We’ll be talking up the great benefits of being a member, handing out stickers, and tying flies. Our booth will be occupied on Saturday and Sunday, March 16th & 17th between the hours of 11AM and 3PM. If you’re in the neighborhood, please drop by to say ‘hi’ and check out the other organizations like Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and the South Suburban Parks!
Courtesy of Western Rivers Conservancy
Just southwest of Denver, the headwaters of the South Platte River come together in the rolling grasslands of South Park, a broad basin surrounded by the high mountain peaks of the Front Range. The South Platte River is the biological and scenic centerpiece of South Park, which was designated a National Heritage Area in 2009 for its rich history and diverse natural landscapes. Here, Western Rivers Conservancy has launched an effort to preserve the 1,860-acre Collard Ranch, which includes five miles of Tarryall Creek, one of the South Platte River’s principal tributaries.
Collard Ranch is part of a major migration corridor for thousands of Rocky Mountain elk, which use the property as their primary route from the high peaks of the Rockies down to the grasslands below during their annual north-south migration into and across South Park. Mule deer and pronghorn frequently move through the basin as well.
Tarryall Creek flows off the 13,823-foot Mount Silverheels before meandering through Collard Ranch. Its banks are a mix of open grass and willow cover, providing excellent habitat for healthy, wild populations of brown and rainbow trout. Beaver ponds line the creek on the ranch, which is a rarity on Colorado’s valley floors. These wetlands attract a rich variety of bird life and are prime spawning habitat for fish.
The South Park basin is home to the world’s last remaining “extreme rich fens,” a type of wetland that has been damaged by human development almost everywhere else on Earth. These wetlands attract diverse bird life to the property, including the imperiled Lewis’s woodpecker and mountain plover.
Located just 60 miles from Denver, South Park is one of the primary recreation destinations for hikers, anglers and hunters from Colorado’s capital. Protection of Collard Ranch will add over five miles of fishing access along both banks of this outstanding trout stream while helping to establish more uniform recreation management along Tarryall Creek. This outcome would be a significant conservation accomplishment within an hour and a half drive from most of the population of Colorado.
WRC has signed an agreement to purchase the ranch. We will buy and hold the property while working to secure funding to protect it forever. Our hope is to convey the property to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, which would manage it for the benefit of fish, wildlife and people forever.
If you’re not aware of it, the WDTU Annual Fly Tying Clinic was a well attended, local gathering of some of the biggest names in fly tying in the Mountain West prior to the lovely Pandemic. And finally, it’s back on the calendar!
When: Saturday, March 2, 2024 from 9AM to 2PM
Where: Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 15200 W 6th Ave, Golden, CO 80401 (Map)
Details:
Over 50 local and nationally-known fly tyers
Build a fly box with flies tied by your favorite expert tyers
Tie your first fly area
Huge bucket raffle
Kids activities
Proceeds support West Denver TU’s mission to share and sustain Colorado fly fishing.
Admission at the door is $20. Get a $5 discount coupon from your local fly shop! Active duty military personnel and kids 12 and under are admitted for free.
For more information, visit WDTU’s website website.
CTU is thrilled to announce that registration is open for the Colorado Trout Unlimited (CTU) Camp - an unforgettable river conservation and fly fishing experience designed exclusively for youth aged 14-18.
Dates: June 9th – 15th, 2024
Location: Spend a week in the picturesque mountains near Almont, CO, surrounded by the beauty of nature.
Community: CTU Camp is a special place where acceptance and lifelong friendships flourish among teens who share a passion for the river, fly fishing, and conservation.
Experience: Be a part of a hands-on program that blends conservation and all levels of fly fishing.
Camp Size: Limited to 20 campers, ensuring an intimate and engaging experience for all.
Eligibility: Open to youth aged 14-18.
Cost: $650 (tuition), plus a $50 registration fee. (includes all meals and a fly fishing rod and reel combo.)
Scholarships: Scholarships are available to support passionate individuals.
Application Deadline: April 1, 2024.
CTU Camp is not just a week in the mountains; it's an opportunity to inspire the next generation of river stewards and conservation-minded anglers. In our safe, fun, and inclusive environment, participants will explore the profound connections between conservation, a love for the outdoors, and the art of fly fishing.
Don't miss out on this chance to be part of an extraordinary community that values conservation, camaraderie, and the thrill of fly fishing. We look forward to welcoming you to CTU Camp and creating lasting memories together.
If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to reach out to Natalie Flowers at natalie.flowers@tu.org or 720-879-0271.
Courtesy of Wester Rivers Conservancy
Western Rivers Conservancy and the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest successfully conserved the 317-acre Clemow Cow Camp property this summer, keeping precious cold water in the Big Hole River at a moment when alarm bells are sounding about the river’s warming temperatures. Our efforts also protected outstanding habitat for fish and wildlife and secured new public access to the West Pioneer Wilderness Study Area. The 150-mile-long Big Hole River, which tumbles through some of the most diverse geography of any river in Montana, is a beloved trout fishery and one of the last rivers left in the Lower 48 with fluvial Arctic grayling.
The 317-acre Clemow Cow Camp is a sweeping expanse of wetland meadows with two high-mountain streams, Cox and Old Tim creeks, flowing through the property for two miles. Just off the property, these streams join Warm Springs Creek, a tributary to the Big Hole.
Conservation of Clemow Cow Camp ensures protection of 154 acres of riparian wetland habitat that supports numerous species of waterfowl and shorebirds, as well as top-notch habitat for grizzly bear and Canada lynx, both federally Threatened. Importantly, the creeks on the ranch supply water for fish in the Big Hole basin, including westslope cutthroat trout, mountain whitefish and nonnative trout.
WRC purchased Clemow Cow Camp, along with its 2.77 CFS of water rights, in August 2022, and conveyed both to the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in September 2023. The U.S. Forest Service will use the ranch’s water rights to reinvigorate the property’s fragile meadows and feed the creeks through seepage over the course of the summer. When flows get low, that water will be kept directly in-stream for fish, an innovative split-season approach that ensures fish get cold water when they need it most.
Clemow Cow Camp is also a key entry into the Forest Service’s adjacent 148,150-acre West Pioneer Wilderness Study Area, one of the largest roadless areas in southwest Montana. WRC’s efforts permanently secured access to the wilderness study area through the ranch for hikers, hunters and others.
Courtesy of Western Rivers Conservancy
In partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, Western Rivers Conservancy has permanently conserved the 200-acre Eagle Rock Ranch and is employing a new approach to returning 11 cubic feet per second (CFS) of vitally important clean, cold water to the Wise River while protecting habitat for fish and wildlife.
The Wise is a major tributary to the Big Hole River, one of Montana’s most famous fly-fishing streams and one of the last remaining strongholds for fluvial Arctic grayling in the Lower 48. It is also a critical source of cold water for the Big Hole, supplying the primary life-giving ingredient that grayling and the river’s other fish need to survive.
WRC and the U.S. Forest Service have developed an innovative split-season approach that will deliver water for fish exactly when they need it while allowing water for agriculture when flows are strong. When the river is running high in early spring, the Forest Service will allocate water to the ranch’s meadow and its wild hay. The meadow will naturally store and filter the water through the spring and summer, allowing it to seep back into the stream colder and cleaner later in the season. In the hot summer months, when the river needs flows the most, the ranch’s water will remain in the stream to benefit the fish that depend on it. It’s a win-win-win for fish, wildlife and local livelihoods alike.
WRC purchased Eagle Rock Ranch, along with its all-important water rights, in summer 2021, then held the property while assembling the funding and partnerships needed to permanently protect it. In late July, WRC conveyed the property to the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, which will now manage the property in perpetuity for the benefit of the fish, wildlife and people of the Big Hole Valley and beyond.
Our highest priority, multi-year project is: Restoring the Gill Trail in Cheesman Canyon of the South Platte River.
Please consider giving to the Cutthroat Chapter of Trout Unlimited on Colorado Gives Day by visiting our Donation/Take Action page (https://cutthroatctu.org/take-action).
Remember, we are a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization dedicated to cold-water fisheries conservation so your contributions may be tax-deductible.
A few notes from the non-board part of the Rendezvous for your reading pleasure…
Greg Hardy, CTU president was not in attendance, he is on a medical LOA.
I spoke with Whitney from CTU and they are willing to run the raffle for us with their system. We need to craft an email to her defining exactly what we would like it to look like. For example we want to pull tickets at our picnic not at the office in Denver. I suggest Scott, Meg and Barry put together the email.
We were introduced to Emily Olsen the new TU VP for the Rocky Mountain Region. She had a new org chart but so far I have not found a copy to share.
Conservation Leader Emily Olsen Joins Trout Unlimited as Vice President for Rocky Mountain Region.
We learned that Mely Whiting will be retiring. For those that do not know her, she led the effort on water laws for most of the CTU/TU projects in Colorado.
Nancy Johnson-Bramlet is available to support our grant writing efforts.
We should be looking at culvert replacement projects in our area as money is available in the infrastructure bills.
The Saturday luncheon speaker was Becky Mitchell, Colorado Commissioner to the Upper Colorado River Commission. She was exceptional as a speaker and an advocate for the upper basin states in the current and future discussions about Colorado River water use.
8 Questions with New Colorado River Commissioner Rebecca Mitchell
Our CTU VP has asked our chapter if we would be willing to nominate someone to replace him. The requirements for the VP position are (1) board experience, (2) willingness to attend monthly zoom meetings, (3) consolidating the quarterly report that we send in, (4) willingness to attend the two in person board (Spring/Fall) meetings, (5) donating to CTU at the base RSC level or more and, (6) funding your own expenses for all the duties/meetings. I am not sure if we have anyone that is willing to take this on, but we should at least add it to our board structure conversations over the next few months.
I spoke at the session on Priority Waters. Unfortunately the moderator did not control the early speakers' rambling and so I was left with only a minute to speak. One chapter speaker declined to speak since the session was way past time.
The annual awards banquet was well attended. Mely received a Silver Trout award. The Denver chapter received a number of awards for their work in the city. At some point, CTU will post all the awards on their website.
Notes provided by CCTU’s John Egan, Vice President and Conservation Projects Chair
The Cutthroat Chapter held it’s October meeting on Tuesday the 17th at the Lone Tree Brewery. This month the brewery welcomed us with a special, buy one beer get another for free! Thank you to those that made that happen, a number of our members enjoyed that special October perk.
Our speaker this month was Mike Geary from Healing Waters Lodge in Twin Bridges, MT coming to us via Zoom. This was our first Zoom presentation so please let the leadership know your thoughts. We prefer in person presentations, but some topic experts are not in our area.
Mike discussed the challenges the fish are having on the Big Hole, Ruby and Beaverhead Rivers. Focusing on the Big Hole River, we learned about declining fish populations in brown and rainbow trout documented by Montana FWP surveys. Guides have experienced catching diseased fish with various growths, lesions and other deformities as will as reduced angler success. We watched this youtube video to help understand the problem.
Lead by the guide and ranching community in the area, a round table discussion was held in the town of Wise River this summer. Montana’s governor and state experts heard concerns from residents about the health of the fish population and decreasing water levels. While a complete understanding of the struggles in the river system have yet to be determined, state and NGO organizations are working together to resolve the issue. To learn more visit these organizations that are on the leading edge of the challenges:
https://www.uppermissouriwaterkeeper.org/
Finally the next time you are in the Yellowstone area, take a day or two to support this community by fishing these beautiful rivers. They still have fish!
On the last day of July this year (2023), a violent storm in Cheesman Canyon destroyed the trail system and washed decomposed granite into the South Platte River changing the flows at some favorite fishing holes. (See earlier post on this event.)
The US Forest Service called on our chapter president in an effort to bring volunteers into the canyon to repair the Gill Trail. This work required trained technical leaders to ensure the work was done correctly. Fortunately, the Colorado Mountain Bike Association (COMBA) has full time, trained individuals that work with the USFS and CPW on trail work and they were available!
On September 20 and 21, 2023, 30 volunteers along with four members of the COMBA trail team met at the lower Gill Trail parking lot, hiked into the canyon and spent the day repairing the trail.
Each day started with a safety presentation and training on how trails are properly constructed so they are not destroyed by routine weather and use. After that, packs were donned, tools picked up and crew members hiked into the canyon. Once reaching the work site, volunteers spread out repairing sections of the trail. The days were warm and dry, perfect for getting work accomplished. By Thursday afternoon the trail was completely repaired from the parking lot to the USFS boundary with Denver Water! Work from there to the upper Gill Trail parking lot will be done by Denver Water and the Coalition for the Upper South Platte.
Thank You to everyone that added their name to the Cheesman Canyon volunteer list and especially to those who came out to support this effort. If you were not available to support these dates, more days will be announced in the future when other areas of the trail system will be repaired. We hope you can join us taking care of this special location we all love to fish!
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