Temperature Profile Project March 21, 2013 by Allen Adinoff and Jim Rasmussen

Once again, many of our members volunteered their time for an important project on March 21, 2013.  The Cheesman Canyon, Temperature Profile, campaign has been one that has been ongoing since 2010.  The purpose is to measure temperature of the river, in four locations and pass this information to the Colorado Parks and Recreation aquatic biologist, in charge of the upper portion of the South Platte River.

The biologist uses the information gathered as a tool to manage the fishery.  How is the data used?  One example deals with the spawning of Rainbow trout.  Rainbow trout begin the spawning process after periods of 46 degree water temperature.  When does that happen above the Wig Wam Club?

 

 You can see (sorry, the computer would not let me make it larger!) from the above graph that in 2011 the temperature started pushing above 46 degrees F about April 15th.  So far our little project has provided three years’ worth this data.

 We monitor the South Platte River at four locations from Cheesman dam to below Deckers.   Jim Rasmussen has championed this effort.  Submerged temperature loggers sample data every twenty minutes over the year.  These monitors are retrieved and downloaded twice a year. The results are downloaded to a data shuttle  and later transferred to a computer for further analysis.  Critical to the retrieval process (LOL) is the hydroscope, which allows the workers to visualize what they’re doing under water.  This is required as the monitors are secured to steel rods embedded into the riverbed.  The hydroscope is a large plastic jar that is inverted in the water, providing a clear view beneath the surface.  The jar was originally filled with pretzels, requiring Jim and Bill to eat all of them along with consuming several beers.  They then generously donated the hydroscope to CCTU.  Thanks guys for your sacrifice and generosity.

Rasmussen and Wiebesiek using Hydroscope to view nuts on clamps holding data logger to bottom of river.



Freeing the Temperature Sensor from its protective housing.



Temperature sensor in its protective housing.



Temperature sensor and housing mounted on re-bar in the river.

Many others joined the effort including Jim Klug, Allen Adinoff,  Bill Wiebesek (chief hydroscope technician), Greg Ledges.  It was a cool crisp sunny day, and all enjoyed the experience.  Although flow rates were a bit lower than usual at 40 cfs, plenty of nice fish were landed.  Everyone appreciated the fun, experience, and camaraderie.  Projects like these are a great way to fulfill the mission of TU, spend some time with other Chapter members, and enjoy some fishing.

Consider joining us for one of our many CCTU conservation projects in the future.  Jim Klug jjklug1@comcast.net and Jason Agin jagin2032@msn.com  lead  our conservation program for CCTU.  The schedule of conservation projects can also be found on our web site.  Our next project is May 11th. at 11 Mile Canyon where we will be reseeding burned areas in Springer Gulch.

See you on the river!

Allen Adinoff and Jim Rasmussen,

CCTU Membership Chair and Temperature Profile Project Leader

Photos by Jim Klug,

Conservation Director

Big Horn Trip

Hard to believe, but it's time to sign up for the 2013 Big Horn trip and start tying those special Big Horn flies like the Ray Charles and Pink Sowbugs!  We have reservations at Cottonwood Camp for Sunday, May 12 - through Thursday, May 16, checking out Friday morning, May 17.Runoff for these dates is anyone's guess.  Last year, it was below normal, the year before was flash flood conditions.  Right now, the snowpack in the Big Horn basin is at about 90%, so things are looking good at this point!We stay in a sprawling facility affectionately known as the "condo", which will accommodate up to 15 people.We generally reserve up to 4 drift boats to float either the upper 3 mile stretch, the middle stretch which is about 9 miles, or, as some of us discovered the last couple of years, the lower 10 mile stretch to the Mallard takeout, which held some very nice fish,  beautiful waters and less fishing pressure.This has been an annual event for the Cutthroat Chapter for over 20 years and for good reason:  The fishing is great, the scenery spectacular and the cost very reasonable (unless, of course, you get carried away at the fly shop!)This trip fills up quickly, so sign up early.  Contact Jim Ericson @ james.ericson@comcast.net or give him a call at 303-683-8609.Big Horn Registration 2013 Hope you can join us!

April 27th is an Important Conservation Project

Come join us on the Dream Stream - we Need 40 Energetic VolunteersStart the fishing season off right and make a real difference in Colorado on a very important stretch of water.The Dream Stream is about 3 miles of impressive fishing water between 11 Mile and Spinney Reservoirs. The trout use the Dream Stream as their spawning grounds. In Spring the Rainbows head into the Dream Stream and in Fall the Browns take their turn. These are the more mature (read that BIG) fish. Just do NOT disturb fish on their redds. Here is a good description of the Dream Stream: http://www.coloradotrouthunters.com/dreamstream.htmlThe Dream Stream project is an important project. We will be reseeding areas that have been damaged or had noxious weeds removed. With a good turn out of volunteers the work will go fast, lunch will be provided, and you get the afternoon to fish. If that's not enough you will also receive one of CCTU's new Conservation T-shirts. WE NEED 40 VOLUNTEERSPlease call Jim Klug at 303-565-7504 or Jason Agin at 303-653-6057 If you have any questions or would like to join us on a project. THIS IS IMPORTANT so we can plan for Lunch and T-shirts. It takes about 2.5 hours to get there. We will meet at the ParkNRide at Dad Clark and University at 0615 to leave promptly at 0630. The project begins at 0900. We MUST car pool as parking is limited.• Take Hwy 285 southwest through Fairplay.• Just past Fairplay turn left, (south) on Hwy. 9, travel approximately 17 miles.• Hwy. 9 will intersect with Hwy. 24, turn left (east), travel approximately 11 miles.• At County Road 23/San Juan Rd. turn right (south) at sign: "Eleven Mile and Spinney Mtn. State Parks".• Travel approximately 2.8 miles to County Road 59, turn left (east) at the "T" intersection.• Travel approximately 2.4 miles until County Road 59 makes a 90 degree turn to the right (south).• Continue to the Charlie Meyers State Wildlife Area parking lot on your right. The project site will be on the east side of County Road 59.• Wear long-sleeved shirt, work pants & boots. Bring sun block, hat, water bottle, work gloves, and sun glasses. Check the weather and dress accordingly – layers is a good thing.• Bring your fishing gear.

April Meeting: Tim Patterson Owner of RIGS Adventure

One of Colorado's Wonders of the World: the Black Canyon of the GunnisonSo if you missed our fly tying Clinic - you missed out. STOP THAT! We got another great event lined up this month. If you have ever seen the Black Canyon of the Gunnison from the top it gives you vertigo since the depth of field is too much for your brain. It is that spectacular!Go to the bottom of the canyon and you have one of Colorado's best fisheries. Tim Patterson is coming to give you a guided tour through the canyon and surrounding areas.Ridgway Independent Guide Service LLC (RIGS) was founded in 2001. A family business, built from the ground up, with extensive industry knowledge and years of hard guide work throughout the industry. RIGS recognizes that access to quality waters is the most important resources for the business. RIGS successfully received the first permit for guided fly fishing and rafting on the Uncompahgre River in 2002 and has lead the charge in acquiring Western Colorado's top Public & Private guide access.Owner, Tim Patterson (the guy in the photo) has led fly fishing, rafting and eco-tours throughout Central America, Mexico and the Southwestern U. S. since 1991. Patterson's degree in Recreation Management from Prescott College set the stage for a career in adventure guiding and a passion for keeping tight lines on home waters. "It's not just about the fishing, it's about the people," Patterson says. "Our activities are kind of a metaphor for life. They can teach patience, strategy, versatility and adaptability to conditions."Tim sent us a note saying, don't wait for the presentation. Go check them out NOW on their website because they fill up slots every year. Great photos on the website.

CCTU March Meeting - Fly Tying

The CCTU March Meeting on March 19th will be our annual Fly Tying Clinic. We have a number of tiers lined up and more will join in. Come and ask questions, watch tiers demonstrate techniques, learn how to fish specific flies, get new ideas for places to fish, and join in the fun for fly raffles. All are welcome and best of all it is FREE!!!Tiers include: Pat Dorsey, Carl Pennington, Steve Johnson, John Vevurka, Greg Garcia, Jerry Shin, Richard Pilatzke, Jim Neiberger, Bob Dye, John Aaron, Bud McAllister, Jim Schmidt, Ed Berg, Frank Prekel, and Bob Getz. In other words lots of technique to learn from! Don't miss this opportunity.Location is out normal meeting spot: South Metro Denver Realtors' ASsociation at the corner of South Broadway and Mineral Ave in Littleton. Address is 7899 S. Lincoln Ct. Littleton, CO 80122

February Meeting Features Owner of St. Peter's Fly Shop in Ft. Collins

Join us at 7pm on February 19th at our regular meeting place on the Northeast corner of Broadway and Mineral at the South Metro Denver Realtors Association building (7899 S Lincoln Ct., Littleton, CO 80122).Grant Houx, owner of St. Peter's Fly Shop, will be discussing fishing in the northern part of our state. Grant always shares his year's of knowledge by recommending fly selection for his local waters as well as when to fish where. It'll be great!St. Peter's Fly Shop is a full service pro fly fishing shop with the best selection of fly fishing products and guided fly fishing trips in Northern Colorado. Located in Ft. Collins Colorado they are conveniently positioned in close proximity to a number of world class waters including; Cache la Poudre River, Big Thompson River, Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, North Platte River(Upper North Platte, Gray Reef, and Miracle Mile), and many stillwaters.Also this month, we have a short presentation on status of South Platte River projects.Kyle Hamilton, president of the South Platte Enhancement Board (SPEB) will give a short presentation on the activities of SPEB and the board's commitment to protect that portion of the river covered by the South Platte Protection Plan. Colorado Trout Unlimited is a signatory of that, 1977, agreement.The Cutthroat Chapter has participated and is currently participating in projects funded by SPEB grants. Sportsman's Paradise/Happy Meadows, Pine Creek Culvert, and Sugar Creek Restoration are all projects that have benefited from SPEB grants.

RIVER WATCH

The  Cutthroat Chapter of Trout Unlimited is a member of River Watch. River Watch is a statewide volunteer water quality-monitoring program operated by the non profit 501©3 Colorado Watershed Assembly in cooperation with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW).  The mission is to work with voluntary stewards to monitor water quality and other indicators of watershed health and utilize this data to educate citizens and inform decision makers about the condition of Colorado’s waters. The program is unique in its statewide focus and frequency of data collection.   The Cutthroat Chapter has one collection site,  West Denver Chapter has three,  and the Cheyenne Mountain Chapter has a site on Bear Creek. The Cutthroat Chapters site is located on the South Platte River, upstream from Deckers, opposite Lone Rock campground.  We take water samples at this site every month.    Usually the water sample and water temperature, are taken about 10 AM.  We have never been prevented from taking a sample because the  river was frozen.  This is because the water usually comes off near the bottom of Cheesman Dam.  Once a year we take a macroinvertebrate sample at our site. Yes -- We take a sample of all the bugs, scuds, worms and other creepy crawly things that live in the South Platte River near Deckers and send it to a lab. The creatures are identified and counted.The water samples are tested for a variety of properties;  Disolved oxygen, pH, Alkalinity, Hardness.  Additionaly, the water samples are tested, in a laboratory, periodicaly throughout the year, for nutrients (not e coli), and metals.   Our station is Lone Rock CG and can be viewed at; http://wildlife.state.co.us/LandWater/Riverwatch/Data/Pages/DataSummaryStations.aspx    Bug Hunting    

Annual CCTU Christmas Party

7:00pm December 18th at South Metro Denver Realtors Association Building.Every December, the regular membership meeting is replaced by The CCTU Annual Christmas Party. And like the regular membership meetings, it will be at the South Metro Denver Realtors Association building (7899 S. Lincoln Ct., Littleton, CO 80122). Except for the first few minutes of the regular meetings, the December meeting is the only time we dedicate an entire meeting to just visiting with each other.In addition to the reverie, the Christmas party will also include a voluntary, blind gift exchange where there will be a swapping of gifts in the $10 to $15 range. Handmade items like flies and other fishing accessories are always appreciated. Expect to see a ‘Billy Bass’ with flies, various alcoholic beverages with files and plain ol’ flies. Are you picking up a trend?Also, feel free to bring food to share and we'll provide the soda pop. Personally, I enjoy Costco apple pies and homemade cookies; if anyone was wondering.The final, but most important part of the Christmas party is a food drive where you can bring in non-perishable food items (canned goods and such) which will be donated to a local food bank that is yet to be determined.I know this is a busy time of year but I hope you can join us, even if only for a little while.

Volunteers Needed This Friday for Westcreek Area

We apologize for the late notice but here's the info:

20 volunteers are needed to help this Friday in the Westcreek area.  If you can join us please register at: www.uppersouthplatte.org/Volunteer.  

Fuels Mitigation, Chipping on 9J Road

 Workday:  Friday, December 7^th, 2012Project Location:  Meet at the Mt. Communities Fire Dept., directions belowProject Times:  9:00 am to 3:00 pmVolunteers Needed:  up to 20Workday Description:We’ll be chipping along the 9J road in the Westcreek community. The area was used a harvest site for logs used as in stream structures in the Trail Creek restoration work, part of Hayman fire rehab. The site needs to be completed prior to snowfall and will help mitigate the high fire danger in the area.Important Notes:Hardhats and any necessary tools and materials to complete project will be providedPlease note – there will not be portable restrooms on siteA safety review and work demonstration will precede the project workWeather which could create hazardous conditions may cause the project to be canceled or rescheduled; CUSP will monitor weather and notify you of any changes in a timely fashionRequirements of Volunteers:Prior to the project each volunteer must submit a completed Liability Release Form.  A Volunteer Sign-up Sheet must be initialed by individuals.Please Bring:Any applicable medicines (including epi-pens, insulin and inhalers)SunscreenSun glasses or safety glassesWork glovesWork boots with ankle supportLong pants are requiredLong sleeved shirts are strongly recommendedWater bottles, the use of reusable, portable containers is encouraged – water refills will be providedA sack lunchDirections from Colorado Springs to Mountain Community (Westcreek) Fire Station:

1. From I-25 in Colorado Springs take Hwy 24 (Cimarron Rd.) to Woodland Park
2. From Woodland Park go north on to CO Hwy 67
3. Travel 14 miles north towards Deckers
4. Turn left on ABBEY RD (CR 73), 0.25 miles north of mile marker 91
5. Travel 0.25 miles to the T intersection
6. Turn left on to Westcreek Road, travel 0.57 miles to the intersection of Westcreek and Stump Roads
7. Meet at the fire station on the right, at the intersection of Westcreek and Stump Roads

Directions from Denver to Mountain Communities (Westcreek) Fire Station:

1. From C470 take US Hwy 285 south (exit 5A) 21 miles to Pine Junction
2. Turn left at the light in Pine Junction onto Jefferson CR 126/Pine Valley Rd.
3. Go south 24.6 miles to Deckers (the road name changes to CR 67)
4. Continue south on CO 67 for 8.50 miles
5. Turn right on ABBEY AVE. (CR 73), 0.75 miles south of mile marker 92
6. Turn left on to Westcreek Road, travel 0.57 miles to the intersection of Westcreek and Stump Roads
7. Meet at the fire station on the right, at the intersection of Westcreek and Stump Roads

 We will carpool from the fire department to the work site.If you can help for any part of the day, please go to the work site, appx. one and a half miles west on Stump Rd and one mile north on 9J Road at:  http://goo.gl/maps/8TXHCPlease note:  GPS is often inaccurate in this area and cell phone service will be inconsistent.Coalition for the Upper South PlattePO Box 726Lake George, CO 80827www.uppersouthplatte.org719.748.0033 

Quick notice: Restoration Project Saturday 11/17

Date/TimeDate(s) - 11/17/20129:45 am - 3:30 pmLocationCascade Fire DepartmentWorkday Description:In response to the Waldo Canyon fire, volunteers and will help mitigate flooding in an area of high burn severity along Ute Pass. This work will protect several homes. We will meet at the Cascade Fire Department at 9:45 am, then caravan to the work site. If traveling from the Woodland Park area, please register and we will send directions. Sandbagging methods utilized are described in the below documents provided by Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Environmental Protection Agency. CUSP technical support may install site specific changes according to need. 2012 Sandbag Barrier Fact Sheet and EPASANDBAGGUIDE.Important Notes:CUSP will provide hard hats, tools and materials necessary to complete project work.A portable restroom will be available on site.Safety review and work demonstration will precede the project work.Weather which could create hazardous conditions may cause the project to be canceled or rescheduled. Cancellations will be posted at: www.upperouthplatte.org/Volunteer/ .Requirements of Volunteers:Please complete and bring with you, a CUSP Liability Release Form CUSPrelease2012. A Volunteer Sign-up Sheet will also be initialed by individuals.Please Bring:Any applicable medicines (including epi-pens, insulin and inhalers)SunscreenSun glasses or safety glassesWork glovesWork boots with ankle supportLong pants are requiredLong sleeved shirts are strongly recommendedWater containers, the use of reusable containers is encouraged – refills will be providedPlease bring a sack lunchWhat to Expect:The burn area is in an exposed mountain environment. Please be aware and prepared for potential hazards, including but not limited to: driving on mountainous roads with loose gravel and high flash flood potential; exposure to sun, wind, lightening and rapidly changing weather conditions; working with sharpened tools in areas with unstable terrain and footing; possible falling trees; hiking at significant elevation. Medications may have adverse effects in sun, heat or altitude, please list medications and medical conditions on the CUSP release form so staff may be aware of potential concerns. Know your limitations and inform staff immediately if you become ill or injured. Be prepared to exit quickly in the event of an emergency or changing environmental conditions. Please drink plenty of water prior to and during the project to avoid dehydration. Please wear appropriate clothing; clothing may become stained or ruined. This project is not suitable for expectant mothers.This challenging project will require team effort. Please be prepared to get dirty!