Blog — Colorado Trout Unlimited

Playing cutthroat

By Dale Rodebaugh
Durango Herald Staff Writer

The Colorado River cutthroat, nearly driven to extinction by ravenous early-day miners and generations that followed, is regaining a foothold in its ancestral home.

The recovery, started in 2002, is being helped along through April at the state Division of Wildlife’s fish hatchery in Durango, where pure-strain Colorado River cutthroat eggs are being fertilized by hand. The resulting hatchlings are raised for release in lakes, rivers and reservoirs.

http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20110310/NEWS06/703109997/Playing-cutthroat#/storyimage/DU/20110310/NEWS06/703109997/AR/AR-703109997.jpg&maxw=620&maxh=400

Water wars: How Denver's lush lawns slurp away the Upper Colorado

Westword
By Alan Prendergast

Last week, we reported on the anticipated demand for costly water diversion projects by 2050 -- and the conservation strategy proposed in Filling the Gap, a timely report from environmental groups. Unfortunately, most Denver residents won't read the report; most of them don't have a clue where their water comes from. That's the grim conclusion one could reach after viewing Tapped Out, a recent video put out by Trout Unlimited and Boulder-based StoryGroup. The piece starts out with some ignoramus-on-the-street interviews along the Sixteenth Street Mall, in which Denver citizens are asked just that question: "Where does your water come from?"

The most common answer? "The sink."

The purpose of the video is to give the uninitiated a quick education in water diversion and the depletion of the Upper Colorado River basin. It focuses on two of the most pressing threats to the folks in Grand County right now. The Moffat Tunnel already takes sixty percent of the flow of the Fraser River to Front Range users, and now planners are talking about taking half of what's left. Meanwhile, the Windy Gap Reservoir is lowering water levels around Grand Lake itself, altering the ecology of Colorado's largest and deepest natural lake.

And what's it all for? As much as 60 percent of the metro area's water consumption goes to landscaping -- mostly that nice green grass imported from somewhere else. Hence, the argument that conservation and reuse can make a tremendous impact on future water projects; for more on proposed solutions, go here. And check out the video below.

Video available at: http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2011/03/water_wars_denver_lawns.php

Front Range groups must protect resources

GJ Sentinel Regarding the Feb. 16 article, “Fisheries weigh options for, against diversions”: We appreciate The Daily Sentinel’s coverage of the potential impacts of the additional trans-mountain water diversion projects being proposed by Denver Water and the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. The article contains several statements that bear clarification.

First, Denver and Northern are not entitled to build the new projects regardless of their impacts to fish and wildlife resources in western Colorado. The water rights for the projects only establish a place in the water rights priority line. But, to build the projects, the proponents must secure necessary federal, state and local approvals. To win these approvals, Denver and Northern are required to take steps to avoid fish and wildlife impacts.

Second, it is inaccurate to say that Denver and Northern will divert the desired additional increments of water whether the projects are built or not. Think about it for a minute. If Denver and Northern can take the additional water without the projects, why would they spend millions of dollars to permit and build them?

Third, Denver is proposing to spend $5 million to $7 million to mitigate impacts of its project, but these funds will be directed at impacts on South Boulder Creek and the North Fork of the South Platte River. Denver is offering virtually no mitigation for the Fraser and Williams Fork basins — the two basins that will bear the brunt of the impacts of the proposed Moffat project.

Soon, Colorado Division of Wildlife staff will be called upon to advise the Wildlife Commission on measures needed to protect fish and wildlife resources from the impacts of the proposed trans-mountain diversions. We urge the DOW to base its analysis on sound science and to fulfill its responsibility to protect these priceless natural resources.

MELY WHITING, Counsel

Trout Unlimited

Colorado Water Project

Pagosa Springs

http://www.gjsentinel.com/opinion/articles/printed_letters_march_7_2011

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Filling Front Range water gap

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Pueblo Chieftain Guest commentary from Drew Peternell, director of the Colorado Water Project for Trout Unlimited,  Bart Miller, director of the water program for Western Resource Advocates and Becky Long, water caucus coordinator for the Colorado Environmental Coalition.

http://www.chieftain.com/opinion/ideas/filling-front-range-water-gap/article_266b0db4-46c5-11e0-8007-001cc4c03286.html

Salazar report touts fishing, outdoor sports

Pueblo Chieftain Guest commentary by Chris Wood, chief executive officer of Trout Unlimited and Jim Klug, chairman of the American Fly Fishing Trade Association.

http://www.chieftain.com/opinion/ideas/salazar-report-touts-fishing-outdoor-sports/article_716b8af0-46c5-11e0-af8b-001cc4c03286.html

76,000 miles of Colorado rivers and streams at risk

Take action before July 31st to restore protections for Colorado's most important resource.

[button_small link="http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=EPA-HQ-OW-2011-0409-0001"]Click Here to Write a Letter[/button_small]

Problem

Today, more than 76,000 miles (or 76%) of Colorado's rivers and streams are currently under threat - lacking adequate protection previously provided under the Clean Water Act. Fortunately, in April 2011, the Obama administration took an important step toward restoring Clean Water Act protections to critical wetlands and waters with new administrative guidance on the definition of “waters of the United States.” The proposed guidance would clarify which waters and wetlands are covered under the Clean Water Act, adding certainty to the regulatory process and restoring protections to tributaries, headwaters and wetlands that have been in limbo for a decade.

To ensure Colorado's rivers receive the protection they deserve and remain healthy enough to support fish, families, and recreation opportunities, please take a moment to write a letter to the EPA in support of the revised guidelines.

About the Clean Water Act

Passed into law in 1972, the Clean Water Act was intended to keep our nation's water supply clean by preventing the unregulated discharge of harmful toxins and pollutants like Arsenic, Chloroform , Lead, Mercury and Cyanide into our nations lakes, rivers and streams - the very places that provide drinking water to our families, sustain our nation's farmers and food supply, and support bountiful recreation opportunities like hunting, fishing and boating.

Two recent Supreme Court cases (Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County vs. United States Army Corps of Engineers and Rapanos vs. United States) changed all that - by deciding that the Clean Water Act was only applicable to 'navigable' streams, rivers, and lakes.  Nationwide, these Supreme Court decisions removed protections for over 20 million acres of wetlands and 2 million stream miles.

Take Action

The EPA is collecting comments on the revised Clean Water Act guidance until July 31st, 2011. As sportmen and women who care about keeping our state and our nation's rivers streams clean, the EPA needs to hear from you.

>>Click here to submit your comments<< to the EPA before their July 31st deadline!

>>Click here to read the fact sheet<< on the Clean Water Act Guidance here!