Colorado Trout UnlimitedYear in Review2010

2 | | 3 Colorado Trout Unlimited 2010 Year In Review

Colorado TU State Council OfficersSinjin Eberle, PresidentRick Matsumoto, Vice-PresidentRandy Kittelson, SecretaryJay Boak, TreasurerKen Neubecker, Past President

Colorado TU State Council Staff & ContractorsDavid Nickum, Executive DirectorErica Stock, Outreach DirectorJohn Gamble, Administrative AssistantJen Boulton, Legislative LiaisonDr. John Woodling, Water Quality ConsultantNick Hoover, Web Development and Design Consultant

TU Western Water Project StaffDrew Peternell, Colorado Water Project DirectorRob Firth, Colorado River Headwaters Project CoordinatorBrian Hodge, Yampa/White River Basin Project CoordinatorCary Denison, Gunnison River Basin CoordinatorMely Whiting, Legal CounselDavid Stillwell, Office and Internal Communications ManagerRandy Scholfield, Communications DirectorJohn Gerstle, Technical Advisor

TU Sportsmen’s Conservation Project StaffSteve Kandell, Sportsmen’s Conservation Project DirectorAaron Kindle, Colorado Field CoordinatorTy Churchwell, Backcountry Coordinator, Alpine TriangleMatthew Clark, Backcountry Coordinator, Dolores River Basin Greg Moore, Communications SpecialistShane Cross, Western Energy Counsel

TU Watershed Restoration StaffElizabeth Russell, Mine Restoration Project Manager

Colorado TU Land Protection StaffChris Herrman, Colorado Plateau Land Protection Coordinator

Colorado Trout Unlimited works

to conserve, protect, and restore

Colorado’s coldwater fisheries

and their watersheds. Through

cooperation, collaboration,

grassroots advocacy, and education

Trout Unlimited seeks to ensure

that robust populations of native

and wild coldwater fish once again

thrive across Colorado, so that our

children can enjoy healthy fisheries

in their home waters.

Mission & Vision

Colorado’s beautiful streams, striking prairie vistas, and stunningly majestic mountains are special places because they inspire us to do special things. Kids remember their first night camping under the stars. Young adults remember biking the same trails they were cross-country skiing on just a few months earlier. Grandparents remember the river where they taught their grand kids how to fish.

Many of these places are threatened by irresponsible land development, oil and gas drilling, and water use.

For over 40 years, Colorado Trout Unlimited has been working to conserve, protect, and restore Colorado’s rivers and their watersheds. But for as long as we have been at it, and as strong and smart as we may

be, the job of protecting Colorado’s rivers is bigger than one organization can handle – the threats are too real, the magnitude is too great. That is why the partnership and collaboration that we enjoy, especially within the realm of Trout Unlimited, is so vital to our success.

I sometimes think of local rivers as a three-legged stool. The river itself is the seat, supported by three legs, with the community, the economy of the area, and the volunteers who tend to the stream’s health each comprising a leg of the stool. If any one of those legs is not standing strong, the stool, and by extension the river, loses its support and tumbles.

One could think of Trout Unlimited in Colorado in the same way – we have a strong local grassroots community with 23 chapters and nearly 10,000 members statewide, a vibrant and increasingly active state council, and the most National TU staffers working on the ground in any state outside of Washington, D.C. It’s the willingness of these three legs of the organization to join hands and work together that makes Colorado so effective and our reach and respect so broad.

Collaborations like the Gunnison Gorge Anglers (among others) working with the Alpine Triangle Campaign, or the Colorado River Headwaters Chapter working hand-in-hand with Colorado TU and the Colorado Water Project to defend the Fraser and the Upper Colorado Rivers. Or the multi-dimensional efforts revving up in the White and Yampa River Basins, where state, local, and National TU are working together on energy, private land, and river reconnection projects, and has led to a new chapter in the Steamboat Springs area. These are just a few examples of something that seems so basic…working together.

Between the energy and involvement of the chapters, the savvy and experience of the state council, and the expertise and dedication of National TU staff, Colorado TU has had a banner year in terms of the number of accomplishments, the rise in member involvement, and the strategic importance of the successes. As you read this year’s Annual Report, I hope you feel some pride in being a part of this success, because it certainly does not happen without you.

But we are not content. There is much to do and the challenges that we face in 2011 are significant – the Upper Colorado Campaign will come to a head, litigation in defense of the Roan Plateau likely will be decided, the Roadless Rule will probably be completed, and the Over The River project’s fate will be determined. All of these issues are being directed by a strong, smart, and collaborative group of people, in Colorado, working for Colorado. Because at the end of the day, wherever you might be, we are all Colorado TU.

Sinjin Eberle

President

Year In ReviewColorado TU

Alpine Anglers – Estes Park

Boulder Flycasters – Boulder

Cherry Creek Anglers – Aurora

Cheyenne Mountain – Colorado Springs

Collegiate Peaks Anglers – Salida/Buena Vista

Colorado River Headwaters – Grand County

Cutthroat – Littleton

Denver – Denver

Eagle Valley – Eagle

Evergreen – Evergreen

Ferdinand Hayden – Aspen/Glenwood Springs

Five Rivers – Durango/Cortez

Gore Range – Summit County

Grand Valley Anglers – Grand Junction

Gunnison Angling Society – Gunnison

Gunnison Gorge Anglers – Delta/Montrose

Purgatoire River Anglers – Trinidad

Rocky Mountain Flycasters – Fort Collins/Greeley

San Luis Valley – Alamosa

Southern Colorado Greenbacks – Pueblo

St. Vrain Anglers – Longmont

West Denver – Lakewood

Yampa Valley Flyfishers – Steamboat

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A Strategic Approach To Coldwater Fisheries Conservation

Founded in 1969, Colorado

TU is Colorado’s leading non-

profit, grassroots sportsmen’s

conservation organization providing

a voice for Colorado’s rivers.

Colorado TU leverages the power

of its 10,000 members from

23 chapters who contribute over

55,000 volunteer hours annually

to restoration, education, and

advocacy, equivalent to the power

of 26 full-time staff.

Our Vision is Simple – by the next generation, Colorado TU will ensure that robust populations of native and wild coldwater fish once again thrive throughout Colorado, so that our children and grandchildren can enjoy healthy fisheries in their home waters.

Colorado TU’s Coldwater Conservation Strategy

Protect

high quality habitat for native and wild coldwater fish and maintain free flowing rivers;

Reconnect

fragmented fish populations and habitats by restoring flows to dewatered rivers and re-opening fish passage;

Restore

watersheds by working in collaboration with sportsmen and women, other non-profit and governmental organizations, as well as private landowners, to preserve and improve the quality of habitats that support coldwater fish; and

Sustain

the efforts of our volunteers and supporters by inspiring a strong conservation ethic in the next generation of river stewards through hands-on, field-based opportunities that foster awareness of the connections between Colorado’s trout, water resources, and the environment.

Our Vision Colorado TU Chapters

Photo by San Juan Citizens Alliance

| 7 Colorado Trout Unlimited 2010 Year In Review6 |

River Protection

Keep The Colorado River Headwaters Alive For the past 5 years, Colorado TU and our grassroots chapters across the state have

worked tirelessly to protect the Colorado River Headwaters from two proposed water supply projects – the Moffat and the Windy Gap Firming Projects. These projects collectively threaten to reduce river flows to less than a quarter of their historic levels, leaving in limbo the future health of the fish, wildlife and local West Slope communities that depend on the Upper Colorado River and tributaries like the Fraser River.

Through on-the-ground grassroots leadership provided by Colorado TU’s Colorado River Headwaters Chapter and with technical support provided by Colorado TU staff and partners, hundreds of concerned West Slope and Front Range residents mobilized to express their concerns about the potential effects of both projects on the Fraser and Colorado Rivers.

Through passionate testimony at over 6 public meetings and thousands of personal letters and emails to federal agencies, Colorado Wildlife Commissioners, and water providers, Coloradoans across the state demanded adequate protections and mitigation measures to ensure their children and grandchildren can continue enjoying the bounty and recreation opportunities provided by a healthy Colorado River.

As the final mitigation plans and permit requirements for each project are reviewed by state and federal agencies, the focus throughout 2011 will be to continue educating and mobilizing concerned citizens in support of measures to strike a balance between meeting water supply needs and protecting the health of the Colorado River.

Colorado TU will also work directly with state and federal agencies, Wildlife Commissioners and water providers to advocate for specific, science-based solutions and mitigation measures that can preserve trout populations and the fragile ecosystems found throughout the Colorado River Headwaters.

Colorado TU released a new video, “Tapped Out: The Upper Colorado on the Brink,” which highlights the damage inflicted on the Fraser and Upper Colorado River system by past diversions and the serious threats posed by expansions of those water systems. See the video and Upper Colorado River campaign page at www.defendthecolorado.org

Dry Gulch VictoryTU scored a major victory in 2010, negotiating a final settlement in a multi-year controversy over the proposed Dry Gulch Reservoir and Pumping Station project near Pagosa Springs. The reservoir and diversion project threatened San Juan River flows and prized trout habitat, and for many years TU had argued that the Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District and the San Juan Water Conservancy District were claiming far more water for the project than any legitimate future need for Archuleta County and the Pagosa Springs community. TU twice appealed a water court’s decision to award water rights for the project, arguing that the water districts were improperly speculating in their predictions of population growth. In both instances, the Colorado Supreme Court sided with TU and denied the water rights for the project.

In December 2010, TU struck a deal with the Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District and the San Juan Water Conservancy District. Under the agreement, the Dry Gulch project would be dramatically downsized, and the districts would divert from the San Juan River less than a tenth of the amount of water they originally proposed.

“This is a victory for the San Juan River,” Drew Peternell, director of TU’s Colorado Water Project, said after the settlement was reached. “The original application could have been devastating to fish habitat and the river ecosystem, but now we have a settlement that balances the districts’ need for water with the health of the San Juan.”

Protecting The Roaring Fork River From Hydroelectric Development

The Ferdinand Hayden Chapter began working with local stakeholders to ensure a newly proposed hydroelectric project is completed responsibly – without dewatering two important tributaries of the Roaring Fork River, Castle and Maroon Creeks. As proposed by the City of Aspen, the project threatens to drastically cut flows creating concerns for trout and other recreational users.

Ensuring Responsible Expansion Of The Halligan-Seaman Reservoirs

Colorado TU staff and volunteers from the Rocky Mountain Flycasters TU Chapter continued to participate in the “Shared Vision Planning” process for the proposed expansions of Halligan and Seaman Reservoirs in the Cache la Poudre watershed. “Shared Vision Planning” is a new collaborative approach to water development in which environmental interests are brought in from the beginning, seeking ways in which a project can provide not only water supply but also environmental and recreational benefits.

Program Overview

Many rivers and streams in

Colorado are heavily depleted

and lack the flows necessary to

sustain healthy populations of

fish and wildlife. Trout Unlimited

believes that we can both meet our

water needs and sustain healthy

river ecosystems, but to do so we

must strike a balance between

development and protection. To this

end, Trout Unlimited advocates for

sensible policies that keep water

in Colorado’s rivers, while ensuring

a reliable water supply to farms,

ranches, homes, and businesses

across our state.

New River Protection Staff Hired Colorado TU expanded its on-the-ground stream restoration work in Colorado by hiring three new field-based staff through the Colorado Water Project: Brian Hodge (pictured) in the Yampa/White River Basin, Rob Firth in the Upper Colorado River Basin, and Cary Denison in the Gunnison Basin. They will collaborate with private landowners, agency staff and local Colorado TU chapters on projects to protect, reconnect, and restore streams and implement agreements with irrigators that benefit both agricultural operations and trout habitat.

Notes From The Field Rob Firth, Colorado River Headwaters Project Coordinator, Trout Unlimited

“To have witnessed the decline of the Upper Colorado River has been eye-opening and disheartening. When the opportunity to join TU in the fight to protect this river presented itself – I jumped at the chance! With TU staff and the local Headwaters Chapter devoting so much time and energy into protecting the Upper Colorado, I know that this magnificent fishery will be restored once again.”

Photo by Sinjin Eberle

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Program Overview

The benefits of Colorado TU’s

conservation efforts and restoration

work can be undone in a single

generation if future stewards fail

to understand the value of healthy

river ecosystems. To ensure healthy

rivers and watersheds are sustained

for future generations, Trout

Unlimited’s Youth Conservation

Education Program focuses on

cultivating a strong, life-long

conservation ethic in Colorado’s

young people by providing hands-

on, field-based opportunities that

foster awareness of the connections

between Colorado’s trout, water

resources, the environment, and

themselves.

Youth Conservation Fly Fishing Camps With support from local chapters, students ages 14-18 from across Colorado participated

in Colorado TU’s Annual River Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp at Beaver Run Ranch in Aspen, Colorado. From snorkel surveys to water quality sampling, campers were instructed on the principles of ecology and the importance of coldwater conservation while also learning the basics of fly fishing.

The Rocky Mountain Flycasters TU Chapter held its first annual week-long summer day camp for youth. Chapter volunteers taught campers basic casting and fly-tying techniques and local resource managers provided a variety of hands-on conservation lessons through a special field restoration project, electro-fishing, snorkel surveying, and workshops on a variety of topics from entomology to invasive species.

Trout In The Classroom Through the Trout in the Classroom program, students attending participating schools

raise trout from eggs to fry, engage in water quality and habitat studies, and release their trout into state-approved waters near their school. In its 2nd year, Trout in the Classroom launched four new program sites at Woodland Park High School, Bayfield Middle School, Windsor High School, and Centaurus High School. Students from the existing Trout in the Classroom program at Thompson Valley High School released their first trout during the spring of 2010.

Colorado TU’s 23 chapters statewide volunteer regularly with youth. They conduct fly fishing workshops, field days and in-school programs to teach students about their home watersheds.

Energy

Program Overview

Over the past century,

traditional oil, gas, and

coal extraction has taken

a toll on Colorado’s rivers,

wildlife, and landscapes.

Today, with one of the

largest oil shale reserves

in the world, Colorado

remains a hotbed for oil

and gas exploration and

development. Even as our

state moves toward more

renewable sources of energy

like wind, solar, hydropower,

and geothermal, threats

to native trout ecosystems

remain. Colorado TU works

with energy development

companies, state and federal

agencies, elected officials,

and local stakeholder groups

to advocate for balanced

energy solutions – those

that allow Colorado to

meet its energy needs

while protecting native

fish, irreplaceable river

ecosystems and human

health.

Balancing Energy Development On The Roan PlateauColorado TU and other conservation partners, represented by pro-bono counsel Earthjuistice, continued to challenge an ill-conceived plan for oil and gas development atop the Roan Plateau that lacks appropriate measures to protect the Roan’s unique wildlife habitat and native cutthroat trout populations. After extensive efforts to seek settlement, talks ultimately broke down and the case now awaits a final ruling from the Federal District Court. Fortunately, leases on the Roan remain suspended so that drilling cannot begin while the case proceeds. Colorado TU will continue to advocate for a more responsible approach to developing the Roan, in which greater use of directional drilling allows extraction of natural gas without disturbing sensitive watersheds and the unique native Colorado River Cutthroat trout fisheries they support.

Advocating For “Low Impact” HydropowerColorado TU has continued to encourage low-impact approaches to developing hydroelectric power. Built and operated appropriately, hydropower can maintain healthy, connected river systems while generating renewable energy – but poorly designed and operated hydropower facilities can dewater rivers and decimate fisheries. Working with the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO), Colorado TU has encouraged programs which take advantage of existing water facilities to generate hydropower – allowing increased energy production without adding additional impacts to Colorado’s streams. The GEO recently established a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (the federal agency which issues hydropower licenses), to help ease the process for permitting small, low-impact hydropower generation on existing water infrastructure such as pipelines and ditches.

Promoting Responsible Oil & Gas Development Colorado TU successfully prevented several oil and gas lease sales near critical Colorado River

Cutthroat Trout streams including parcels within the roadless backcountry of both the Routt and White River National Forests.

Colorado TU mobilized its grassroots membership in support of federal legislation like the Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources Act (CLEAR Act) that encouraged responsible energy development in Colorado and throughout the nation while protecting our rivers, lakes and waterways from pollution. The CLEAR Act also called for full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund which provides financial support to help maintain important national, state and local parks and publicly accessible rivers.

Colorado TU began building a coalition in the White River Basin to create a Sportsmen’s vision for energy development that safeguards fish and wildlife.

Youth Conservation Education

Notes from the Field Dennis Cook, Rocky Mountain Flycasters Chapter Member and Colorado TU Chapter Development Committee Chairman

“I like helping young people learn to enjoy the outdoors and fly fishing as much as I do, and to see nature as a lifelong interest. Today there are so many distractions that they too rarely experience these pleasures. If we don’t help our youth appreciate and respect the natural outdoors, who will take care of our rivers in the years ahead?”

Energy Photos by E. Jerome Ryden

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Native Trout Public Lands

Using Science To Restore Native TroutTrouble distinguishing the genetic differences between two of Colorado’s closely related native trout species - Colorado River cutthroat and Greenback cutthroat - and difficulty determining their native ranges have slowed restoration efforts to a standstill. To help solve these mysteries, Colorado TU and the Cheyenne Mountain TU Chapter have contributed to an interagency partnership study that includes the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Colorado Division of Wildlife, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife conducted through the University of Colorado that is examining historic samples – some over 100 years old – to determine the genetic strains that were found in Colorado before other trout stocking took place. Information from the study will help define what fish are appropriate to use for restoration projects in watersheds on both sides of the Continental Divide.

Raising Awareness For Colorado’s Native TroutYoung Colorado TU members launched a group called ‘The Greenbacks’ to raise awareness and funding for native trout restoration in Colorado. To date, the group has hosted two successful events – a film festival and photography exhibit – raising nearly $10,000 for native fish conservation and engaging hundreds of young people in Colorado TU’s work.

Restoring Native Trout Habitat In The Poudre River HeadwatersColorado TU continued its effort toward a collaborative project in the Poudre headwaters with Northern Colorado irrigators (Water Supply and Storage Company – WSSC), state agencies, and local governments. The proposed partnership would work to restore native trout across nearly 40 miles of connected streams in Rocky Mountain National Park and adjacent National Forest lands – the largest such project in Colorado history.

Trapper Creek/Parachute Creek Projects On RoanCombining financial support from energy companies, the national TU Embrace-a-Stream program, and volunteer manpower from the Grand Valley Anglers Chapter - Colorado TU helped plant hundreds of new willows along Trapper Creek on the Roan Plateau. Trapper Creek supports a rare population of pure Colorado River cutthroat trout; recent fencing along the stream protects it from grazing livestock and allows for restoration of a healthier riparian environment.

Program Overview

Colorado was once home to four

native subspecies of cutthroat

trout, but years of habitat decline,

overfishing, and competition and

interbreeding with introduced

species have led to the extinction

of the Yellowfin cutthroat and

have left the other natives –

Greenback, Colorado River, and

Rio Grande cutthroats – at serious

risk. Through partnership projects

to reclaim and improve habitats

and reintroduce native fish to

appropriate waters, Colorado TU is

helping to secure a future for these

original Coloradoans.

Mobilize Citizen Support For Roadless Protection Roadless areas provide some of the best places to hunt and fish throughout the west. To protect

these important places, Colorado TU works with diverse groups of recreationists, sportsmen, private industry, local communities, and government agencies to identify places where development and vehicle use is appropriate, and places where such activity can harm fish and wildlife.

Colorado TU worked in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to help implement the Legacy Roads and Trails Program, which is intended to reduce road and trail impacts to watersheds and aquatic ecosystems by decommissioning unneeded roads, removing fish passage barriers, and addressing critical repair and maintenance needs.

Colorado TU continues to mobilize citizens and work with resource managers and elected representatives to help secure major improvements in the management of Colorado’s roadless areas through the state’s Roadless Rule.

Protecting The Headwaters Of Gold Medal Fisheries Situated at the headwaters of three trophy trout rivers – the Animas, Lake Fork of the Gunnison

and Uncompahgre – the 186,000 acre Alpine Triangle is one of Colorado’s most important economic, historic and recreational resources. As a founding member of the Alpine Triangle Coalition, Colorado TU is working side-by-side with sportsmen and women, local communities, federal agencies, local business owners, and other recreation users on a collaborative effort to protect the heart of the San Juan Mountains for the benefit of future generations.

The Alpine Triangle Coalition is comprised of nearly 2,000 members and is supported by approximately 40 local and regional businesses.

To raise awareness for the importance of continued protections for the Alpine Triangle, Colorado TU staff worked with Field and Stream magazine to produce a feature article included in the publication’s “Best Wild Places” series.

A new website www.alpinetriangle.com and facebook group “Friends of the Alpine Triangle” were launched to serve as a clearinghouse for information related to the Alpine Triangle Coalition.

Building Collaborative Coalitions In The Dolores River BasinBoasting views of southwest Colorado’s San Juan Mountains that rise to lofty heights of over 14,000 feet, a multitude of working ranches and farms, excellent cutthroat trout, elk and deer habitat, and vibrant communities, the Dolores Basin is truly a one-of-a-kind place. This largely intact western landscape is home to incredible hunting and fishing, as well as infinite recreational opportunities ranging from rafting and kayaking to hiking, cycling, ORV riding and even sailing and water skiing on McPhee Reservoir. Additionally, it’s an area vital to local agricultural and ranching interests, and is essential for downstream water supply and water quality. From the top of the drainage to the bottom, the Dolores Basin is a paradise that deserves to be kept the way it is.

To help protect this landscape for a variety of recreation uses long into the future, Colorado TU initiated a community-wide discussion about how to protect the sporting, economic, and recreational values in the upper watershed. These conversations helped build a new coalition, ‘Sportsmen for the Dolores’ (www.upperdolores.com), that will continue an open dialogue about protecting the values and resources of our public lands and promote a wise land use plan that values traditional multiple backcountry uses.

Newly hired Backcountry Coordinator Matt Clark and other Colorado TU staff worked in conjunction with the local Dolores River Anglers TU Sub-chapter to identify and initiate stream restoration projects on small tributaries of the Dolores River that contain native Colorado cutthroat populations.

Working closely with the U.S. Forest Service, other conservation organizations, local citizens, and OHV groups, Colorado TU worked to create balanced and responsible travel management plans in the San Juan National Forest that preserve this special place for future generations while continuing to allow diverse recreational activities.

Notes From The Field Nick Hoover, Co-Founder of The Greenbacks & Cutthroat TU Chapter member

“The Greenbacks were formed to build community through conservation with the goal of promoting native fish restoration and preservation in Colorado. We give younger members the opportunity to engage with Colorado TU in fun and diverse ways. We’re also helping to develop the next round of leadership from within Trout Unlimited and we’re having a good time while we do it.”

Program Overview

Headwaters streams and

intact wilderness areas

on public lands are quite

literally the last refuges for

many native trout. They

sustain rare fish populations,

while providing a reliable

source of cold, clean water

to our rivers, a function

that becomes even more

important during periods

of warming. TU field staff,

Colorado TU and local TU

chapters work together

with local communities

to maintain protection for

Colorado’s valuable network

of public forests, wilderness,

and parks – places that

provide some of the best

hunting, fishing, hiking and

camping in the country.

| 13 Colorado Trout Unlimited 2010 Year In Review12 |

Water Quality Legislative Advocacy

Program Overview

Congress and the state

legislature are critical forums

where laws are made that

affect our rivers. A single

bad law can counter the

benefits of dozens of on-

the-ground efforts, while a

good law can open valuable

opportunities for river

conservation. To maximize

our ability to conserve,

protect and restore

watersheds throughout our

state, Colorado TU works

with decision-makers at

the state capitol and in

Washington D.C. promoting

balanced, common sense

policies that ensure

Colorado’s rivers and public

lands remain healthy for

future generations.

Colorado TU is the only sportsmen’s conservation organization that maintains a full-time legislative advocate at the State Capitol during the General Assembly. Combined with the power of our grassroots membership – activists who contact their legislators on critical issues – Colorado TU provides a respected and effective voice for river and watershed protection at the legislature.

2010 was a good year for smart water bills under the Capitol dome. A package of bills to promote a variety of water conservation strategies was passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Ritter. Additionally, Colorado TU secured legislation encouraging low-impact hydropower and defeated a bill to weaken the ability of the Division of Wildlife to acquire lands for habitat and hunting and fishing access. Colorado TU and our allies scored important victories on our top legislative priorities, making 2010 a highly successful session for river and watershed conservation. Together, we:

Promoted Wise Water Use. Colorado TU and its conservation partners secured passage of three important bills to encourage greater conservation of water, helping keep more water in Colorado’s streams. Combined, these measures represent a significant step forward in promoting wise water use. HB 1051 requires water providers to present annual information on the amount of water being saved through their water conservation plans, and outline strategies that must be considered under their plans. SB 25 extends the state water efficiency grant program to support water efficiency and conservation programs. HB 1358 requires new home builders to offer water-smart options such as installation of water-efficient fixtures and xeriscaping.

Advocated For Reasonable Hydropower. SB 19 was intended to change how hydropower plants are valued for property tax purposes. Colorado TU worked with bill sponsors to apply this change to lower-impact hydropower projects only – those that take advantage of water already moved for other purposes and do not take more water from Colorado’s streams. It represents the first low-impact hydropower standard in Colorado law, encouraging renewable energy in a way that also protects streams.

Protected Funding For Trout Habitat & Access. Working with the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Colorado TU helped defeat HB 1361, a bill that would have created significant new obstacles to acquiring lands with habitat stamp funds. Land purchases made by Colorado DOW using habitat stamp funds contributed by hunters and anglers are very valuable in protecting habitat and in providing hunting and fishing access.

Securing Funding For Local River & Public Lands Conservation Since the 1970’s, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, funded through oil and gas royalties

that are collected for permission to drill/develop on public lands, has provided resources to communities, state, and federal agencies to establish and maintain public parks across the country. Many of these projects also pay for locally-led stream restoration efforts throughout Colorado. While this program has provided millions of dollars to local communities to establish and maintain healthy rivers and access to public lands through offshore oil and gas leasing revenues, it has rarely received full funding. During 2010, Colorado TU mobilized its grassroots members in support of various attempts by Congress to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund including the Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources (CLEAR) Act.

Program Overview

Water quality is one of the most

basic indicators of watershed

health. The availability of cold,

clean water is essential for trout,

wildlife, and human health.

Unfortunately, water quality in

many of Colorado’s river basins

has declined due to widespread

development – from water diversion

projects that reduce flows, to

streamside mining and urban

runoff. Colorado TU works to

improve water quality in Colorado’s

rivers and streams by advocating

for water quality standards that

sustain diverse aquatic life in the

Arkansas, Rio Grande, Colorado,

Yampa, Platte, Gunnison, and

San Juan basins.

Monitoring Water Quality Through RiverWatch Through RiverWatch, a collaborative effort between Colorado TU, the Colorado

Watershed Assembly, and the Colorado Division of Wildlife, volunteers from 6 Trout Unlimited chapters helped collect baseline data on streams and rivers across the state. RiverWatch is designed to provide policy-makers and agencies with high quality water ecosystem data to guide informed decisions.

The Cutthroat Chapter, Cheyenne Mountain Chapter, Colorado River Headwaters Chapter, West Denver Trout Unlimited, Five Rivers Chapter, and Collegiate Peaks Chapter con-ducted monitoring on Clear Creek, Bear Creek, Severy Creek, South Platte River, Arkansas River and the Fraser River among others, logging hundreds of volunteer hours moni-toring their home waters.

Keeping Colorado’s Rivers CleanBeyond monitoring, protection of water quality requires effective advocacy before the Water Quality Control Commission to ensure that Colorado’s rivers are protected by strong, science-based standards. In 2010, Colorado TU and its partners worked with the Commission in its “Basic Standards” review – setting baseline standards that protect water quality statewide. Among the major issues addressed in this revision of the standards:

Dissolved oxygen standards were proposed that didn’t consider the needs of fish species that occur at greater depths than two meters – such as trout and especially lake trout. Colorado TU helped secure language recognizing the need to look at oxygen levels at greater depths where fish rely on those deeper-water habitats.

Colorado TU helped limit proposed measures that provide loopholes and exemptions for polluters.

The Commission adopted more protective zinc standards to help protect sculpin (and in the process strengthened protection for trout as well).

Mining interests proposed a number of measures to weaken metal standards; in each case, Colorado TU either achieved an acceptable compromise or defeated the proposal altogether.

Notes From The Field Bill Honeyfield, Cutthroat TU Chapter

“Fish need cold, clean water to survive. I participate in the River Watch program to help Colorado agencies monitor and maintain the health of our rivers. As an added bonus, it’s fun!”

Photo by Mark LancePhoto by Tim Romano

| 15 Colorado Trout Unlimited 2010 Year In Review14 |

2010 Financials Colorado TU Donors

Why I Give Michael McGoldrick,River Stewardship Council member and former Colorado TU Treasurer

“When I serve as a volunteer for a cause such as Colorado TU, giving financially seems a natural correlative to me. I know the cause, the people and I understand the mission, so giving as generously as I can just makes sense.”

Why We Give Glen & Jackie Edwards, West Denver TU Chapter“For years we have provided volunteer and financial support to Colorado Trout Unlimited. Colorado TU helps us protect our beloved Rocky Mountain streams for our grand kids and future generations.”

RIVER STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL, $1,200+Jerry ArnoldR.A. BeattieJay BoakBob BushLarry BusseyRobert CollinsChris CrosbyChett CrossMichael DelaneySinjin EberleJohn & Denise FrontczakCaleb & Sidney GatesBill HankinsonDikran KashkashianJay KenneySharon LanceRick MatsumotoMichael McGoldrickRobert & Marcie MusserChuck OhmerGary & Ivy ParishRay SamuelsonElizabeth SerniakJames StevensDennis Swanson

CENTURY CLUB, $100+John AaronScott AllenSean AndersonSmoky AndersonDouglas AndrewsDan & Mary ArmourRichard & Marshall,ArnoldRobert AsmuthBrandon BacaStephen BaileyByron BairdC.B. BairdTodd BaizeDavid BakerJim BarbourMatthew BatesTom BaumlerJames BeasleyEric BeebyAnne BeerChuck BellockPaul BenedettiPhilip BeranatoRichard BirdBrett BirkyWillard BissellBrent BlackMaurice BlackmonJim BlugermanAndrew BondJohn BorstG.C. & A.L. BowenBrendan BowlerDouglas BrownMyles BrownRobin BrownDennis BrunerStephanie BuchholtzJohn BullingtonJames BunchJoe CannonCharlton CarpenterScott CarpenterPatrick and Susan CarrJohn CarronMason CarterCarl Chambers

Jeff ChandlerL. Shawn CheadleAnthony (Tony) ChelfDavid ClarkJames ClarkMark & Judy ColeTim & Anne CollinsDennis CookKen CoorsDavid CorkillSteve CraigMac CunninghamPaul D’AmatoRodney DavisJeffrey DeanTerrence DeatonRoger DeKloeBruce & Donna DickinsonMark DicksonAustin DieckmannReed & Karen DilsCourt DixonDavid DonaldsonJohn DoningerRichard DoucetteDan DowningJim DreisbachH. Benjamin Duke IIIThomas DwyerGlen & Jackie EdwardsDavid EitemillerJohn ElginFred EllerCarole and Edward EnglerMichael EnglhardChristopher EriksenTerry EscamillaEdward EstlowGreg EvansJustin EverettDouglas FancherSally FantTodd FehrDavid FerroKyle FinkRichard FinlonJerome FirpoSteven FitzgeraldEric France, M.D.Charles FraserJohn & Dana FrazeeThaddeus GabreskiTracy GallowayJohn GambleHarvey GatesGerald GavendaThomas GhidossiKen & Ann GillisBurton GolubRoy GoodwinRobert GrayThomas GregoryKerry GubitsRobert GuthmillerBrian HaanJohn HarrisJohn HaunCharlene HeinsJudith HenningAnne HensarlingChris HerrmanJohn HiggsJ. Roger HillRon HoenningerDavid HoffStephen HolickKendall H. HolmCharlie Horn

Larry HoweMarcia & Dennis HultJames ImparaMichael IngoRichard G. IsenbergerRalph JacobsonHoward JenkinsRobert JenkinsIsaac JironRobert JohannesCraig JohnsonSam & Ann JohnsonShawn JohnsonTina JohnsonAlan JonesDonald JonesElise JonesTom JonesHenry Kahanek John KarpanBruce KautzAnthony KayJerry KernisJohn KeyserKimberly KirkendollMichael Kish, DMDBenji KitagawaHenry & Ann KlaimanKirk KlanckeRichard KnackendoffelKurt KoeglerRichard KohlerWalter & Mary KoozinNicholas KosmickiStephen KozakSteve KramerRandall KryszakJim KubichekRichard KuehsterDon LambBruce LamborneRichard LandonBerle LarnedAllan LarsonDuane LarsonDavid LawsDennis LeonettiGarth LewisJosh LeyPhyllis LormanJames MackRon MaclachlanStephen MacyJohn MankusClyde ManningJay MarksJoseph MarrBill Mastre Nick MathersJohn MatthewsLon McCainJohn McClowJohn McDermottDouglas McDonaldDonald McIntyreDavid McMillanR. C. Mercure, Jr.Shawn MerrillJeff MetzgerRobert MillerGary MintzJaynanne MontgomeryMichael MoonanTom MooneyGerald MooreFrank MuellerMichael MurphyMark Murray

Steve MurrayMichael MyersAllen NakagawaRobert NassimbeneLouise NettDavid NewberryRich NewtonTricia NicholsDavid NickumJames NiehansDavid Norris, North Fork RanchDaniel NortonDavid NoslerRichard & Lois OberhelmanChuck OgilbyPat & Carol OglesbyJohn OkadaGeorge OrbanekKelly OrrSteven OsaBruce PapichRichard ParachiniGarry PatrickWilliam PerkinsMike PerryDrew PeternellJerry PetersonRobert Pew IIIRandy PharoMichael PhillipsDavid PiskeBruce PlankintonPaul PrentissCraig PuckettFred RasmussenAlvin RevzinRobert RichAlan and Diana RittMatt RiveraJohn Roberts Alan RobinsonWalter RockwellJohn RogersKevin RogersTim RomanoStephen RosenblumJim RossGary RotoloStan RoviraMike RubalaWilliam RussellJerry RyanTony SartorisJames SawtellePaul SazonickDavid SchumacherElizabeth SearleLawrence SeidlLeslie & Nancy SelzerDaniel SheaMark SheehanCelia ShenemanJeff ShererNancy ShermanSteve ShermanMichael ShoemakerArnold SilvermanDonald SimonBuck SkillenBradley SkinnerDale SmithTravis SmithC. John SnyderBrian SperrySean SpillaneCharles StansburyGeorge StarkNorman StaufferJohn StermoleRussell Stewart Jr.John StrawBob StreeterChris StriebichPaul SullivanThomas SwansonWilliam TanisCedric TarrDave TaylorDouglas ThomasF. Scott ThomasTom ThomasPaul Thompson

Kristin M. TitaJohn TrammellAl TraskJon TreiblyDave Trimm, Trout’s Fly FishingEmery UdvariJeff UpdegraffDell Van GilderJan vanBlommesteynMarge & Paul VorndamSteve WallingfordAndrew WalvoordBenjamin WeaverRobert WeaverJon WeimerGerald WeintraubMary WellsDavid WenmanJeffrey WilkenJim WilliamsLarry WilliamsMiles WilliamsRichard WilliamsC. Edwin Witt, Sr.Jonathan WoodcockAlex WoodruffJames WrightRob ZabackDave ZankeyArt ZimmerMike Zuendel

Corporate & FoundationAnonymous (1)American National BankBank of ColoradoCharlie’s FlyboxChevron HumankindClif BarColorado Capital BankEcological Resource ConsultantsEducation Foundation of AmericaEmbrace-a-Stream (Trout Unlimited)Environment FoundationEnvironment NowHewlett FoundationKenny Brothers FoundationKrogerMaki FoundationMillerCoorsMountain Country RanchesNational GeographicNew Belgium BreweryPatagoniaPioneer Natural ResourcesRocky Mountain Angling ClubSilver Trout FoundationSimmsSweetwater River RanchTevaTrout & Salmon FoundationUpslope Brewing Company Western Conservation Foundation

In-Kind A.W.S ChartersAcme Tackle CompanyAdams Mystery PlayhouseAdventures in New ZealandAfrican Eyes TravelAlagnak LodgeAlmont AnglersAlpine Angling/Roaring Fork AnglersAlpine Tackle SupplyAnders HalversonAngler Sport Group LTDAngler’s Book SupplyAngler’s CoveyAnglers AddictionAnglers AllAnglers RoostArkanglersArvada CenterAvondale RestaurantBass Pro Shops

Battenkill LodgeBlue Quill AnglerBob’s Fly ShopBreckenridge OutfittersBrodin Landin NetsBucking Rainbow OutfittersBudweiser Events CenterCabela’sCharlie’s FlyboxChota Outdoor GearClear Creek Co.Colorado History MusuemColorado Mountain WinefestColorado Symphony OrchestraConfluence CastingCopper Door Coffee RoastersCosta Del Mar SunglassesCottonwood CampCutthroat AnglersD’Vine Wine ImportsDenver Art MuseumDenver Center for the Performing ArtsDenver Museum of Nature and ScienceDenver Zoological FoundationDevil’s Thumb RanchDistant Waters AnglingDr. Slick CompanyDragonfly AnglersDuranglersDvorak’s Fishing ExpeditionsEldridge HardieElk Creek RanchEstes AnglerFishexplorer.comFishpondFlaming Gorge Recreation ServicesFlatiron TroutfittersFly Fishing OutfittersFly fishing Services Inc.Frank Amato PublicationsFrontier AnglersFrontiers International TravelGarfield Estates Vineyard & WineryGreen River DriftersGunnison River ExpeditionsGunnison River Fly ShopGusterman’s JewelersHatch Outdoors Inc.Henry’s Fork AnglersHoliday Inn Rocky Mountain ParkHolland America LineHouse Restaurant & BarIsland Acres MotelJack Dennis Fly Fishing TripsKingfisher LodgeKrieger EnterprisesKuhrt RanchLandon Mayer Fly FishingLost Canyon ResortMadison Valley RanchMike SextonMillerCoorsModern BungalowMontana Fly Fishing ConnectionMontana TroutfittersMorning Light WoodworksMountain Press Publishing CompanyMudBugCoNew Belgium BreweryNiby Design GroupOoh Ahh JewelryOrvisOtter ProductsParisiPatagoniaPEAK FishingPerformance EntertainmentPins & Fins LLCProfessor Bodkin Fly FishingR L Winston Rod CompanyRed Canyon LodgeRedstone Inn, RedstoneRedwood LlamasRIO Products Intl. Inc.

River Light Images – Mark LanceRockey River ResortRocky Mountain Angling ClubRoss ReelsRoyal Gorge AnglersShook Book PublishingSnooze an A.M. EaterySportsman’s WarehouseSt. Peter’s Fly ShopSunrise Pack StationSweetwater TravelSylvan Dale RanchThe Wildlife ExperienceTootsies Nail ShoppeTroutmapWestin Riverfront Resort & SpaWildlife by Dan AndrewsWillowfly AnglersWinding River RanchYellow Dog Fly Fishing Adventures

Chapters Alpine Anglers Boulder FlycastersCherry Creek AnglersCheyenne MountainCollegiate Peaks AnglersDenver ChapterEagle Valley Evergreen ChapterGrand Valley AnglersSouthern Colorado Greenback Chapter

Partners Animas River Stakeholder’s GroupBull Moose Sportsmen’s AllianceBureau of land ManagementColorado Division of WildlifeColorado Environmental Coalition Colorado River Water Conservation DistrictColorado Water Conservation BoardColorado Watershed Network Conservation DistrictColorado Wildlife FederationDucks UnlimitedFly Fishing Film TourGrand CountyHewlett FoundationHigh Country Citizen’s AllianceLa Plata Board of County CommissionersMotorized and Mechanized Vehicle AdvocatesNational Park ServiceNational Wildlife FederationNorthwest Colorado Council of Governments San Juan Citizen’s AllianceSouthwestern Water Conservation DistrictSportsmen for Responsible Energy DevelopmentThe Nature ConservancyThe Wilderness SocietyU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceU.S. Forest ServiceUpslope Brewing CompanyWestern Native Trout InitiativeWestern Resource Advocates

Thank You! Colorado TU wishes to express our deepest appreciation to our supporters, who through their continued generosity allow us to conserve, protect, and restore Colorado’s rivers and watersheds.

Revenues $337,837.03

Expenses $336,212.32

Balance Sheet

CURRENT ASSETS Bank accounts ....................................... $95,732.31 Petty cash ..................................................... $95.00 Accounts receivable ................................. $7,128.00Investments ..................................................... $61,315.26TOTAL ASSETS ............................................... $164,270.57

LIABILITIESRestricted Funds ............................................... $86,639.91Equity Colorado TU Trust ................................... $25,040.00 Net income .............................................. $1,624.71 Other equity ........................................... $50,965.95

TOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY ......................... $164,270.57

Investment/Other3% Membership

7%

Events17%

Grants39%

Contributions34%

Chapter/Member Services10%

Outreach/Education19%

General/Administration15%

Development5%

ConservationPrograms

51%

Photo courtesy University of Denver

Cover Photos by Tim RomanoAnnual Report Design courtesy Lopez Design GroupPrinted by The Egan Printing Company

DedicationIn Honor Of Joy Hilliard (1923-2010)

We would like to honor and acknowledge the support of Joy Hilliard, a committed Colorado TU member, dedicated volunteer, and life-long supporter of coldwater fisheries conservation. Her generosity and engagement have helped make the accomplishments described in this report possible. Through generous support provided by her estate, Colorado TU will continue her legacy and love of the outdoors through conservation and education for years to come.

Colorado Trout Unlimited

Denver

1536 Wynkoop StreetSuite 302Denver, CO 80202

Boulder

1320 Pearl StreetSuite 320Boulder, CO 80302

Durango

1032 1/2 Main AvenueSuite 20Durango, CO 81301

Grand Junction

115 North Fifth StreetSuite 500Grand Junction, CO 81501

www.coloradotu.org