Blog — Colorado Trout Unlimited

David Nickum

TU Report Shows Risks of Speculative Leasing for Oil & Gas - Take Action!

In collaboration with the National Wildlife Federation and Rocky Mountain Wild, Trout Unlimited has released a new report highlighting the Bureau of Land Management’s wasteful and detrimental practice of selling oil and gas leases on land with little or no potential for oil development.

Known as speculative leasing, this process not only diverts agency resources and taxpayer dollars away from other public lands priorities, but it also prevents these lands from being adequately managed for the more valuable resources they offer – important coldwater fish and wildlife habitat.

The new report identifies the following issues with the way the BLM administers these leases and urges Director Tracy Stone-Manning to update the agency’s leasing practices.

Imbalanced priorities on millions of acres

From 2012 to 2020, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) leased five million acres – roughly the twice the size of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks combined – that had little potential for energy development but overlapped valuable fish and wildlife habitat. Specifically, since 2012:

  • 55 percent of federal oil and gas leases were on lands with little to no potential for oil and gas development

  • 60 percent of leases on public lands with limited potential were sold for the minimum bid of $2 per acre

  • 66 percent of leases on lands with little to no development potential were sold non-competitively

Critical habitat and tourism destinations at-risk

Currently, 5.1 million acres of greater sage grouse habitat, 1.8 million acres of sensitive big game habitat, and more than 1 million acres of native trout watersheds are tied up in federal oil and gas leases on lands with limited development potential. What’s equally concerning is the number of popular destinations across the West impacted by these leases. These include Colorado’s own North Park, with its Gold-Medal quality fisheries and high-value wildlife habitats (see map below).

You can help

With growing pressure on fish and wildlife habitat throughout Colorado and nationwide, we must do better. Please take a moment to encourage BLM and Director Tracy Stone-Manning to revise regulations governing public lands oil and gas leasing and development, to better balance responsible energy development with the conservation of our cherished public lands, waters, and wildlife.

TroutFest - July 18 at Coors Field

CTU will be holding its inaugural TroutFest at Coors Field on the evening of July 18th from 5-9 pm! Tickets start at $25 ($10 for youth 5-12, 4 and under free) and include ballpark-style food, and the chance to take part in a range of great activities including:

  • A casting area with coaching offered from certified casting instructors

  • Fly-tying demonstrations with several top regional tyers

  • Exhibitor areas with local vendors, fishing and conservation partners

  • Family activities including beginner fly tying and a “build a bug” craft for the younger set, a “lawntrout” game featuring stuffed fish and velcro flies, and an appearance by Fraser the trout mascot

  • Tours of Coors Field including the dugout and more

  • Silent auction and raffle opportunities

  • Free Parking in the Coors Field lots

Come out to the ballpark and enjoy an evening with CTU celebrating trout and conservation!

New Water Quality Protection Secured for 25 Southwest Colorado Streams

On June 14, 2022 the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission designated 520 miles of 25 streams in southwestern Colorado as Outstanding Waters, adopting the largest community proposal for Outstanding Waters in history. Outstanding Waters (OW) is a designation under the Federal Clean Water Act (administered by the State of Colorado) that precludes any permitted activities on or about those waters that degrade the designated stream reach below the very high quality of the reach at the time of designation. It is a substantial tool in the stream protection tool bag, protecting the high water quality of these valuable waterways from degradation for future generations.

Eight of those 25 streams lie in the Upper Dolores watershed, the home waters of the Dolores River Anglers (DRA) chapter. Two other streams of special note for trout anglers, Fall Creek and Wolf Creek, support habitat for the rare San Juan lineage Colorado River cutthroat trout. The designations were the culmination of a three-year rulemaking hearing process that included three public, quasi-judicial hearings for scoping, issues identification, and final rulemaking.

Designation is a rigorous resource- and time-consuming process. For the Dolores River Anglers and the 8 streams they helped shepherd to OW protection, the journey began in 2013 with the chapter recognizing the need for a science-driven look at their home waters. The upper Dolores watershed is located where high desert of the Colorado Plateau meets the cool mountains of the Southern Rockies, making the upper Dolores is a proverbial canary-in-the-mine for a changing climate. DRA’s board agreed that they needed to understand how our trout environment was changing and what it was likely to become. Only then could the chapter effectively participate in and assist with the management of local trout resources.

By 2016 the chapter identified 42 perennial streams, comprising 295 miles, with viable trout populations. 24 of those streams harbor native cutthroat. In 2017, a three-year collaborative study was published that assessed the likely impact of climate change on the upper Dolores through the end of the century.  Working from the study findings, the chapter in 2018 began an in-depth collaboration with local watershed water managers from the San Juan National Forest, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and the Dolores Water Conservancy District. This Upper Dolores Stream Protection Working Group (Working Group) has met, and continues to meet, to build a long-term, overarching framework to coordinate both limited resources and work efforts with respect to an increasingly changing environment.

Key to this effort is a list of stream protection tools that can be used. As a Working Group, DRA’s target is to match the right tool to each stream, based on that stream’s emerging challenges. OW designation is a significant player in the tool kit. Based on a careful review of the study findings, associated field data, and extensive discussion among the Working Group, nine streams were proposed by DRA for OW designation that comprised the best projection of future stronghold streams for native cutthroat populations in the Upper Dolores.

In the spring of 2019 Dolores River Anglers began to partner with a coalition of organizations that was pursuing OW designation for a number of additional streams in the San Juan, Gunnison, San Miguel, and Animas River basins. The coalition was made up of senior/executive staff from American Rivers, American Whitewater, Conservation Colorado, High Country Conservation Advocates, Mountain Studies Institute, San Juan Citizens Alliance, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Trout Unlimited/Colorado Trout Unlimited, and Western Resource Advocates.

DRA volunteer Raymond Rose collecting a water quality sample.

As noted, an OW designation in Colorado takes place through a three-year process. By the end of that period, each of three tests much be shown to be met by any stream reach for it to be designated as an Outstanding Water:

  • The existing quality for each of twelve key water quality parameters must be equal to or better than applicable standards. Sampling should be reflective of conditions across all seasons and preferably over multiple years.

  • The waters must constitute an outstanding natural resource, such as being a significant attribute of a Gold Medal fishery or a designated wilderness, or have other exceptional recreational or ecological significance and not been modified by human activities in a manner that substantially detracts from their value.

  • The water must require protection in addition to that provided by existing water quality classifications and standards.

In-depth technical support was critical to the success of the effort. From water quality sampling to macroinvertebrate assessment to public communication expertise, the coalition provided it all; indeed, it is unlikely that DRA’s piece of the project would have been successful without the remarkable support of the coalition members. Likewise, the full and enthusiastic support DRA received from Colorado Trout Unlimited and National Trout Unlimited was critical to success. And it certainly helps to have a chapter member with a PhD in water chemistry to lead the sampling effort!

Of the nine streams proposed by DRA for OW designation, eight were approved by the Commission in June as part of the total 25 streams added as new OWs. These eight streams join three other OW streams already in place in the upper Dolores; those designations were coordinated by DRA/CTU/TU in 2012. Five other streams in the Lizard Head Wilderness Area also known to have cutthroat trout populations have OW designations for those portions within the wilderness area.

The bottom line is very reassuring: after three years of extensive field effort and considerable financial investment on the part of the Coalition, the water quality in 25 pristine mountain streams, including eight key cutthroat habitats in the Upper Dolores, are now protected from human-induced degradation. These designations serve as a needed flag for all future water managers that management decisions about these waters must very carefully consider the maintenance of their very high water quality for future generations.

June 2022 Currents

Check out the June edition of CTU Currents newsletter, including information about the TroutFest event taking place at Coors Field in July, summer volunteer opportunities, good news for water in the San Luis Valley, and more! You can read the June issue by clicking here.

Douglas County denies funding for San Luis Valley water raid

The San Luis Valley is facing major water challenges, with demands for water outstripping the area’s limited ground and surface water supplies. With irrigators having to reduce their use of water to bring things back into balance, Valley residents have been collaborating - including through water sharing partnerships facilitated by Trout Unlimited - on projects that reduce water consumption and at the same time can benefit flows in local rivers like the Conejos and Rio Grande.

Those collaborations faced a new - but also old - challenge from the misleadingly named “Renewable Water Resources” (RWR), a company backed by Denver developers and former Colorado Governor Bill Owens. RWR’s proposal seeks to pump groundwater out of the San Luis Valley and export it to Colorado’s Front Range, putting at risk the Valley’s unique environment and agriculture economy. The project is the successor to previously failed efforts to raid Valley water by American Water Development, Inc. and later again by Stockman’s Water. Reviving the twice-defeated proposal, RWR sponsors asked Douglas County to provide millions of dollars in Covid relief funds to promote their project. Valley residents, TU, and other conservation allies joined in asking the Douglas County Commission to reject the proposal

Last week, Douglas County’s Commission voted (2-1) to reject the RWR request for relief funds. Commissioners Abe Laydon and Lora Thomas voted to oppose the request. The decision is a welcome reprieve for residents and the environment in the San Luis Valley. The battle is not yet over, however - RWR will continue to seek customers willing to finance the project. Commissioner Laydon left the door open for potential future support from Douglas County, indicating a willingness to continue working with RWR but noting that they would need to “do significant additional homework” to address concerns about the proposal.

TU stands with the San Luis Valley in opposing RWR and will remain vigilant as its proponents look for their next target for underwriting their ill-advised proposal.

Headwaters Youth Update & Volunteer Opportunities

Natalie Flowers recently joined the Colorado TU team as our Youth Education Coordinator. She has provided this brief update on our major program areas within the “Stream of Engagement” for youth education.

The Headwaters Youth Program offers engaging youth programs for the next generation of anglers and river stewards.  Through the Stream of Engagement, we connect kids of varying ages and their families to their watersheds and build stronger communities.  I am excited to join the Colorado Trout Unlimited team as the new Youth Education Coordinator.  I am blessed to be able to come into this role and not only find a strong program foundation, but also find so many passionate volunteers, staff members, CTU Chapters, and partners who are eager to help! 

If we haven’t met yet, here is bit about me.  I am a positive extrovert who loves igniting sparks curiosity, wonder, and outdoor exploration in people of all ages, especially kids.  My background is in environmental education, nature-based programming, and volunteer management and I’m passionate about increasing outdoor play, accessibility, and cultivating a love of nature.  I love my family who includes my husband Robby and two daughters, Eloise (9) and Lorelei (7).  I am an animal geek at heart and in my free time I enjoy hiking, skiing, SCUBA diving, bird/wildlife watching, and fishing.  I look forward to connecting with you and collaborating as we strengthen our Stream of Engagement youth programs and building new interactive programs and activities.  Feel free to drop me a line or shoot me an email at natalie.flowers@tu.org.

Below are a few Stream of Engagement updates and opportunities.

  • STREAM Girls/Keepers:

    • We are working on solidifying dates and location for 2022 STREAM Girl and STREAM Keeper programs. 

    • I hope to update our CTU calendar with programs in the next few weeks. 

  • Trout in the Classroom:

    • We are wrapping up our 2021/2022 Trout in the Classroom program.

    • We look forward to revamping this program this Summer to allow growth and more collaboration with partners. 

  • River Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp:

  • Volunteers wanted! 

    • We are ready to re-engage CTU volunteers to help support these and other Stream of Engagement Youth Programming. 

    • Please fill out the CTU Youth Volunteer Survey and tell us how you can help!

Thank you for helping us cultivate and grow the next generation of conservation-oriented anglers!

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Utah Railway Could Spell Trouble for Colorado Rivers

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A proposed new rail line in Utah would result in up to 10 two-mile-long trains daily of heated rail cars filled with waxy crude traveling along the Colorado River and through some of Colorado’s most vulnerable landscapes.  

 The proposed Uinta Basin Railway would connect oil fields in Utah to the national rail network, specifically the Central Line adjacent to the Colorado River through Grand Junction, Glenwood Springs, Eagle and other small towns, along the Colorado and Fraser Rivers and through Denver before heading south and east to refineries in Oklahoma and the Gulf Coast.

 The project has sparked opposition from more than 70 counties, municipalities, and sanitation districts and dozens of environmental groups. Concerns are many. Eagle County has filed a lawsuit to stop the project, citing the need for further environmental assessment, and the local elected officials have opposed the project, voicing concerns that a derailment could devastate local tourism. Others say the project will more than quadruple the production of the Unita Basin oil fields – an increase of more than 350,000 barrels per day – and cause more than 53 million tons of additional carbon pollution per year. And there are concerns that increased traffic through the Moffat Tunnel would prompt a reopening of the Tennessee Pass rail line, putting the Eagle and Arkansas Rivers at risk.

 Colorado Trout Unlimited has reached out as well to our elected officials, voicing our concern for the environmental devastation that will occur when there is a derailment - and it is a question of when, not if, as the Environmental Impact Statement estimates there will be an average of 0.89 accidents per year involving a loaded train and another 0.89 accidents involving unloaded trains; Table 3.2.2). Waxy crude is solid at room temperature and each of the railcars on these two-mile-long trains is heated to around 110 degrees to keep the substance liquid.

 As they move through Colorado, these heated oil tankers will travel along the river – through the center of Glenwood Springs and on through Glenwood Canyon, Eagle County, through Gore Canyon and Grand County along the headwaters of the Colorado river, then along the Fraser River through Winter Park and the Moffat Tunnel. East of the tunnel the train will rumble through 33 tunnels and navigate horseshoe curves as it makes its way to Denver and beyond.  

 It is all too easy to envision the dangers. Picture what the Colorado River would look like if even one of the tanker cars split open and spilled its load of 29,400 gallons of waxy crude, which solidifies as it flows into the river. The devastation to the river ecosystem would be catastrophic. Picture oil tankers heated to 110 degrees derailing in tinder-dry forests on the West Slope or the bone-dry grasslands of the Front Range. In an era where more and bigger fires are predicted, it’s easy to see another Troublesome Fire on the West Slope or another out-of-control grass fire on the Front Range sparked by one of these heated tankers.

 Colorado Trout Unlimited does not oppose all oil and gas development and indeed has worked with the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission and other stakeholders on rulemakings to manage such development responsibly.  This project, however, poses unacceptable levels of risk – and the impacts to Colorado have largely been ignored in the federal permitting processes to date as they have looked only at the immediate local effects in Utah’s Uinta Basin.  By raising our voices of concern, we hope that Colorado’s elected officials, CTU, and other concerned groups can get the Uinta railway re-considered by federal agencies like the Surface Transportation Board and the US Forest Service.

Colorado River photo credit: Tony Webster, used under Creative Commons license.

Introducing - Colorado Gold!

APRIL 2022

“We are close. So close to a new mile of the Colorado River.”

– Mely Whiting, Trout Unlimited attorney who has led the Colorado River Headwaters Connectivity Project for more than a decade.

Welcome to Colorado Gold!

As a Trout Unlimited supporter, you may have seen Mely Whiting’s quote in the Colorado Sun story published on March 22. Her comment referred to the mile-long Colorado River Connectivity Channel designed to bypass Windy Gap Reservoir near Granby, CO, and unwind nearly 40 years of damage to the river by restoring flows and once again allowing fish passage through what was once one the state’s most prolific trout fisheries.

She’s been waiting – and working – more than 10 years to utter those words, and thanks to the sustained efforts of folks like Mely and our partners at Northern Water, Grand County, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Colorado River District and NRCS, we really are close. So close to restoring one of Colorado’s iconic Gold Medal fisheries for generations to come.

The ongoing effort to reconnect the upper Colorado River at Windy Gap serves as one of the signature restoration projects of the Colorado Gold campaign designed to help give Colorado’s “highest quality cold-water habitats” the protection they need and the conservation champions they deserve. That’s where you come in. Your support as a member of the rapidly expanding Colorado Gold Coalition is a vital piece of the conservation equation. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to all of you who have already joined us in this mission, along with an invitation to everyone else interested in joining the movement we’re creating.

Together we’re building an influential alliance of diverse angling and outdoor recreation-related businesses, organizations and people with the aim of increasing public awareness, raising money for projects like this and helping to shape policy by moving decision-makers toward conservation-minded Gold Medal watershed management. Click here to join us!

In this inaugural newsletter we also want to give a shout out to our Gold Level sponsors at Northwest River Supplies (NRS) and Down River Equipment (DRE) for donating a shiny new NRS Otter 142 self-bailing raft and custom-built XD fishing frame for our first Colorado Gold fundraiser. Valued at more than $13,500, the raft is adorned with the Colorado Gold logo and comes with dual rod holders, diamond-plate casting platforms and other deluxe accessories hand-crafted by DRE. It’s currently on display at the DRE showroom in Wheat Ridge.

If you haven’t bought your raffle tickets yet (or maybe just decided you want to buy a few more), you can do that here. The drawing takes place on June 1 at the Colorado TU offices in Denver. Unfortunately, it’s only open to Colorado residents.

We’ve got a lot more brewing on the Colorado Gold calendar, including some timely upgrades to our website incorporating more detailed angling info on Colorado’s Gold Medal fisheries as we head into high season. Meanwhile, be sure to buy your raffle tickets, encourage friends and local businesses to join the coalition and stay tuned for news on more ways you can tap into Colorado Gold!

COALITION PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: BLUE RIVER WATERSHED GROUP

The mission of the Blue River Watershed Group is to promote, protect and restore a healthy Blue River watershed through cooperative community education, stewardship, and resource management. And they’re working hand in hand with TU on revitalizing 19 miles of the former Gold Medal fishery through the “Getting the Blue back to Gold” campaign. Link up to learn more about how you can get involved here.

Colorado Gold Medal Waters in the News:

  Demand Management Planning is on Hold in Colorado – For Now

  Management Pause Doesn't Bode Well for the Future of Lake Powell – Where the Forecast Calls for Pain

  TU Supporter Paul Bruchez of Kremmling Selected to Fill Colorado Water Conservation Board Seat

  Recent Snowfall has Pushed Summit County's Blue River Basin to Almost 100% of Average

  But the Snowpack Totals Aren't as Good as They Might Sound in the Roaring Fork Valley

  Reudi Reservoir, Tailwater to the Lower Fryingpan, Hits its Lowest Level in 20 Years but Should Still Fill

  Meanwhile, the Fishing Must be Good Somewhere

2022 State of the River Meetings Schedule

The Colorado River District is holding its annual State of the River events across the 15-county River District, bringing District staff, local partners, hydrologists, and water users together to discuss and address the most pressing water issues facing West Slope communities today.

Visit the sites below to register for a State of the River event near you:

  • April 12 – Mesa County

    • Where: Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction

  • April 13 – Rio Blanco County

    • Where: Old Ace High, Rangely

  • May 3 – Garfield County

    • Where: Morgridge Commons, Glenwood Springs

  • May 16 – Delta County

    • Where: Robideau Room, Delta

  • May 17 or 19 – Grand County

    • Where: Location TBD

  • May 24 – Summit County

    • Where: Silverthorne Town Pavilion, Silverthorne

  • June 8 or 9 – Gunnison County

    • Where: Gunnison River Festival, Gunnison

  • TBD – Eagle County

  • TBD – Crystal River State of the River

    • Where: Redstone Church, Redstone

F3T IS BACK!

The Fly Fishing Film Tour returns to Colorado with a series of upcoming shows around the state. Get your fishing stoke on with the best in fly fishing films - and meet up with your local TU chapters who will be on hand as well! Upcoming stops include:  April 29 (Gunnison), and May 11 (Longmont).  Check out their stoke reel trailer here, and find details and ticketing here.