It’s no surprise to anyone that our summer has been brutally hot. With that in mind, it made sense to focus the conservation article on a cooler climate. Our friend, and former GRTU member, Dave Haeusler, is now part of the Rocky Mountain Flycasters TU chapter in Colorado. He recently approached GRTU with a Greenback Cutthroat conservation partnership opportunity that his chapter is actively engaged in. Below is an update from Dave regarding the work being done on the upper Poudre River:
“RMF has partnered with multiple agencies, including the US Forest Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), Rocky Mountain National Park, and Colorado State University (CSU) on the Poudre Headwaters Project (PHP), which will restore Greenback Cutthroat Trout (Colorado’s state fish) to northern Colorado. This project officially started about six years ago but the planning began more than 10 years ago. In the fall of 2021, a barrier to the inlet of Long Draw Reservoir was installed, completing the PHP’s initial construction project. Three aquatic organism passages (AOP) are currently in the design phase to continue progress toward this ambitious goal. The second barrier/AOP on Corral Creek will start construction this August with completion targeted for September. GRTU funded genetic diversity study on the Big South tributary showed that the natural features were not fish barriers. We are looking at options for barrier construction there.
Last July RMF volunteers stocked about 10,000 greenback cutthroat trout in Williams Gulch (near Red Feather Lakes) as part of the Poudre Headwaters Project.”
GRTU recently approved a coldwater conservation grant received from the Rocky Mountain Flycasters chapter and committed $10,000 to Greenback Cutthroat conservation over over a two-year period. This is just another example of the wonderful conservation partnerships that exist between GRTU and other TU chapters. Thank you for the role you play in helping our chapter continue to make a difference for native and coldwater fish conservation both locally and abroad.
Chris Johnson, GRTU Conservation Chair
