CTU Helps Clip Fins for Ongoing Study

Colorado Trout Unlimited, it's chapters, and volunteers helped Colorado Parks and Wildlife clip fins of Cutbow Trout as part of CPW's ongoing study of diploid vs triploid trout in Eleven Mile Reservoir. Volunteers, along with staff from CPW helped clip over 26,000 fish in just the first day at the Mt. Shavano Fish Hatchery in Salida. Over the last two years, 97 volunteers helped clip over 148,00 fish in a six day period.

The study focuses on the size comparisons of the diploid and triploid trout. Diploid trout are the typical with only two chromosomes. In comparison, triploid trout have three chromosomes, making them sterile. The third chromosome is added during egg development through a pressure shock treatment method.

The triploid, or sterile trout, are believed to grow bigger in length and girth due to the assumption that they will use more energy for growth while the diploid trout will use up much needed energy for reproduction.

The fish used in this study are Rainbow X Cutthroat hybrid trout. Or commonly known as Cutbow trout.

Volunteers would clip the left pectoral fin on all of the diploid trout and the right fin for all triploid trout. These fish will be stocked into Eleven Mile Reservoir in February by CPW fish biologists, led by Jeff Spohn.

Due to the weak current in Eleven Mile Reservoir, these fish will be able to survive and adapt perfectly fine without a fin. According to Spohn, if the fish were placed in a river, it may hinder their ability to swim.

CTU helped with this event last year and over the course of three days, 70 volunteers clipped over 68,000 fish that were then stocked for the study.

Bear Creek Porter for Greenbacks

Story telling has long been accompanied by beer, just as flyfishing has long been accompanied by storytelling. What would a fishing story told around the campfire be without beer? The fish would be smaller, the fights shorter, and the flies more nymph like. Naturally the story book relationship between beer and flyfishng is used to make money, think Busch Light’s cutthroat cans, but some brewers use it to raise awareness. Think Pikes Peak Brewing Company’s Bear Creek Porter. Bear Creek Porter is brewed with water taken directly from Bear Creek, home of the greenback cutthroat trout. A porter by request, the dark, coco, fan favorite is served seasonally to create conversation about greenbacks through beer. This is a cooperative mission spearheaded by Cheyenne Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited and Pikes Peak Brewing Company.

Greenback cutthroat trout need every bit of help they can get. The current state of affairs is hopeful but management agencies like Colorado Parks and Wildlife, need Colorado Trout Unlimited (CTU) to make partnerships they cannot. By engaging locals in the places they frequent, CTU chapters throughout the state can grab the attention of their constituents through a universal talking piece.

The Bear Creek Porter is a conversation starter. Imagine this. A local, regular walks into Pike Peak Brewing Company, notices Bear Creek Porter is the seasonal beer, orders it and enjoys it. They ask the bartender about the beer and come to find that the Bear Creek the water for the brew comes from, is the same Bear Creek they take their children hiking most weekends. The patron then tells their family and friends about the beer and the trout.

This ripple effect is the start of a grass roots movement. To protect and restore greenbacks it will take a public who understands that engaging in conversation is the most important thing we can do to spread ideas. What better way to start a conversation than with a beer.

Happy Birthday, National Parks Service

On August 25th 1916, Woodrow Wilson signed a bill that would create an agency to look over the already established National Parks. With the bill becoming law, the National Parks Service was born. Trout Unlimited has named September the month of public lands, but just 7 days before the calendar turns, there's reason to start the celebration early!

The National Parks Service is dedicated to "preserving the ecological and historical integrity of the places entrusted to its management while also making them available and accessible for public use and enjoyment." These places include all 412 national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and even the White House.

John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt were some of the founders of the National Parks system. Muir's writing from the Yosemite Valley helped convince Roosevelt and Congress that the land needed to be protected. Muir also helped get areas like Sequoia, Grand Canyon and Mt. Rainier listed as National Parks.

When the bill was signed into law 100 years ago, the NPS needed a leader and the first leader was Stephen Tyng Mather- a wealthy Chicago business man who ended up using a lot of his own fortune to advance the Park System. Mather worked to promote park access and development. During his tenure the service's domain expanded with the addition of Shenandoah, Great Smoky Mountains, and Mammoth Cave national parks.

Following Muir, Roosevelt, and Mather there were a plethora of leaders stepping up to the plate. In the last 100 years, the Parks Service has expanded and continues to protect public lands for sportsmen and women to use freely.

In Colorado there are four national parks: Rocky Mountain, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Mese Verde, and Great Sand Dunes. Along with the parks, there are 12 other protected areas- including the newest National Monument: Browns Canyon.

In honor of the 100th anniversary, the National Parks Service is offering free entrance to all National Parks on August 25th-28th.

Parasitic Disease Causes Yellowstone River Closure

In response to a parasitic disease that caused an unprecedented fish kill, on August 19, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) closed 183 miles of the Yellowstone River and all its tributaries. The closure stretches from Yellowstone National Park's North Boundary to Laurel, Montana. "This action is necessary to protect the fishery and the economy it sustain," said Montana FWP in a press release. "The closure will also help limit the spread of the parasite to adjacent rivers through boats, tubes, waders and other human contact and minimize further mortality in all fish species.

"In the past week, FWP has documented over 2,000 dead Mountain Whitefish on some affected stretches of the Yellowstone. With that, FWP estimates the total impact to Mountain Whitefish in the Yellowstone to be in the tens of thousands. FWP has also recently received reports of the kill beginning to affect some Rainbow and Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout."

In order to help the Yellowstone rebound and keep other fisheries throughout the west healthy, it's important to remind anglers to effectively clean their gear. Colorado anglers know all to well with Whirling Disease how these parasites can affect a fishery, economy and community so it's worth the time to clean gear properly. "Few of us want to spend time cleaning rafts and fishing gear at the end of a long day on the river. But, this outbreak is a great reminder that those efforts are the least we can do to protect the resources we love," said Brooks.

It is believed that the parasite causing the fish kill was introduced to the river by people and FWP along with Montana TU and its chapters are urging people to keep their gear cleaned. "Now that the parasite (Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae) is in the Yellowstone and infecting fish, the main priority is eliminating additional stressors on those fish and preventing it from spreading to other rivers," said David Brooks, Montana TU Associate Director of Conservation. "Our MTU chapters in the Yellowstone area are coordinating volunteers to be stationed at river access points to let folks know that the river is closed and to educate people about the reason. More importantly we are using those encounters and all of our social media presence to talk about cleaning and drying boats and gear properly."

Colorado Parks and Wildlife has an Angler Cleaning card to remind everyone of the safest and most efficient ways to clean gear. These options include:

• Clean gear with a mixture of ammonia based cleaner and water
• Spray or soak gear with water of at least 140 degrees
• Dry waders and gear for a minimum of 10 days.
• Place boots and waders in a freezer overnight.

The parasite in the Yellowstone is believed to cause prolific kidney disease in trout. It does not pose any issues to humans or pets. According to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the parasite was first discovered in 2011 has been seen and related to fish kills in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Canada and Europe.

The parasite is picked up through the gills and travels to the kidneys. "The sudden and large death toll in whitefish indicates that they have not been exposed to the parasite before," said Brooks. "The good news is that surviving fish that have been exposed - whitefish and trout - will develop pretty robust immunity. The bad news is, this incident shows that the parasite travels with people and our stuff."

It only takes one person to transmit a parasite similar to the one found in Yellowstone. Maybe one day the angling community will have a "Smokey Bear" figure that tells people "Only YOU can prevent the transmitting of parasitic diseases" but until that day, it's up to the angling community to share among ourselves.

Victory for Native Trout

The Western Native Trout Initiative (WNTI) has granted Colorado Trout Unlimited and the Cheyanne Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited $6000. Two $3,000 grants will be used to help bring public awareness to native trout and help further greenback genetic studies at Mt. Shavano Fish Hatchery. Western Native Trout Initiative is an organization dedicated to protecting native trout. They offer many different grant opportunities that provide conservation organizations with a means to realize their native trout projects.

Colorado Trout Unlimited (CTU), The Greenbacks and Trout Unlimited Chapters throughout the state have been propagating the good news story of greenback cutthroat trout. Throughout past months and years chapters across the state have thrown their time and energy into false greenbacks. No more. Chapter and state level advocates at CTU are working with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), Western Native Trout Initiative, and Cities to ensure greenbacks forever have a home on the Front Range.

Part of the state level involvement will be to create new signage to replace old signage marked with the wrong greenbacks. Signs will be erected at sights of greenback reintroduction to educate unknowing recreationists about the greenback. CPW is helping design and install signs. CTU and The Greenbacks will also be buying more 50 gallon tanks to be installed at the Mt. Shavano Fish Hatchery. Tanks will serve as brooding pens for the newly hatched greenback fry from Zimmerman Lake. Fry with like genetic crosses (WildXWild, WildXHatchery, HatcheryXHatchery) will be assigned to the same tank for research purposes.

At the chapter level the Cheyenne Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited (CMCTU) will be installing an exhibit: “Trout on Tejon”. The exhibit will feature sculpted greenbacks complete with educational plaque and possibly QRC code, strategically placed throughout Colorado Springs. Patrons of the Springs will soon never be far from the greenbacks. Look for instalments in the coming year.

Funding for these projects is coming from a freshly awarded WINTI Grant (Western Native Trout Initiative). The Greenbacks and CTU, along with CMCTU both received 3,000 dollars to complete their projects. These three organizations and many others across the state collaborating to bring greenbacks to the forefront of public attention is beginning to be recognized as a ground breaking effort.

North St. Vrain Creek Restoration

Almost three years ago in September of 2013, floods all over the front range swept through usually tame creeks and wiped out stream banks, structures, and anything else in their way. The North St Vrain Creek in the Button Rock Preserve area in Longmont was one of the hardest impacted streams from the flooding. The St Vrain Chapter of TU along with local stakeholders have teamed up to restore and improve the creek to prevent future damage.

The Phase 1 project area spanned a section from the box culvert downstream of Longmont Reservoir to the downstream limit of the Preserve. The work included excavation and moving material to create or protect riffle, pool, and run habitat, placing large rock structures to provide better habitat stability and creek resilience, and revegetation of riparian areas.

But more funds are needed to help initiate phase 2 of the project, and with help from the St. Vrain Chapter of TU, the City of Longmont was rewarded a Fishing is Fun grant of $84,000 to help complete more projects along the North St. Vrain in Button Rock Preserve- specifically an ADA accessible fishing pier along the river and restoration work.

The St. Vrain Chapter will continue to raise funds for Phase 2 of the project, that has been in the design for the last two month. Phase 2 will continue to address the river between Longmont Reservoir upstream to the Ralph Price Reservoir spillway. "The contractor has just completed the preliminary designs and construction costs for stakeholder review," said Barbara Luneau of the St. Vrain Chapter. "The first priorities in Phase 2 are to address the extensive flood damage at the inlet to Longmont Reservoir and at the spillway from Ralph Price."

Fin Clipping Volunteer Opportunity!!

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!! This is a very rare volunteer opportunity. Colorado Trout Unlimited and our chapters are partnering with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to help with a long term study they have going studying Rainbow and Cutthroat Hybrid trout. No experience necessary, and we need more people!!

We will be in need of volunteers to help us fin clip rainbow X cutthroat hybrid trout at Mount Shavano Hatchery (Salida) for our ongoing study comparing diploid versus triploid trout at Elevenmile Reservoir.  This year we will be clipping fish August 30^th – September 2^nd and could use your help. You can come one day or the whole time!! Last year we clipped 68,000 fish in three days with the help of 70 people over the three day period.

All of the work will take place outside at the Mount Shavano Hatchery in Salida. Parking will be available at the visitor parking area on the hill before you enter into the hatchery.  We will plan on starting each day at 8 A.M. and should finish around 4:30 P.M.  Volunteers should bring the following:

• Lunch
• Water
• Sunscreen
• Chairs
• Sunshades if available

If you would like to help please contact Stephanie Scott at sscott@tu.org or 720-354-2647

TU Aims to Find Common Ground with Oil and Gas Partners

By Shane Cross The oil and gas industry is hurting right now. Some folks are trying to kick it when it is down. At Trout Unlimited, we understand that many folks in the oil and gas industry are dedicated to the long-term vision of meeting energy needs and passing on a healthy and functioning landscape. While some see conservationists as being at odds with industry, that need not be the case. Some oil and gas companies have been working with groups like TU to develop partnerships which protect and enhance fish and wildlife habitat in areas near oil and gas development.

For TU, industry partnerships are common sense. Oil and gas will continue to be developed, and it can either be developed in ways that minimize and avoid impacts to trout, or not – our job is to ensure the former. Many of our members depend on the oil and gas industry for their livelihoods, and we recognize that energy development is an important component of the Western economy.  TU and industry have worked together to plan development, protect and restore habitat, educate youth, and create responsible oil and gas policies.

Here's a look at some of the good conservation work the oil and gas industry has done with TU over the past few years.

Planning

Berry Petroleum, a subsidiary of Linn Energy, LLC, worked with TU to plan a well pad development near Lake Canyon Lake in the Strawberry River watershed in Utah. Lake Canyon Lake is a brood fishery for Colorado River cutthroat trout, and the local TU chapter had done extensive restoration and habitat work along the lake’s feeder stream.

To develop its pad, Berry needed approvals from Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Recognizing the importance of the lake and its fishery to local anglers, Berry Petroleum collaborated with TU before submitting its development proposal.

A happy angler with a Colorado River cutthroat trout caught at Lake Canyon Lake in Utah.

Specifically, Berry analyzed three different access routes to the pad, agreed to utilize a closed loop drilling system and pipeline infrastructure to minimize truck traffic, and maximized the distance between disturbed areas and the waterways. In addition, Berry Petroleum communicated with TU during the construction and reclamation phases – responding to local angler questions during those phases and reseeding a portion of the disturbed area along the lake. The collaborative effort has been beneficial – the Division of Wildlife has met its quota for trout eggs the past two years.

In Colorado, Gunnison Energy, LLC, has been proactive in working with TU and the local community to address concerns about energy development in the Thompson Divide.

The Thompson Divide lies between Mt. Sopris and Grand and Battlement Mesas. In 2013, Senator Michael Bennet introduced legislation, known as the Thompson Divide Withdrawal and Protection Act (TDWPA), that would create a market to buy out existing leases and protect unleased areas from future development. The Senator continues to work with TU and other stakeholders to develop new legislation that will permanently protect the area.

The Thompson Divide in Colorado.

Gunnison Energy holds leases on the south end of the Divide near cutthroat trout streams and popular elk hunting grounds. After numerous meetings with TU and the Thompson Divide Coalition, Gunnison Energy agreed to support new legislation that will protect the Divide with an adjusted boundary that allowed oil and gas development near existing pads. The compromise is an example of industry and conservation interests working together to achieve mutual goals.

Protection

Part of responsible development is the recognition that some places are just too sensitive and are not appropriate for development. In places like Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front, Questar donated leases to be permanently retired with the passage of legislation withdrawing the area from future leasing.  Elsewhere in Montana, companies such as ConocoPhillips, Chevron and XTO Energy voluntarily relinquished more than 200,000 acres of leases in the North Fork of the Flathead River Valley, an area that was subsequently withdrawn from leasing with the passage of the widely supported, bipartisan North Fork Watershed Protection Act in 2014.

Restoration

TU’s bread and butter is designing and implementing projects that restore and rehabilitate trout habitat on both public and private land. Recently, Shell Oil worked with TU in Routt County, Colorado, to promote watershed health by supporting two of TU’s projects on local streams. Shell Oil contributed financially to projects to re-grade and plant bank stabilizers on Milk Creek and Armstrong Creek, revitalizing and extending habitat for Colorado River cutthroat trout in the process. In addition, Shell Oil organized a volunteer day with TU for employees to participate by planting willows along Armstrong Creek. Both projects have proven successful and TU is working on additional projects and partners in the watershed.

Education

TU’s Youth Education Program aims to promote awareness and interest in coldwater fisheries by creating opportunities for students to learn about and interact with aquatic systems and species in the classroom. Suncor has been a major contributor to Colorado TU’s Trout in the Classroom program in the Mapleton School District for the past two years. Through the program, students raised fertilized trout eggs into the fry stage and ultimately released them into the South Platte River.

Trout in the Classroom is often the first introduction to conservation for young students.

ConocoPhillips recently funded a similar program in Escalante High School in New Mexico that included coursework on water chemistry, stream ecology and geology to trout biology, trout behavior and the culture of the Rio Chama Valley. Both programs have been successful at engaging youth in watershed health and conservation. And both projects would not have been possible without key financial support provided by our oil and gas partners.

Policy

Against the backdrop of depressed oil and gas prices, it is more important than ever for industry and conservation groups to work together. The Colorado Oil and Gas Association has been working with TU for more than a year to develop pragmatic policy regarding oil and gas development near water resources.

Specifically, as a response to the Front Range Floods of 2013, COGA worked with TU to develop best management practices for oil and gas development in floodplains. Earlier this year, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission convened a rulemaking process to address development in floodplains. COGA and TU formed general agreement around many elements of the rule, which requires companies to anchor facilities, install remote “shut in” capabilities on new wells to minimize spills, and install steel ring or other deflectors to reduce under-cutting by floods. TU also recognized that the regulations would come at a cost to industry, and supported a compliance schedule that allowed companies additional time to bring their facilities under the new regulations. We look forward to continuing to work with oil and gas industry associations on policy measures in the future.

Conservation groups and the oil and gas industry – like most of society – will have both conflict and common ground. The conflict, it seems, is talked about more often than the cooperation. We’re here to tell you that dialogue – and collaboration – is occurring between industry and conservation groups and it will continue to occur to ensure that both energy development and fish and wildlife remain strong assets to Colorado’s future.

Shane Cross is Western energy counsel for TU’s Sportsmen’s Conservation Project

Rain Barrels are Officially Legal!

On Wednesday, August 10, using a a barrel to collect rain water is legal in Colorado. Coloradans can now collect up to 110 gallons of rain water and store it for outdoor usage on yards, gardens, or plants. According to Conservation Colorado, using rain barrels could conserve up to 1,200 gallons of water each year per household. A study by the state of Colorado found that in just Douglas County alone, 97 percent of rain water was lost to evaporation and vegetation. Using these barrels, the rain will be collected in a covered unit to reduce the amount of evaporation.

Using rain barrels will also allow users to become more connected to water- the most valuable resource in the West. When collecting water through a rain barrel, it will give users a better idea of how much water they have received recently, how much they're using, and how clean the water is.

For anglers using a rain barrel will not only help keep water in rivers but it will also provide a demonstration of the current state of water. The barrel's fluctuation provides a good example of how the highs and lows of rivers fluctuate with rainfall amounts.

For more information about the collecting rain water, visit The State Website or check out this Fact Sheet from CSU

The Year After Gold King

It's been a year and a few days since a spill at the Gold King Mine near Silverton released three million gallons of heavy-metal-laden, mustard yellow sludge into the Animas River. Photos of the yellow water dominated headlines all over the world. Words like "disaster" and "catastrophic" were used. While the initial spill came as a shock to most, the river was able to withstand the blow. One year after the sludge came through, the river is back to it's usual state of water quality.

There was no fish mortality documented from the spill, while bug sampling by an aquatic biologist with Mountain Studies Institute indicates a still thriving population of mayfly nymphs and caddis pupa. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) had installed pens of fingerling trout in the Animas before the plume arrived- and none of those fish died either. CPW ran an electro-shocking episode after the “Spill” with the usual re-capture protocol and got essentially the same results as the year before. Actually, the survey showed a slight improvement.

"This is not to diminish our concern for the Animas River and the fishery in the canyon below Silverton. This reach has been substantially impacted by three draining mines at the headwaters of Cement Creek, which flows into the Animas at Silverton," said Buck Skillen, President of the 5 Rivers Chapter of TU. "This, plus the Gold King Spill, highlights the very need for Good Samaritan Legislation for which TU is strongly advocating – so that abandoned mine cleanup projects can proceed here and elsewhere."

Getting the river back to it's usual state was no easy task but Trout Unlimited and partners were willing to take the lead. "It’s been quite a year since the Gold King spill sent a torrent of yellow, metal-laden mine water down the Animas River in SW Colorado," said Ty Churchwell, TU San Juan Mountains Coordinator. "But long before this unfortunate event, TU was deeply embedded in the water quality conversation – and now we’ve doubled down. Our efforts to pass Good Samaritan legislation are bearing fruit in the form of a bipartisan discussion draft now working its way through the halls of Congress. We hope to see the bill formally introduced this session."

The 5 Rivers Chapter of Colorado TU worked with Mountain Studies Institute (MSI) in Durango by taking water samples every two hours from before the plume arrived until days later. They also monitored the macro-invertebrates in the river as the disaster unfolded. The year previously, 5 Rivers Chapter had worked with MSI to do a macro-invertebrates study that served as a baseline for clean-up efforts following the spill.

Also prior to the spill in August, Trout Unlimited teamed up with other partners to form the San Juan Clean Water Coalition. The intent when forming the coalition was to produce a site-specific Good Samaritan legislation for the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. In the wake of the spill, the intentions have broadened to use the Animas as an example for the potential issues in the West.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, abandoned hard rock mines affect 40 percent of headwaters in the western United States. Just in the San Juan Mountains, slow acid drainage has led to the death of multiple rivers. "The community of Silverton, at the Animas’ headwaters, is now pursuing a Superfund listing to finally, once and for all, deal with the lingering problem of acid mine drainage (AMD) from dozens of old mining sites," said Churchwell. "The TU-led, San Juan Clean Water coalition, has grown dramatically and we’re making a real difference.  In the wake of the spill, the coalition’s objectives have expanded to include a comprehensive, five-point plan to greatly improve the overall health of the watershed and the world class trout fishery in Durango"

The Good Samaritan Legislation would address the current pollution clean-up laws in the United States. Currently, the Clean Water Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, place the clean-up burden on the property owners. But in the case of these abandoned mines, the owners are long-gone. Now the clean-up falls on the shoulders of Good Samaritans like TU and other partners. However, the liabilities in the laws- requiring a project to show significant improvements for a specific period of time and makes the Good Samaritan liable for any failures in improvements- have caused a legal gridlock.

Since the Gold King Mine spill, Colorado’s Senators Michael Bennet and Cory Gardner, and Representative Scott Tipton have taken the issue to Washington where the Good Sam legislation has been moving along.

"If there are any silver linings to all of this, it’s that citizens, elected officials and communities all over the west are now aware of the massive problem of acid mine drainage, and people are paying attention. The Gold King spill was a wakeup call for the nation," said Churchwell. "Thank goodness the Animas didn’t die to make a point.  In the end, there was no real ecologic ‘disaster’, as was portrayed in the media. There was no die-off of fish and our bug studies are showing excellent insect populations in the Gold Medal water in Durango. But, there is a real problem at the top of the watershed and we’re moving in the right direction. The Animas remains one of Colorado’s premier trout fisheries."