NEWS
CCTU BOARD OF DIRECTORS – FEB ELECTIONS
We elected/re-elected CCTU board members at the February 16th meeting. Congratulations to Scott Tampa for his leadership as CCTU President and to the five new board members elected that night. The board meets the first Tuesday of each month from 7-8pm. All meetings are being held virtually at least through the first half of 2021, and the board welcomes any CCTU members who want to join a meeting. If you would like to find out more about being part of the CCTU Board, please contact Scott Tampa (scott.a.tampa@gmail.com) for more information.
CCTU Officers
President – Scott Tampa
Vice President – Brian Young
Secretary – Allen Adinoff
Co-Treasurer – Todd Johnston
Co-Treasurer – Aaron Gardner (new)
New BOD Members
Ron Taniwaki
John Egan
Bob Getz
Barry Weibe
Continuing BOD Members
John Aaron
David Coward
George Franklin
Ray Nagashima
Buzz Soard
Emeritus Board Members
Richard Pilatzke
Cam Chandler
Ken James
Sharon Lance
Matt Moskal
Mike Myers
Jim Rasmussen
Jim Klug
Peter King
HIDDEN TREASURE MINE PROJECT – AN UPDATE SIX YEARS LATER…BEFORE AND AFTER
Six years ago a pair of industrious scofflaws came up with a get-rich-quick scheme. They decided to haul a backhoe up to an illegal campsite near the abandoned Hidden Treasure Mine above Alma, CO. Their plan was to find their fortune by digging through the tailings at the mine’s adit. By the time their illegal activity was discovered they had succeeded in directing the water draining from this mine through the disturbed tailings and on into Buckskin Creek. This act endangered health of that creek, the health of the middle fork of the South Platte River downstream, and the health of the residents of Alma that rely on this creek for pure drinking water. The Coalition for the Upper South Platte (CUSP) enlisted CCTU’s help in rerouting the drainage, encapsulating the tailings, decommissioning the illegal campsite and mine adit and access road, and revegetating the site.
Recently, CCTU members visiting the area on business were able to tour that site. They were guided by former CUSP employee Jara Johnson, who helped direct that activity in 2014. They are pleased to report that in spite of the extreme altitude and harsh conditions, that construction work is intact and nature continues to repair itself. The vegetation at the site is continuing fill in. The illegal road to the campsite it still effectively blocked and camouflaged to discourage continued use. The French drain constructed to reroute the water exiting the mine still works as designed. That drainage now bypasses the tailings and trickles harmlessly down the slope to the creek.
It is heartwarming to see how well this area is recovering. The town of Alma is still very grateful for the hard efforts of those CCTU volunteers years ago. Our CCTU Board would like to thank all of those folks who volunteered on that conservation project, and the Board encourages all members to get involved in the conservation projects coming up later this year!
First three pictures below are before the CCTU work. Second three pictures are six years later.
Dick Jefferies Poudre Headwaters and Fire Impact Info Presentation
We had a great couple of presentations by Dick Jefferies from the Rocky Mountain Fly Casters chapter in Fort Collins. Dick gave an excellent update on the fantastic work being done on Poudre Headwaters Greenback Restoration Project. He also detailed the forecasted impacts to date from the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome Creek fires. We will stay in touch with both Dick and the Colorado River Headwaters chapter to find out where CCTU can help in both fire areas.
The Poudre Headwaters Project video can be watched at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3pR2WCILTE. An easy to follow non-narrated version of the fire presentation can be watched at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXrAWjO_jvM
Legacy Gift from the Estate of Leslie and Ruth Dashiell
The Cutthroat Chapter (CCTU) is delighted and honored to acknowledge the recent legacy gift from the estate of Leslie and Ruth Dashiell. Les was a long-time member of CCTU; so much so that he sent his oldest grandson, Jacob Hunt, to TU Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp in 2010. Jake truly enjoyed the experience and continued from then on to fish with his grandpa, Les. Fishing was one of the sports Ruth and Les loved to do together. And it was always a competition when they went on a fishing trip. The couple were “in their element” when it came to fishing. Les also enjoyed many fishing trips with Trout Unlimited. Attached are photos of the Dashiell family enjoying their passion.
The Dashiell’s become Charter Members to the newly formed CCTU “Cutthroat Conservation Legacy Society”. The Society was formed with the goal of providing a sustaining source of funding in support of the TU mission: The Conservation, Protection, and Restoration of Cold Water Fisheries and Watersheds. Learn more on how you can preserve your legacy with a planned gift to CCTU by contacting:
Allen Adinoff: aadinoff10@gmail.com
Richard Pilatzke: rhpiscator@aol.com
Bob Getz: bob.getz@gmail.com
2019 CCTU CSU SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT WINS AWARD FOR DISSERTATIOIN RESEARCH
The CCTU Steve Bailey Memorial Scholarship anually awards a research fellowship to a CSU graduate student studying in a field related to freshwater fisheries. Our hope is that student will use the scholarship to advance their studies and enter a field that promotes our mission to conserve, protect, and restore Colorado's coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. The 2019 scholarship recipient was Chris Kotalik, who was working on Clear Creek at that time. We are proud to note that Chris did indeed go on to earn his PhD, and he continues to receive high honors for his groundbreaking work.
Chris’s research is focused on the evaluation of stream community responses to mining remediation and habitat restoration, with particular emphasis on streams in Colorado. For his dissertation, he used a combination of stream biomonitoring, field experiments, and mesocosm exposures to better understand the sensitivity of algae, benthic macroinvertebrates, and trout to acid mine drainage cleanup. More recently, Chris’ postdoctoral research is focused on evaluating brown trout responses to habitat restoration in the Upper Arkansas River of Colorado. This research will inform managers of the effectiveness of stream remediation and habitat restoration on stream invertebrate communities and trout populations. His published research on mining pollution has contributed to improved understanding of the sensitivity of different aquatic insect life stages (e.g., larvae vs emerging adults) to trace metals.
We are proud to learn Chris has recently won an award for his dissertation research. The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry/International Copper Association Chris Lee Award for Metals Research recognizes excellence in Chris's research related to the fate and effects of metals in the environment. To learn more about Chris's award please check out this link:
https://globe.setac.org/congratulations-to-christopher-kotalik-winner-of-the-ica-chris-lee-award/
VIDEO - Conserving Wild Trout…The Legacy of Dr. Robert Behnke
George and Scott came across this video on Robert Behnke while doing some review work on the CCTU Steve Bailey Memorial Scholarship…a long-term CCTU program focused on providing scholarship funding for a key fisheries biology student each year at CSU. Behnke was an American fisheries biologist and conservationist, and recognized as one of the world’s leading authorities on the classification of salmonid fishes. Know as Dr. Trout or The Trout Doctor, his seminal work, Trout and Salmon of North America, was published in 2002. He had a regular column in Trout Magazine, and was an avid angler, fisheries historian, and conservationist. He was a professor at CSU in the 1970s and became Professor Emeritus at the Dept of Fishery and Wildlife Biology at CSU. He is credited with helping re-discover two native cutthroat trout subspecies previously believed extinct – the Pyramid Lake strain of Lahontan Cutthroats in Nevada and the Greenback Cutthroat in Colorado. The 5 min. video “Conserving Wild Trout…The Legacy of Dr. Robert Behnke” can be watched at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZzcTJdD0yI
TU FACEMASKS – NEW CUTTHROAT VERSION AVAILABLE NOW
This past summer TU offered a limited run of trout-print face coverings. They were a huge hit and sold out quickly. TU is now offering a new gaiter, featuring a gorgeous cutthroat trout pattern designed by artist Al Quattrocchi. The gaiters are also thicker than last year’s versions with three-play construction for the nose and mouth area rather than two. They come in sets of 2 gaiters, and are available for a $30 donation for 2 gaiters, $60 for 4 gaiters, and $90 for 3 gaiters. Order them now via the following link https://gifts.tu.org/facecoverings/ as they will likely go very fast again.
CCTU Jan Meeting (Josh Nugent Presentations) Now up on CCTU Youtube Site
Had a great January chapter meeting last night (1/19) with Josh Nugent from Out Fly Fishing Outfitters in Calgary, Alberta. We've got both of Josh's presentations loaded on the CCTU Youtube site - "The 7 Deadly Sins of Sight Fishing" and "The 7 Deadly Sins of Streamer Fishing". They were chocked full of excellent information, and definitely will help you take your spring fishing to the next level. Check out the presentations at https://youtu.be/CbqkMjG3T0U
See what Out Fly Fishing Outfitters is all about at www.calgaryflyshop.com. Calgary is a short two hour flight from Denver. Book a trip with Josh and his team once we get things back flowing over the border!
New article on Characterizing Gene Flow of Non-native Brook Trout
Check out this new article on Characterizing Gene Flow of Non-native Brook Trout to aid the Poudre Headwaters Project. The Poudre Headwaters Project is the signature conservation project of the Rocky Mountain Flycasters Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Learn more about the Poudre Headwaters Project at our February meeting, as Dick Jeffries from the RMFC Chapter will be speaking on the project.
COLORADO OIL AND GAS COMMISSION ADOPTS NEW PROTECTIONS FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE
On November 23, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC), the state board that approves drilling permits and regulates the oil and gas industry, finalized a rulemaking process that amended its permitting regulations for oil and gas locations in Colorado. These amendments allow stronger protections for wildlife and wildlife habitat, including cold-water fisheries, streams and riparian zones across Colorado. Key wins include new protections for streams, riparian areas, and wildlife corridors, strengthened protections for migratory birds and sage-grouse, and a commitment to mitigating unavoidable adverse impacts.
Specific fisheries benefits include…
500 ft buffers around all aquatic High Priority Habitat (HPH) streams identified by CPW – nearly all of Colorado’s Trout habitats will benefit from this protection
Spill prevention measures within 1,000 ft of aquatic HPH streams
Requirement of boring beneath HPH streams rather than trenching across them
Stay tuned for a High Country Angler article by Barb Sheedlo that will go through all the details of this fantastic collaborative win.