We had an excellent CCTU April meeting last night (4/20/21), and the recording of that presentation is now ready at the CCTU YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4hHrSITGlM. Mikele Painter from the US Forest Service gave an excellent update on the South Platte River Patrol program with which CCTU has been heavily involved. Chris Barry from Orvis Park Meadows gave out a ton of tips and locations on local warm-water fishing in his presentation Warm-Water Fishing in the South Denver Metro Area. Thanks to both presenters for insightful, entertaining, and interesting info.
RIVER WATCH REPORT - BUGS OF LOWER WATERTON CANYON
As part of CCTU’s participation in Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s River Watch water quality program, a sample of the fauna (all the aquatic creatures) is taken from the water quality testing site each year. Which creatures, especially insects, that are living at a specific site are an indicator the quality of the water at that location. The more diverse and abundant the insect community the better. Which insects and how many is also useful information for a fly fisher. It is nice to know exactly which Stoneflies, Mayflies and Caddis flies are present in the water you are fishing. The CCTU site is located on the South Platte River, just downstream of the Waterton Road bridge, near the big Waterton canyon parking lot. Below is a list of insects and other aquatic creatures sampled from the river on Oct. 15, 2020. The sample was given to the CPW River watch program and then analyzed by their contractor.
CCTU Appears in Coalition for Upper South Platte's 2020 Annual Report
In the recent 2020 Coalitiion for the Upper South Platte (CUSP) Annual Report, CCTU is mentioned twice. First on Page 11 for our work and funding in replacing two interpretive signs near Deckers. Second, on Page 12 for our donation providing for Gil Trail maintenance. See link below for full CUSP Annual Report. CCTU has been a long-time partner with CUSP and we look forward to continuing that partnership long into the future.
https://cusp.ws/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2020-CUSP-Annual-Report_web.pdf
Chip Swanson Ark/Eagle/Colorado Presentation - CCTU March 16, 2001 Chapter Meeting
Chip Swanson gave a great presentation at the CCTU March Meeting. He focused on the "5th Season"...post/winter, pre-runoff spring fishing on the Arkansas, Eagle, and Colorado Rivers.
Presentation is uploaded on the CCTU YouTube site.
ADVOCACY NOTES FROM THE CTU BULL MOOSE COMMITTEE - BY JOHN EGAN
CORE ACT Moves Forward! On Feb 26th, the House of Representatives passed the Protecting America’s Wilderness Act (H.R. 803) which is a package of multiple public land bills across four Western states. TU strongly supports this legislation, as it will better conserve and restore public lands, watersheds and cold water fisheries as well as supporting the country’s commitment to countering the impacts of climate change by protecting at least 30% of our lands and waters by the year 2030.
Specifically for Colorado, H.R. 803 includes the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act. Initially introduced in 2019 by Sen. Bennet and Rep. Neguse, the widely popular bill passed in the U.S. House twice with bipartisan support in the 116th Congress, and the bill remains largely unchanged, covering portions of the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado, the Curecanti National Recreation Area near Gunnison, the Thompson Divide southwest of Glenwood Springs and the Continental Divide surrounding the WWII alpine training grounds at Camp Hale. The proposed legislation would protect critical cold water streams, enhance high-value habitat for several species of wildlife and increase public access for anglers in some of Colorado’s premier fisheries.
A recent TU analysis of fish and wildlife habitat protected in the bill’s framework found that the CORE Act safeguards some 2,416 miles of streams, 100 miles of native cutthroat trout stream habitat, 12 cutthroat trout lakes spanning 804 acres, nearly 7 miles of Gold Medal fishing water and an additional 88 miles of Gold Medal waters downstream of protected headwater landscapes. The bill would also open about 12 miles of critical elk and mule deer range and nearly 100,000 acres of important migration corridors at a time when both the State and Federal government have prioritized protecting animal migration routes.
The CORE Act moves next to the Senate where it is supported by both of our senators, Bennet and Hickenlooper.
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/