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April 2023 Currents
THIS MONTH’S ISSUE OF CURRENTS FEATURES The Colorado Stream Restoration Bill, Troutfest Colorado, Great Rivers of the West Raffle, and More!
April is Volunteer Appreciation Month
April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, and we’re here to say thank you to all of our Trout Unlimited volunteers across Colorado.
April also kicks off a very busy volunteer season, and several opportunities are already available. See our list below, and don’t hesitate to contact us at info@coloradotu.org if you have any questions.
April & May Trout in the Classroom Release Events - throughout Colorado
Each release event is different and some need more volunteers than other. Please click the link to see the specific release event dates in your Chapter area and how you can help.
Volunteer Needed:
Help with release event, fish transportation, and logistics.
Help hosting interactive stations at release events.
April 21st - 22nd - Earth Day Celebration event at the Children’s Museum of Denver, Denver, CO
Volunteers Needed:
Macroinvertebrate Booth Help
April 22nd - STREAM Girls 2.0 event in Longmont, CO
Volunteers Needed:
Support Volunteer
Photographers
April 22nd - Willow cutting for Colorado River basin restoration near Hot Sulpher Springs, CO
April 22nd - Join Cutthroat Chapter and City of Lakewood Park to Plant Trees on Earth Day
April 22nd - Join Pikes Peak Chapter to Clean Up Eleven Mile Canyon.
May 2nd - TIC Release event at Waterton Canyon, Littleton, CO
Volunteers Needed:
Fly Casting
Photographers
June 3rd - STREAM Keepers event at Walking Mountain, Avon, CO
Volunteers Needed:
Macroinvertebrate Sampling
Fly Tying
Fly Casting
Photographer
July 8th - Troutfest Colorado - Volunteer signup coming soon. Write info@coloradotu.org for more information!
July 28th - STREAM Keepers event at Lincoln Hills Cares, Blackhawk, CO
August 1st - STREAM Keepers event at Confluence Park, Delta, CO
August 2nd - STREAM Keepers event at Delta Fairgrounds, Hotchkiss, CO
August 19th - STREAM Girls 1.0 event at Hubbard Cabin, Steamboat Springs, CO
Sept. 9th - STREAM Girls 1.0 event at Waterton Canyon, Littleton, CO
Sept. 10th - STREAM Girls 2.0 event at Lake Lehow, Littleton, CO
Sept. 16th - STREAM Girls 1.0 event at CSU Environmental Learning Center, Fort Collins, CO
Testimonials from Volunteers
“I know I volunteer because I love trout, trout habitat, and trout fishing. Of those three, I think it’s the habitat I love best, and not just because without it we can’t have the other two. It’s because I just love it, everything about it. I get a thrill every time I approach a trout stream.” -John Trammell
“With all that Trout Unlimited has done and is doing here in Colorado, it’s hard not to take an active role. Whether meeting an urgent need, preserving the livelihood of our precious waterways, or educating a new generation of students on how they can contribute, being a Trout Unlimited volunteer makes us feel good.” -David and Susan Person
“Yes, I am passionate about fishing and about saving our coldwater resources, but I am also passionate about the individuals I have met through my work with TU. On fishing trips, in chapter meetings, at youth camps – it doesn’t matter how I met these people. I see their passion and it inspires me to donate my time to TU.” “Yes, I am passionate about fishing and about saving our coldwater resources, but I am also passionate about the individuals I have met through my work with TU. On fishing trips, in chapter meetings, at youth camps – it doesn’t matter how I met these people. I see their passion and it inspires me to donate my time to TU.”- Sharon Lance
“There’s something special about a Colorado River. Crisp, clear water flowing from the majestic Rocky Mountains, sprouting aspen and willow trees from its banks, sustaining trout and deer, and quenching the thirst of literally millions of people along the way. I volunteer because I believe in protecting our rivers, Colorado’s most precious natural resource.” -Rick Matsumoto
Ask Your Senator to Support SB23-270 for Stream Restoration in Colorado - Take Action!
Healthy, functioning river corridors for fish and people need your help now.
Healthy rivers and watersheds provide broad-based benefits to all Coloradans – providing habitat for fish and wildlife; supporting our State’s robust recreation economy; improving wildfire resilience, drought mitigation, and flood safety; and promoting water quality for all those who rely on it from fish to farms to cities and towns statewide. But over the last 200 years, more than half of Colorado’s 105,000 stream miles and river corridors have been significantly degraded. That's why TU has been involved in restoration projects - from recovering front range streams damaged in the 2013 floods, to improving low-flow habitats in critical rivers like the Fraser, to reconnecting waters for trout at road crossings that currently fragment their habitat.
Such projects are now facing an uncertain future due to questions and inconsistencies on if and when such efforts may require water rights. Fortunately, the Colorado legislature is currently considering SB23-270: Projects to Restore Natural Stream Systems, a bill that clarifies where stream restoration could occur without water right enforcement actions. With the bipartisan infrastructure law offering major federal funding in the coming years, the bill also positions Colorado for once-in-a-generation opportunity to support watershed and river health through those federal dollars.
Without continued stream restoration, Colorado’s trout and their habitat will face an uncertain future. You can help by asking your Senator to support passage of SB23-270, enabling stream restoration projects to continue in Colorado and provide broad benefits to our environment and communities.
GoPro Mountain Games Introduce New Youth Activities
NEW IN 2023, the GoPro Mountain Games are putting an emphasis and opening categories for the youth by creating “grom” divisions for ages 12-18 in almost every event to create a more fair, competitive field for the next generation of Mountain Gamers.
One of these divisions is the Orvis 2 Fly X-Stream Casting Competition. Groups of 4+ are eligible for a 20% discount. If you are interested in registering a group contact punruh@vvf.org.
Troutfest Colorado - Saturday, July 8th!
Troutfest Colorado is set for July 8th, 2023 from 12pm to 6pm at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, and this year it’s FREE TO ATTEND!
Join Colorado Trout Unlimited along with partners and exhibitors to learn more about conservation, education, and fly fishing. Bring the entire family for a day at the ballpark to learn more about fly fishing, Colorado’s rivers, and have fun with interactive displays.
Coors Field will have full gameday concessions available along with stadium tours.
Features will include casting areas with instruction for all ages, fly tying professionals, presentations, a VIP area, and several youth activities.
After the event, CTU will present a showing of the International Fly Fishing Film Festival, which will be shown on the Coors Field jumbotron. This 8,400 square foot display with sound will be the largest IF4 showing in the world. Tickets for the film event are separate.
See you at the ballpark!
