Landmark Agreement Protects Iconic Maroon & Castle Creeks

In a major victory for free-flowing rivers and Aspen’s famed Maroon Bells, Colorado Trout Unlimited (CTU) and American Rivers announced today that they signed an agreement with the City of Aspen to stop the development of two unnecessary new dams.

Since 2016, Aspen had been advancing a proposal to develop a 155-foot dam on Maroon Creek and a 170-foot dam on Castle Creek in the shadow of the Maroon Bells. The dams would have flooded private property as well as federally protected land in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area, one of the most visited and photographed valleys in Colorado. Anglers adventuring up from the Roaring Fork also visit the area to fish for wild brook and cutthroat trout.

Maroon Lake reflecting the Maroon Bells, in the upper Maroon Creek valley.

“Sacrificing the places that make Colorado great is the wrong answer for meeting future water needs,” said David Nickum, Executive Director of Colorado Trout Unlimited. “We appreciate the City of Aspen making this commitment to meet its water supply needs while protecting these much-loved valleys and creeks, and the wild trout that call them home.”

In December 2016, American Rivers and Colorado Trout Unlimited filed statements of opposition with the Colorado Water Court regarding Aspen’s application to continue conditional water rights to pursue construction of the dams. Aspen’s own 2016 water availability report clearly stated that the city did not need the two dams for municipal water supply or climate resiliency.

In the new agreement, Aspen commits to moving the water storage rights out of the Castle and Maroon Creek valleys forever, to alternate locations that won’t damage river health. CTU and American Rivers retained the ability to engage in federal and land use permitting for those proposed alternate sites, should Aspen move forward with the projects in the future – so that river advocates can ensure impacts at those locations are mitigated.

“This is a significant victory for rivers in Colorado,” said Matt Rice, Colorado River Basin Director for American Rivers. “We applaud the City of Aspen for working with the conservation community to find more sustainable and cost-effective water supply solutions. Thanks to the hard work and persistence of so many people who love this special place, these creeks will be protected forever from harmful new dams.”

CTU benefited from generous pro bono representation from the law firm of Patrick, Miller and Noto. We are grateful for their help in making this settlement possible.

Thompson Divide protections preserved in settlement

The BLM announced some good news for Colorado’s native cutthroat trout and big game populations on June 22 after reaching a settlement in the lawsuit filed by oil and gas company SG Interests over the cancellation of 18 leases to drill in the Thompson Divide area of the White River National Forest near Carbondale, Colorado. The leases covered more than 21,000 acres (about 33 square miles) featuring prime big game habitat and native cutthroat trout streams in watersheds providing source water to the Crystal and Roaring Fork Rivers, as well as local communities.

Thompson Creek in the Thompson Divide.  Photo: Josh Duplechian

Leases to drill in the Thompson Divide were improperly issued by BLM in 2003. A coalition of county and local governments, ranchers, local businesses, sportsmen and citizen groups – including Trout Unlimited – mobilized and worked for years to protect the Thompson Divide. BLM ultimately recognized that the leases had been issued in violation of the law and cancelled them in 2016. 

In early 2017, SG Interests filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court to challenge BLM’s decision. Under the settlement, SG agrees to dismiss its case in exchange for a payment of $1.5 million from the federal government. The settlement compensates SG for investments made toward developing the leases but leaves the 2016 lease cancellations in effect.

“SG’s leases were issued in violation of the law, and these lands never should have been leased in the first place,” said Michael Freeman, a staff attorney at Earthjustice representing Wilderness Workshop and Colorado Trout Unlimited.  “BLM properly cancelled the leases in 2016. We’re glad to see that SG is dropping its challenge to those cancellations.”

The Thompson Divide area stretches across Pitkin, Garfield and Gunnison Counties and encompasses no fewer than nine National Forest roadless areas. The area includes habitat for deer, elk and a variety of sensitive wildlife species, including cold water streams vital to native cutthroat trout. Because it supports recreation, ranching and other local industries, the Thompson Divide produces an estimated 300 jobs and pumps more than $30 million into the local economy.

“From its prime big game habitat to unique native cutthroat trout fisheries, the Thompson Divide is a Colorado treasure for hunters and anglers,” said David Nickum, executive director of Colorado Trout Unlimited. “For years, sportsmen and women have fought to protect these lands — so we’re pleased that BLM and SG have reached an agreement that will keep them intact.”

While the settlement is an important step toward protecting the region, it does not end the threat posed by oil and gas development. Sen. Michael Bennet introduced legislation last year (S.481 - Thompson Divide Withdrawal and Protection Act of 2017) to permanently protect the Thompson Divide. With the specter of SG's 2003 leases and lawsuit no longer hanging over the area, Colorado TU hopes that his bill can gain momentum so that this treasured landscape can receive the lasting protection it deserves.

Farewell to a legend: Lefty Kreh

The great Lefty Kreh passed away Wednesday at 93 years young. Considered by many to be the greatest of fly casting instructors, Lefty was one of the leaders in popularizing saltwater fly fishing and his Lefty's Deceiver fly gained such renown that it was featured on a US Postage Stamp in 1991.  Conservation was also a part of Lefty's legacy, as he was a leader in promoting the catch-and-release ethic among the fishing community. The New York Times features an obituary describing Lefty's notable and colorful life in fly fishing: Lefty Kreh, a Fly Fisherman With Few Peers, Is Dead at 93.

An inductee in the International Game Fish Association's Hall of Fame, Kreh was introduced to fly fishing by Joe Brooks.  The Hall of Fame profile on Kreh offers a great summation of what Lefty meant to fly fishing.  It concludes simply and fittingly:

His greatest accomplishment may be that he has never failed to help just about every person who has sought his assistance and advice. It is said that when Lefty asked Joe Brooks - the man who had so enriched his life - how he could repay him, Brooks replied, “Just share with others what I have shared with you.” And for more than 50 years, Lefty Kreh has been doing just that.

Funding the Future of Conservation

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is looking for the legislature to provide it with authority to increase hunting and fishing license fees for the first time in more than a decade, and we expect to see legislation along those lines during the 2018 legislative session. At one level, the reason for such an increase is very simple - the revenue generated by license fees has been eroded by inflation since the last increase, and in order to deliver the same kinds of service the agency needs to have the funding to keep up with those escalating costs.

But the most frequent question we've heard from anglers and sportsmen generally has been to hear more of the story: what are these funds needed for, and what types of investments specifically will the state make if anglers and hunters increase what we pay for licenses?

The most recent issue of High Country Angler offers some answers. Needs run the gamut from modernizing fish hatcheries, to restoring funds for the "Fishing is Fun" program to improve habitat and create new fishing access, to completing needed maintenance on fishing reservoirs that otherwise could be forced to be drained for dam safety reasons.

Read all about it here - and decide for yourself - are these investments good reasons to pay more on my fishing license? You'll have the chance to speak up on that question with your legislators this year.

A second look at "trash fish"

Ugly fish. Trash fish. Suckers. Chubs. A lot of native fish in our rivers don’t get no respect. Many anglers consider them good for nothing, except for throwing back—way back onto the bank.

But we anglers and sportsmen who care about rivers and cutthroats need to adjust our attitude a bit and quit looking down our noses at some of the “other” native fish.

Turns out “trash” fish like Colorado pikeminnow, razorback sucker, humpbacked chub, bonytail and other native species are critically important to river and trout habitat conservation efforts here in the Colorado River Basin and other watersheds in the West.

And trout and other angler-favored species are riding their fintails to a better life.

The pikeminnow has been around for millions of years in the Colorado Basin and can grow up to 6 feet long and live for decades. Pioneers used pitchforks at times, it’s said, to haul them out of the river, they were so abundant. The fish provided food (albeit a bit bony) for the settlers.

But with growing water diversions, drought, invasive species and other factors pressuring the river in the last half century, the numbers of these native fish plummeted, and they were listed under the Endangered Species Act. In 1988, the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program was launched to bring them and the chubs and suckers back to sustainable numbers.

For three decades, the program has fostered cooperation, rather than conflict, among water users and directed federal and state funds to infrastructure projects that have benefited multiple users, from ranchers and farmers to municipalities.

Trout Unlimited and other conservation groups have supported those efforts, because the water projects, improved infrastructure and enhanced river flows needed to recover pikeminnows, suckers and chubs also benefit upstream coldwater species like trout.

For instance, TU helped upgrade the Relief Ditch and Hartland irrigation diversions on the Gunnison River a few years ago—a project that improved habitat and flows for trout.

The project would not have been possible without funds directly tied to native fish recovery.

Cary Denison, TU’s project coordinator in the Gunnison area, says that many anglers don’t realize that much of the West’s native trout have been removed from their historical ranges, and the remaining “natives” are those fish that many consider to be trash fish.

“If we aim to improve these rivers, we need to leverage the importance of these species to improve trout habitat as well.”

They are some of the original members of that river community, and they belong there. We need all of the pieces of a river ecosystem intact to keep it healthy.

So take a second look at that “trash” fish and give it some serious props for helping improve and restore our rivers for the other fish species we love.

Randy Scholfield is TU’s communications director for the Southwest.

Photo credit: US Fish and Wildlife Service

Partnerships Paying Off for Fraser River

The fish are returning to Fraser Flats. It took years of vision and persistence, but Trout Unlimited’s long-game strategy of collaboration on the Upper Colorado River is paying big dividends for anglers and local communities that depend on a healthy river.

Exhibit A is the Fraser Flats Habitat Project. The Fraser River, a key tributary of the Upper Colorado, had been degraded by years of water diversions and other pressures.

TU and a host of water stakeholders joined forces to reverse that decline. The effort, called Learning by Doing, brought together a variety of partners including Denver Water, Northern Water, Grand County, Trout Unlimited, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife to help restore the Upper Colorado watershed.

The group’s inaugural project at Fraser Flats aimed to restore a roughly one-mile stretch of the Fraser between the towns of Tabernash and Fraser, with the goal of providing healthy habitat for trout even during periods of reduced flows. The Fraser in this section had become too wide and shallow, resulting in sedimentation and high temperatures that smothered bug life and pressured coldwater-loving trout.

Design work began last fall. In late spring, more than 150 volunteers turned out to plant willows and cottonwoods along the streambank for shade and bank stability. Then in summer and fall, the group brought in Freestone Aquatics to narrow the river with point bars and other structures to increase velocity and depth of the river. Freestone also created a series of riffle and deep pools to provide better holding water for trout.

The results already have been nothing short of spectacular.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife conducted a fish survey on Oct. 5, shortly after completion of the project, and found dramatic increases in the biomass of brown and rainbow trout in the stretch compared to previous surveys, and an even larger increase in numbers of larger (14" and up) fish.

Preliminary electrofishing survey results from CPW showed the reach experienced a 415% increase in brown trout biomass, and a 550% increase in the numbers of brown trout greater than 14" in length. While rainbows are a smaller component of the population (15% of biomass, 25% of larger fish #s), they also blossomed with an increase of 267% in biomass and a 400% boost in fish over 14".

"We are elated," Mely Whiting, legal counsel for Trout Unlimited, told the local Ski-Hi News. "This is amazing. The biomass [in the river] has more than tripled, just from last year, and only in the matter of a couple of weeks since the project was completed.”

Biologists also reported seeing large brown trout actively spawning in many areas of the stretch. In short, Fraser River trout have wasted no time moving into the improved habitat.

What’s more, starting in spring 2018, the project will also provide public fishing access along a half-mile of the Fraser Flats section.

“This section of the Fraser River is the healthiest I’ve seen this river in the 47 years I’ve lived here,” TU’s Klancke said. “The best part is we’re hoping to do more river improvements like this in the future with our Learning By Doing partners.”

Colorado Public Radio this week aired a segment about the successful project and the "unusual partnership" between TU and Denver Water .

Watch the video below from Denver Water for another good overview of the project benefits.

Silverthorne, TU unveil Blue River Explorer Hike

In partnership with the Town of Silverthorne, the Gore Range Chapter TU in September celebrated the opening of the "Blue River Explorer Hike."  The half-mile hike along the Blue River through the town core of Silverthorne includes multiple interpretive signs highlighting different aspects of the Blue River's ecology, history, and significance in the community. Inspired by the popular "Junior Ranger" program of the National Park Service, the Blue River Explorer Hike program offers a free children's activity booklet and sticker that can be picked up by registering at the Colorado Welcome Center at the Green Village - Outlets of SIlverthorne. The Blue River Explorer Hike is a free, self-guided trail and is open daily. Signs along the trail explain trout biology, watershed management, challenges of water supply in Colorado, and solutions to help mitigate water shortages. Summit County Television produced a brief video about the new trail:

The Gore Range Chapter hopes that the trail will not only help engage and educate youth in Summit County and among its many visitors, but also may inspire others to bring similar educational programs to their home waters. For those that are interested in developing their own Explorer Hike program, Chapter President Greg Hardy can provide all the necessary details based on what the chapter learned in the course of developing the Blue River project (costs, grant opportunities, locally-available fund raising, development material, artist recommendation, etc.)

CPW Fishing: New App for Exploring Colorado Waters

Colorado Parks and Wildlife has launched CPW Fishing, the agency’s official mobile fishing app. For anglers seeking information on new fishing locations or needing to check for updated regulations while on the water, CPW Fishing is an easy way to keep angling details close at hand. “We’re excited to bring this free, portable resource to the anglers that enjoy Colorado’s abundant waters,” said Bob Broscheid, director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “This app was truly designed with the angler in mind. We’ve included offline modes that don’t require a connection, putting fishing conditions for thousands of locations right at your fingertips wherever you are. We've also included current regulations for responsible angling and the ability to record catches right where they happen.”

CPW Fishing allows anglers to explore Colorado’s waters, whether searching for a new destination or checking weather conditions at a long-favorite location. The app allows discovery of over 2,000 fishing locations, and provides information on the type of fishing at each location, stream gauges, species availability, accessibility, family-friendliness and more.

The app includes journaling features which allow anglers to record their successes, map catch locations, and share photos and information. Social badges can be earned with your reports, and anglers can even become official CPW Master Anglers using the app to submit their qualifying catch.

Educational features such as up-to-date fishing regulations, fish identification guides and news alerts for key information anglers need to be aware of on the water are also available.

The CPW Fishing app is available on both the App Store and Google Play. CPW Fishing was made possible with financial support from the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation and the Colorado State Internet Portal Authority.

River Rising: the Denver South Platte

Ronnie Crawford first discovered the urban fishery of the South Platte by accident around 15 years ago. He was taking a couple of kids fishing with bait on the river near his house off Evans. Much to his surprise, they started catching trout. That was the simple beginning of a long-term love for fishing the “Denver South Platte,” and for introducing others to all it has to offer. For more than a decade, the Denver Trout Unlimited chapter (DTU), of which Ronnie is a board member, has been working to improve the health of the Denver South Platte – the section of the river starting below Chatfield Reservoir and then flowing through the southern suburbs and downtown Denver. Eleven years ago, the chapter held its first “Carp Slam” fishing tournament, to build awareness of the Denver South Platte and its fishery potential, and to raise funds for river restoration efforts. This year's Carp Slam takes place September 23, with Denver's most awesome after-party taking place atop the DaVita building in LoDo on Saturday evening (purchase your tickets here).

As the name suggests, the Carp Slam’s fishing focus is carp—but the goal is to improve habitat in the South Platte for a variety of fish.  And many anglers in the Carp Slam routinely catch impressive trout, suggesting the potential for a much more robust urban trout fishery.

Restoration work started with the South Suburban Parks and Recreation District in 2012, working to enhance the reach of the South Platte by Carson Nature Center to better support native fish, recreational fishing, and riparian habitat.  DTU contributed to the District’s effort with $10,000 raised through the Carp Slam and another $80,000 leveraged through a Colorado Parks and Wildlife Fishing is Fun grant.

The restoration effort and partnerships have grown exponentially since then.  DTU has worked with the City and County of Denver and the Greenway Foundation on a South Platte Restoration plan that lays out a restoration vision for the river and corridor all along the Denver South Platte. Millions of dollars are flowing toward efforts to improve several miles of river and to create economic benefits from a healthy South Platte as a new recreational centerpiece of the Denver metro area.

While appreciating the broader efforts to improve the entire greenway corridor, DTU has helped keep a strong focus on the river habitat itself. “We’re the ones focused on what’s happening below the waterline,” explains DTU member John Davenport.

Part of focusing below the waterline has been to pay attention to water quality, including stream temperature. To better document water temperatures and understand the river's fishery potential, DTU purchased and placed in-stream loggers starting in February 2016, collecting hourly water temperature data at six sites along the Denver South Platte.  Results to date, Davenport says, look very similar to those for the Arkansas River in Pueblo – a river supporting a popular trout fishery.

While finding a future for trout fishing in downtown Denver is definitely part of DTU’s vision, a healthy river and fishery is the key goal – not just trout.  “I call this a potluck stream,” explained Crawford. “You never know what you’re going to get.  I’ve hooked carp, brown trout, rainbow trout, smallmouth – all on the same fly and some on the same day.”

For Crawford and DTU, it is all about making the most of a resource that has been hiding in plain sight.  “It’s right under everybody’s nose, but they don’t think about it,” he said.  “They don’t know the grand array of fish that can be caught here.”

CTU Seeking Communications & Membership Coordinator

Colorado TU is seeking an energetic, reliable self-starter with strong communications and social skills to  facilitate and improve our internal and external communications and to help manage our membership programs. This full-time position includes lead responsibility for managing our digital communications programs (e-mail, website, social media), as well as managing our integrated membership database and working with other CTU staff and volunteers to develop and implement programs to improve membership recruitment and retention. The position will be based out of the state office in Denver. The position work plan includes:

Website management.  Manage www.coloradotu.org website, collect and post content from other TU staff and volunteers as well as generating original, timely content. Includes regular blog article posting, managing online “Action Center” for advocacy, and web calendar. Coordinate structural updates to the site with contracted programmers.

E-communications.  Coordinate and produce monthly e-mail newsletters “Currents” (to all supporters) and Chapter Leaders Email (to ~200 chapter leaders statewide). Prepare and send other  discrete emails to various parts of our mailing list such as event announcements, raffle ticket sales, and important “breaking news” messages. Prepare one or more articles for each quarterly edition of High Country Angler online magazine.

Social media.  Manage content for CTU’s social media presence, ensuring regular postings with Facebook and developing strategies for enhanced use of Twitter, Instagram, and possibly other platforms.

External communications.  Coordinate with National TU communications staff to deliver  CTU information to external audiences through press releases and placement of articles with local media outlets, development of content for distribution through partners (such as fly fishing retailers), and other new tactics for communicating TU messages to the broader public.

Membership services & database management.  Maintain CTU member/donor database in integrated SALSA platform. Handle basic correspondence such as electronic “new member welcome” package and hard-copy small donor thanks. Respond to general membership inquiries.

Liaison with National TU communications staff.  Coordinate CTU communications (both internal and external) with National Trout Unlimited staff in Colorado including the Southwest Region Communications Director. Help promote CTU and Chapter stories in national TU media outlets where appropriate.

Other duties. Participate in core CTU events such as the Annual River Stewardship Gala and the Rendezvous. Supervise unpaid communications intern when present (through program for students to obtain academic credit). Other miscellaneous duties as assigned.

Qualifications:  Strong written and oral communication and interpersonal skills.  Previous experience or demonstrated ability in communications, media relations, and/or website management.  Dedicated commitment to conservation.  Ability to work weekend and evening hours when needed.  Solid computer and social media related skills, including database management and basic web design. Specific experience with SALSA database and Wordpress website platforms is helpful but not required.  Demonstrated creativity and initiative strongly desired. Background knowledge of water resource and fishery issues helpful, but not required.

Salary Range:  Salary in low to mid $30Ks plus excellent health benefits and potential for annual performance bonus.

To apply, please email cover letter and resume by October 6 to:  David Nickum, Executive Director, Colorado Trout Unlimited, at dnickum@tu.org.   No phone calls please.