Blog — Colorado Trout Unlimited

Colorado Secures Future for Some of Our Highest Quality Waters

On August 21, the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission unanimously approved the designation of approximately 385 miles across 15 rivers and streams in the Upper and Lower Colorado, Eagle, Yampa, and Roaring Fork River basins as Outstanding Waters. The decision came after many months of local effort by Colorado TU and conservation partners with other statewide and regional groups, working together as the Colorado River Basin Outstanding Waters Coalition. The new designations will help maintain high-quality conditions in important watersheds that provide habitat for wild and native trout, support Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy, and provide high-quality sources of drinking water for our communities.

An Outstanding Waters designation protects existing higher-quality waterways for the environment, wildlife, and people by safeguarding them from future degradation, including pollution from development, mining, oil and gas extraction, and other uses when they seek state permits. While statewide water quality standards set a floor below which polluters should not impair water quality, Outstanding Waters designations go further and can protect existing conditions in watersheds with water quality that is better than those minimum standards, rather than allowing them to be degraded down to the lowest common denominator. These protections do not affect existing uses in the watershed, which may continue if they do not degrade existing water quality.

Advocates worked extensively across the state to collect required baseline data on the candidate streams, and to gain broad support for the designation. This included conducting outreach to groups, including local, state, and federal government entities, water rights holders, water districts, water providers and interests, businesses, land managers, and landowners.

As part of the Outstanding Waters campaign, Colorado Trout Unlimited staff and volunteers with the Grand Valley Anglers chapter helped gather data on East Fork Parachute Creek – a stream on which TU has a long history of conservation engagement.  The stream is home to a restored population of native trout atop the Roan Plateau.  In past years, Colorado TU and Grand Valley Anglers volunteers have engaged in projects on the Roan, on both the East Fork Parachute Creek and in the nearby Trapper Creek watershed. TU efforts have included installing a fish barrier to assist with native trout recovery, conducting fencing and planting projects to improve riparian conditions, and advocating for responsible limitations on oil and gas development to prevent harm to the Roan’s outstanding fish and wildlife resources.

Restoring the Blue River: A Collaborative Effort to Revitalize Aquatic Habitat

The Blue River Habitat Restoration Project is a significant initiative aimed at enhancing the aquatic environment of the Blue River in Summit County, Colorado. This project will restore nearly 3 miles of the blue, including a reach from below Dillon Dam through the town of Silverthorne and a second reach downstream to the USFS Blue River Campground.

Led by the Blue River Watershed Group (BRWG) in partnership with the Town of Silverthorne, Trout Unlimited, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and the U.S. Forest Service Dillon Ranger District, the project focuses on improving the physical conditions of the river to better support aquatic life.

Key project highlights include narrowing the low-flow channel, enhancing pool habitats, replacing outdated drop structures with constructed riffles, stabilizing channel banks, and adding vegetation and wood to critical areas. Additionally, the project will improve trail access to the river and work closely with the Town of Silverthorne to incorporate water quality improvements along the riverbanks.

This collaborative effort is set to make a lasting impact on the health of the Blue River, ensuring it remains a vibrant habitat for years to come.

2024/25 CTU Trout in the Classroom Year is Ramping Up

This year, Colorado Trout Unlimited has over 70 TIC tanks starting in the 2024/25 TIC Program throughout the state. We are thrilled to welcome our new Regional TIC Coordinators. Audrey Kenney is our new Eastern TIC Coordinator and Danielle Crews is our Western TIC Coordinator. As we work to onboard these incredible people, we are also celebrating our successes from our 2023/24 TIC program and 2024 TIC Training. CTU is also thankful for our donors and supporters. Without them, this impactful program and our Regional TIC Coordinators would not be possible.

We engaged over 15,000 youth, educators, and community members through the 2023/24 TIC program! Our TIC Training Coordinator, Dr. Allison Baas, played a key role in the success of our 2024 TIC Trainings this summer. We hosted several sessions, with 20 educators and volunteers attending the training near Grand Junction, 28 at the CSU Spur TIC Training, and 18 at the TIC Training held at Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK). Additionally, we now offer a comprehensive Virtual TIC Training for educators and volunteers.

A big thank you to Dr. Allison Baas for her dedication and hard work in making these TIC Trainings possible, and to Dr. Martin Harris, our volunteer TIC Statewide Coordinator, for his continued support, time, and commitment.

Check out some pictures from the TIC Trainings below!

Thank you to our TU Chapters for their programmatic and financial support of this program. Many foundations such as A. Alfred Taubman, Williams, Justin Brooks Fisher, and Levy Memorial Fund and private donors like Mac Cunningham, Adinoff Family, and several other individual donors have given so generously to the TIC program to help support our capacity growth and TIC program sustainability. Also companies like First Bank and Cabelas/Bass Pro are helping by contributing funding as well. We are so grateful for all this past and continued support!

We are still continuing to fundraise and always looking for additional volunteers to continue to support this ever-growing and impactful program, as well as our other Headwaters Youth Programs. Please reach out to Natalie Flowers, CTU Youth Education Coordinator if you have questions or are able to help.

Free Fly Tying, Fly Casting and Fly Fishing Classes

Join CTU and Cabela’s at the Cabela’s Thorton store (14050 Lincoln St, Thornton, CO 80023) for free fly fishing instruction august 24th.

No registration required.

Intro to Fly Fishing` Class

Saturday, August 24, 2024 for 9:00am to 12:00pm

Instructor: Bob Berlin – In the Conference Room

We will focus on an introduction to fly fishing to include, but not limited to rods, rod types, rod weights, reels, matching reels to rods, fly lines and types of fly lines, what type to use for certain circumstances, leaders and leader materials, tippets and tippet material, flies and when to use certain flies, reading water and what to use in different types of water.

At the conclusion of the fly fishing text book lesson we will move outside and have some casting lessons with a 9 ft 5wt rod and reel setup.  The time allowed for this will be dependent on when the Q&A for the text book lessons are completed.

Free Beginner Fly Tying Class

Saturday, August 24, 2024 for 1:00pm to 3:00pm

Instructor: Jack Racciatti - In the Conference Room

We will focus on how to use a vise and tools as well as materials management.  Difficulty of fly and technique will be determined by the level of the students in the class at the time of the class start.

Cabela’s will provide vises, tools and materials to tie a fly that the students decide they would like to learn. 

We will consider additional flies if time and materials are available

Free Fly Casting Class

Saturday, August 24, 2024 for 1:00pm to 4:00pm

Instructor: Frank Whispell – On the lawn north of the store

We will assist you with several different techniques to get you on the water and catching trout and other fish and hopefully not too many trees, bushes and rocks!

We will have an area suitable for casting setup on the lawn on the north side of the store when you drive in.  We will also have a couple target rings for you try your skill at casting a fly rod.

2024 CTU Rendezvous - Save the Date

Save the Date! November 1st-3rd

Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs

The annual CTU Fall Rendezvous will take place at the Hotel Colorado November 1st through the 3rd in Glenwood Springs. Join members from across the state for a weekend of volunteer leadership trainings, workshops on science and conservation, networking opportunities, the CTU annual awards, a fly fishing film night, social happy hours, and of course, fishing! Stay tuned to the webpage for more information and registration coming in early September.

Want to get started early? CTU is now accepting nominations for the 2024 Annual Awards. Colorado Trout Unlimited’s annual awards are intended to recognize outstanding chapter and individual achievements, to make known to our members the wide range of TU volunteer efforts statewide, and to help export enthusiasm and good ideas to all of our chapters.

Glenwood Springs, Colorado, nestled in the Rocky Mountains, is renowned for its stunning natural beauty and therapeutic hot springs. Founded in the late 19th century, this historic town quickly became a popular destination for health-seekers and adventurers drawn by its promise of healing waters and scenic landscapes. Visitors can enjoy a variety of outdoor activities, including fishing the Roaring Fork Valley.

Visit Glenwood

Hotel Colorado, built in 1893 by silver baron Walter Devereux, has been a cornerstone of Glenwood Springs for over 125 years, offering guests a timeless retreat with a rich history. Throughout its storied past, the hotel has served various roles, including a temporary White House and a Navy hospital during WWII. Restored in the early 1990s, Hotel Colorado continues to provide exceptional service and invites guests to create lasting memories. Call ahead for the CTU group rate!

Hotel Colorado

 

What is Rendezvous?

Rendezvous is a sharing event where TU volunteers, supporters, and staff come together to learn current happenings in science, restoration, advocacy, and community outreach. The weekend program features our annual membership meeting and elections, special workshops on key conservation issues and practical skills to strengthen our local chapters, and plenty of fun and camaraderie with other dedicated TU members and volunteer leaders.

It is our flagship event for volunteer leaders with local chapters and others who are looking to get more involved in TU. Over the weekend you might learn about topics as diverse as TU's work on river protection in your region, how to be more effective with your online communications, or how to engage youth with your local angling and conservation efforts.

And from local fishing to fun evening events and plenty of time to connect with old friends and make new ones!

Senate Passes Bipartisan Good Samaritan Legislation, Greenlighting Cleanup of Toxic Abandoned Mines

By: Zoe Bommarito

Long-debated mine pollution measure clears a full chamber of Congress for the first time

Contacts:

Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. Senate passed the Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act of 2024 with unanimous consent, which would begin to address one of the most pervasive sources of water pollution across the West.

The legislation, spearheaded by U.S. Sens. Jim Risch (R-ID) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), boasts a bipartisan group of 40 co-sponsors in the Senate. Good Samaritan legislation has been debated in Congress for more than two decades; this is the first time a bill has cleared a full chamber.

“Passage of the Good Samaritan legislation is the perfect demonstration of the application of common sense to common problems for the common good, and it validates TU’s approach of bridging divides to care for the lands and waters that sustain our great nation,” said Chris Wood, President and CEO of Trout Unlimited. “We thank Senators Risch and Heinrich for their unwavering commitment to cleaning up historic mine pollution and advancing the work of Good Samaritans across the country.”

“Tens of thousands of abandoned hardrock mines cause environmental damage across the West, impairing 40 percent of headwater streams. Today’s action is a turning point for clean water,” said Corey Fisher, Public Lands Policy Director at Trout Unlimited. “Without this Good Samaritan legislation, abandoned mines that could otherwise be remediated will continue to leach toxic pollutants into our watersheds and communities.  We urge the House of Representatives to swiftly  pass Good Samaritan legislation and clear the way for Good Samaritans to improve the health of our rivers and streams.”

Abandoned mines are historic mine sites – often a century or more old – where there are no parties who can be held responsible to clean up mine waste.  Current federal laws treat volunteer organizations that want to clean up these abandoned mines—including state agencies and private non-profits groups like Trout Unlimited—as if they are the very polluters who left behind the mine waste. This creates daunting obstacles that prevent abandoned mine cleanups, including complicated permitting and long-term legal and financial liability for any remaining mine pollution.

The Good Samaritan legislation would establish a new program under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) providing limited liability protections for up to 15 low-risk abandoned mine cleanup pilot projects conducted by state agencies, tribes, and qualified volunteer parties. Learn more about Good Samaritan legislation at https://www.tu.org/good-samaritan