The Governor Can Help

Despite a recent agreement, the Upper Colorado and Fraser are still threatened.

On May 15, Denver Water and Grand and Summit counties ratified the Colorado River Cooperative agreement, touted in the Denver Post as a "framework to avoid conflict." Denver Water will kick-in 25 million for water projects in western Colorado and the signers, including Eagle county, won't oppose DW's expansion of gross reservoir and will have a say in future water projects that affect the west slope.

The following is the text of a letter by Mely Whiting, a staff attorney for Trout Unlimited's Colorado Water Project, that was recently published as a Denver Post e-letter.

Denver Water and Western Slope water stakeholders deserve credit for forging this cooperative agreement, a new, collaborative approach to managing our water that recognizes the value of protecting our natural resources while meeting our water needs.

But let’s remember that the Upper Colorado and Fraser rivers remain on the brink of ecological collapse. Two looming diversion projects — Denver Water’s Moffat Tunnel expansion and Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District’s Windy Gap Firming Project — collectively will take another 15-20 percent of the already depleted flows of the Upper Colorado. The Moffat expansion will leave less than 25 percent of the Fraser River flows.

The cooperative agreement does not address the impacts of those two major projects. The fact is, these rivers will continue to decline unless they receive additional protections, as the state’s own recent studies attest. As long as adequate protections are not provided, opposition to the projects will continue.

Gov. John Hickenlooper should use his influence and the good will generated by this agreement to finish the job of protecting the Upper Colorado.

Mely Whiting, Denver

Help ensure that the Upper Colorado River gets the help - and the water - it deserves. Visit: Defend The Colorado.org/

Help TU Protect Bristol Bay

Trout Unlimited has long opposed the proposed Pebble Mine, which would be situated in the headwaters of two river that feed into Alaska's famed Bristol Bay.

We are joined in that opposition by a diverse group of fishermen, guides, lodge owners, Alaska Natives, scientists - and even chefs, restaurant owners and seafood lovers.

One of the world's most productive wild salmon strongholds, Bristol Bay supports a $500 million commercial and sport fishery. Few places like it remain. It is unspoiled, and it is vulnerable.

The Pebble Mine would be one of the largest in the world, spanning more than 20 square miles. Because of its size, geochemistry and location, there is a high risk that pollution from acid drainage and metal leaching will foul Bristol Bay.

In light of the recent release of a draft watershed assessment by the Environmental Assessment Agency, Chris Wood, President and CEO of trout Unlimited, has written a letter to TU members asking them to take action to protect Bristol Bay.

Here's his letter:

The EPA has released its draft watershed assessment for Bristol Bay. EPA, not surprisingly found that the rivers of Bristol Bay support the world’s largest sockeye salmon runs (46% of the “global abundance” of sockeye) and its Chinook runs are near the world’s largest every year. Did I mention the fact they also have 30” plus native rainbows?

The study notes that the fishery supports 14,000 sustainable jobs every year, and generates more than $600 million in total economic impact. And while the EPA makes no pronouncements or decisions through this document, one fact becomes very clear in reading through the document. Bristol Bay is the wrong place to allow industrial scale mining.

The Alaska program, led by Tim Bristol and Shoren Brown, has done a fantastic job of building support for protecting Bristol Bay. Unlike most Alaska conservation issues, the support for protecting the area starts with the affected Native Alaska villages, and resonates throughout the state. In fact, the strongest allies for protecting Bristol Bay are the native villages in the region and commercial fishermen.

Just yesterday, the Republican President of the State Senate called for EPA to do what is necessary to protect the area from industrial scale mining.

The job of convincing the Obama Administration to take action before January 20, 2013, now begins in earnest. Please take 5 minutes and go to...

http://www.capwiz.com/savebristolbay/issues/alert/?alertid=61010161&type=ML

... and ask the President to initiate the Clean Water Act process that will enable EPA to limit industrial scale mining in Bristol Bay.  Ask your friends and family to do the same.

Chris Wood President and CEO Trout Unlimited

We Agree: Leave the Green Alone

The Salt Lake City Tribune isn't the most conservative paper in the west, or even Utah for that matter. And they're not above borrowing a a bit from the Green With Envy tour sponsored in part by Trout Unlimited. But we have to give them a lot of credit for their editorial position on the Green River that states:

The prudent thing is to call a halt to further development of its waters and leave them for the wildlife and humans who already depend upon them.

In other words, no pipeline to the front range and no diversions to cool a nuclear plant.

Read Leave the Green River Alone on the SLC Tribune website.

Sending Young Trout to School

Seven Colorado schools are taking part in Trout Unlimited's Trout in the Classroom program this year. While raising trout from eggs to fingerlings in a tank right in their classroom, students learn about water quality monitoring, stream habitat and water resources. TIC also provides lesson plans and web-based resources for teachers.

It's a great experience for students, as the following letter from a Thompson Valley High School student clearly shows.

Trout in the Classroom - By “JC”

Various questions I get throughout the day are, “Hey, How are the fish doing”, or “Are all of these fish still okay?”

This has been a product of Mr. Hewson teaching students about the life-cycle of the trout as well as the chemical balance in the tank. Most kids aren’t really interested from a chemical standpoint but that plays a big part. That’s where I come in, so the fish can survive and stay healthy. I do a 5-15 gallon water-change daily to make sure the nitrites and ammonium don’t build up in the tank and kill the fish.

I need to do what I do so that, come next spring, we can transport our fish to the Big Thompson River happy and healthy. But last year, for fear of the fish not being big enough to survive against the river’s larger and more aggressive brown trout, we decided to hold them at a nearby water-treatment plant where they have two 55-gallon tanks with a constant flow of Big Thompson River water moving through them. So the fish get an extra year to grow and learn to eat river insects before having to make it on their own in a harsh river.

I have learned that, yes, we are doing it to help restock the “Big T” with rainbow trout and, yes, to help Mr. Hewson teach. But kids have lots of interests and they just need to find the right one; if the option isn’t there how can they figure that out by themselves?

When kids walk in to Mr. Hewson’s room, sometimes they stop at the door to talk to me about how the fish are doing, or just sit there and watch them swim around. It’s a great feeling for me to actually help them get interested in the fish. It helps me carry on in doing my work so that they can enjoy the fish being healthy and the water is as clean as I can get it. Sometimes they’ll see me changing the water and ask, ”Why are you doing all this?” and I’ll respond, “So we can learn about fish and chemical cycles.”  And before you know it they are taking a mini-lesson from me, and Mr. Hewson, if he’s there.

By the end of this year, our fish will be more than fifteen inches long. We plan to release them into the tanks at the water plant right after we release last year’s fish into the Big Thompson.

Visit the ColoradoTU Trout in the Classroom page.

Learn more about National Trout Unlimited's Trout in the Classroom program.

LAFF is for Ladies

Ladies About Fly Fishing (LAFF) is (july 21) workshop for women to learn from Paula Fothergill, a renowned guide and teacher for Casting for Recovery who has also served as president of the Ferdinand Hayden Chapter in the Roaring Fork Valley. The LAFF workshop is sponsored by Purgatoire River Anglers and will be held Saturday, July 21, 2010, from  8am – 4pm at Monument Lake Resort in Weston CO. (Monument Lake is about an hour west of Trinidad CO). Download a workshop flyer.

In addition to Purgatoire River Anglers volunteers, Paula will be assisted by Ken Neubecker, immediate past president of Colorado TU and Executive Director of the Western Rivers Institute, who will provide instruction in entomology.

Workshop Agenda 8:00 – 9:00 Registration, continental breakfast and introductions 9:00 – 12:00 Basic fly fishing, knot tying, entomology, wading safety 12:00 – 1:00 Lunch 1:00 to 4:00 Fly casting instruction

The registration deadline is June 15th, but class size is limited so register soon!

To register, contact: Joanie Muzzulin ( jmuzzulin@gmail.com) 719-846-7307

Fly fishing equipment will be provided, but please bring:

• A Colorado fishing license (required)
• Your own fly rod if you have one "ready to go"
• Polarized sunglasses
• Insect repellent & sunscreen
• Hat
• Bandana
• Layered clothing for varying temperatures

(Make check payable to: Purgatoire River Anglers)

To arrange for a carpool from Trinidad, leaving at 7 a.m,, contact Sara Ferguson at 719-859-0814.

Streamflows You Can Trust

"The Colorado Water Trust for the first time will lease water under 2003 state legislation to put into the Colorado Water Conservation Board’s in-stream flow program. The group is calling it a pilot program." Read Chris Woodka's full story in the Pueblo Chieftain

CO Roadless Rule nears the finish line

After the Clinton Administration's 2001 "Roadless Rule" faced legal challenges, Colorado began an extensive process to develop its own plan for roadless protection. But then, the Clinton era rule got the legal green-light, and there were questions about whether Colorado would be able to continue with its own roadless plan. This week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack endorsed the Colorado roadless plan, saying it includes "higher protections" and "fewer exceptions."

Read more in the Denver Post:

The new proposal contains some notable improvements - particularly in strengthening protections for 1.2 million acres of "Upper Tier" roadless backcountry lands. However, questions remain about how the rule addresses protection of native cutthroat trout and potential water development projects within backcountry areas.

Read Colorado TU's News Release

The rule is currently available for a final round of 30 days of public review before a final record of decision is issued. Trout Unlimited is pleased by the improvements reflected in this latest version, but will use the 30 day period to carefully review the new proposed rule and the associated Environmental Impact Statement and work with the Forest Service to ensure that backcountry resources including native trout receive the protection they need.

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