Cold Water Delivered to the Wise and Big Hole Rivers

Courtesy of Western Rivers Conservancy

Eagle Rock Ranch, Wise River, Montana

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.

Colorado Gives Day is Tuesday, December 5th

While we missed the deadline to join Colorado Gives 365 Platform this year (sorry!), we are encouraging our friends, members and supporters to donate on-line to CCTU at our web site.

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.

Notes About the CTU Rendezvous in October

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

October Meeting Recap - Mike Geary from Healing Waters Lodge, MT

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://bhwc.org/

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!

Cutthroat Chapter Leads The Way on Gill Trail Repairs

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!

Cheesman Canyon Will Need Our Help, Again

Devastating rain event in Cheesman Canyon on July 31st is just the latest traumatizing event to hit this section of the cherished South Platte River.

An updaTe from the blue quill angler

Click the link above to get Pat Dorsey’s home shop’s current take on the wash and what action they’re taking.

Volunteer and Communications Sign Up Form.

CCTU Board members Scott Tampa and Meg Renton were enjoying a day in the Cheesman Canyon section of the South Platte River with their favorite guide, long-time chapter member and supporter, Pat Dorsey. The day progressed normally until a particularly dark sky approached and caused the group to seek shelter while the storm passed. Unfortunately, this storm really packed a wallop and dropped 2.5” inches of rain in a short time. As the group watched helplessly, they saw the hillside running down beside their refuge and into the river turning its normally crystal clear water into that heavy mocha you drink in the morning. In some places, the path of the river was permanently altered due to the incredible amount of hillside that was rushed into the river. The group of anglers eventually made it safely back to the parking lot but not before observing and navigating entirely washed away sections of the Gill Trail.

As you may be aware, many of our Cutthroat Chapter members frequent this section of the South Platte River and we consider it our home waters. Because of that, Colorado Trout Unlimited has reached out to us as a de facto point of contact for what will surely be a herculean effort to repair the Gill Trail and restore the Cheesman Canyon section of the South Platte River.

If you are interested in providing manual labor at any point in this sure-to-be lengthy project, please fill out the form below and we’ll reach out for help once there is a formal plan and direction.

Volunteer and Communications Sign Up Form.

If you’re interested in reading more about the event, Nicholas Hunt wrote a quick piece in 5280 Magazine that you can read.

Remnants of the Gill Trail leading into Cheesman Canyon after the July 31 rain event

Some of the debris that the rain event of July 31 brought down into the Cheesman Canyon Section of the South Platte River

More of the debris that the rain event of July 31 flushed into the Cheesman Canyon Section of the South Platte River

The True Cast - Is It About Fishing Or Conservation?

I get asked fairly often if Trout Unlimited is a “conservation” entity, or an organization rooted in “fishing for trout.”

Because throughout my entire lifetime of fishing, writing and advocating for the environment, the most abundantly clear lesson I have learned is that you cannot have one without the other. 

Another wonderful article from Kirk Deeter about one of his most dreaded questions. Read the whole thing here:

The True Cast - Is It About Fishing Or Conservation?

Check it out and maybe we can talk about it the next time we meet.

Crystal Lake Trip Needs Volunteers - June 29th

Every year, the Cutthroat Chapter along with Project Healing Waters host a trip for disabled veterans for a day of fishing on Crystal Lake. This year’s event will take place on June 29th and our organizer and long time CCTU member, Richard Pilatzke, is requesting additional volunteers. In the past, the event has started by meeting at a carpool location (yet to be determined) at 7am, traveling to Crystal Lake and then hosting the veterans.

If you can help out in any way, please reach out to:

Richard Pilatzke via email (rhpiscator@aol.com) or phone, 303.979.8425.

Bear Creek Park on Earth Day 2023

Earth Day 2023 and 15 members of your Cutthroat Chapter of Trout Unlimited (CCTU) were at Bear Creek Park in Lakewood to assist in planting well over 1000 plants. The annual project started with the CCTU Board approving a $3,000 donation to the City of Lakewood to purchase plants as a part of our long term effort to partner with the city and help Bear Creek become a better river for fish and other aquatic species.

We awoke on Saturday morning, April 22nd to below freezing temperatures and snow! But, our volunteers arrived dressed for the weather and ready to work planting a variety of plants from large cottonwoods to small sedges around the lake and along Bear Creek. This year the project planted closer to the parking lot supporting the improvements the City has under contract to include a new bridge and improved trails.

By noon all the plants were in the ground and surrounded by wire fence to prevent people from walking on them as well as attempting to prevent deer, beaver and other animals from snacking. A short walk downstream to the work we have done in years past and the fruits of our labor were evident. The trees are established and this year’s leaves are starting to bud.

Despite the weather being more like winter than spring, a good time was had by all and a lot of work was done in a short amount of time. Finally, we are happy to report that no one fell into the creek!

Fueling up before we begin the day’s work.

Some of the trees that were planted.

Tools for the day

Most of the CCTU participants ready to get to work!

Receiving our instructions for all the various plantings we would complete.

Some of the work being done.

A well-deserved lunch and finally, a little sun to finish the day!

2023 Cutthroat Chapter Trout Unlimited Conservationist of the Year – Cyndy Scholz

Congratulations to Cyndy Scholz, the CCTU Volunteer of the Year for 2023. Cyndy has been a visible volunteer for Cutthroat Chapter, always willing to teach others conservation and fly-fishing skills. She was instrumental in leading STREAM Girls activities for the Chapter, participated in our conservation events, and ran entomology sessions for CTU TroutFest. Cyndy also volunteers as the Education Director for Colorado Women Flyfishers. Thank you Cyndy for all you do!  Cyndy was presented with a token of chapter appreciation during our January 2024 meeting, which will fund a small shopping trip to our local Orvis store.