorized boating opportunities. All designs considered (such as a whitewater course, a freestyle hole, or a standing wave) will prioritize compatibility with the Project’s goals of enhancing aquatic habitat and providing for fish passage. Other aspects of this urban project include consideration of the FEMA-regulated floodplains, the need to address current stormwater infrastructure concerns, a possible new pedestrian bridge, and a new bridge downtown to alleviate pressure when the Town is inundated with traffic from the I-70 closures.
 
Please don't hesitate to reach out directly to the Blue River Watershed Group at projects@blueriverwatershed.org with your feedback or opinions about this project.

October Currents Newsletter

This month’s issue features CTU Rendezvous, 2024 Colorado Legislation, CPW Introduces Trojan Male Brook Trout, and More!

Fall Fundraising Fun

Highlighting a few fundraising efforts from across Colorado:

Colorado TU 2024 Raffle Benefiting Cutthroat Chapter

Support Colorado TU’s Cutthroat Chapter’s conservation, education, and community engagement projects including restoring habitat and trail access in Cheesman Canyon - with a chance to win one of 25 great prizes valued up to $695!

Colorado TU 2024 Raffle Benefiting Five Rivers Chapter

Support Colorado TU’s Five Rivers Chapter and their efforts to restore the native San Juan Cutthroat Trout along with programs for youth education, conservation, and community engagement - with a chance to win a custom bamboo rod celebrating the San Juan Cutthroat valued at $1,800!

Colorado TU encourages a YES vote on Proposition JJ

The Colorado Water Plan embraces four key values for our state’s vital water resources – a productive economy supporting vibrant cities, agriculture, recreation and tourism; efficient and effective infrastructure; supporting healthy watersheds, rivers, and wildlife; and an informed public with creative solutions for sustainable and resilient water systems.

Through Colorado Water Plan grants, the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) has been able to fund important projects advancing these goals – including TU collaborations with water users. For example, water plan grants are helping with our work to restore cutthroat in the Poudre Headwaters, to improve efficiency and reconnect habitat on tributaries to the Colorado River, and to develop infrastructure improvements along South Boulder Creek that allow fish passage and delivery of low flow releases to preserve instream flows.

Key funding for these grants comes through voter-approved Proposition DD in 2019, which allocates funding raised from sports betting in Colorado to support the water plan.  Proposition DD has generated nearly $77 million new dollars for water plan efforts in the past five years – benefiting our watersheds, farms, and communities.

Today, funding from this initiative is exceeding all original expectations – with revenues going over the original cap of $29 million per year. Proposition JJ will allow those extra dollars to be invested in the water plan; if it does not pass, those extra dollars will be returned to casinos and sports betting companies.

The Colorado legislature with bipartisan and near-unanimous support referred JJ to voters so that funds from sports betting can provide much-needed support for our state’s precious water resources.

Colorado TU encourages a YES vote on Proposition JJ

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

September Currents Newsletter

This month’s issue of currents features Fall Rendezvous, Denver Fur Ban, CTU Fall Raffle, and More!

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!