Special thanks to our guest writers Joel Evans, Tom Peace and to Ted Elstad, Dave Wright for the photos.

Uncomphagre River South of Billy Creek early March. Spring time is approaching

Click to enlarge

Many thanks to the Gunnison Gorge Anglers of Trout Unlimited for providing a table at their EXPO for FORU's debut with the public.

Kevin Davis, Pauline Adams, Elizabeth Roscoe, Cynthia Harwood and Wayne Quade took the time to converse with the public and network with GGA members about Uncompahgre River issues.

An impressive brochure created by Kevin Davis with a beautiful cover photo of the Uncompahgre taken by Roland Holzwarth was distributed.

Many people said they have heard of FORU and are glad that the group is active in the community and several signed the contact sheet.

Some concerns were expressed during conversations about the Uncompahgre River:

        *Many people expressed an intention to respond to the Public Notice by the Army Corps of Engineers by requesting a public hearing in their letters of comment about the 404 permit application for dredge and fill of wetlands, and 401 certification with the Co. Water Quality Control Division for the River Landing Development in South Montrose. Read more about this issius at or web site, www.foruncompahgre.org

         *There is an interest in keeping fishing in the Uncompahgre Catch and Release to protect the spawning and regeneration of fish populations.

          *Neighbors of the United Way Gravel Pit south of Montrose on H550 are concerned about impacts to the river from discharge water. United applied for and received a permit to mine 20 feet deeper for 20 years. There are questions also about adequate public notice.
          *Wide fluctuations in flow release from the reservoir into the river is a concern because of impacts to the aquatic ecosystem.

        There is the story of the boy on the beach, throwing stranded starfish back into the ocean one at a time. An observer comments that the effort is pointless as one could not even begin to save all the stranded starfish and thereby make a difference. The boy answers back that truly he can't save them all, but for that one, he did make a difference.

The Uncompahgre River is the starfish of western Colorado . I appreciate the opportunity to share with the members of the Friends of the River Uncompahgre some local history regarding projects that have made a difference.

Somewhat like the starfish, it may not be feasible, arguably not even necessary, to give attention to the entire river. At least in the short run. But in the short run, meaning the next several years, we can pay attention to sections of the river where we can make a difference. I know you are working on that future.

FORU is building on a legacy. That legacy of restoring and caring for the Uncompahgre River is closely tied to a group of anglers who have for over 20 years been dealing with coldwater resource issues in this area. In 1984, a local chapter of Trout Unlimited was formed and named the Gunnison Gorge Anglers. It occurs to me that many Montrose citizens are unaware of the past. Usually whenever mention is made of these projects, the governmental agencies involved are noted but the dreamers and initiators are not. Awareness is the sole purpose of my thoughts to you today.

Much like FORU, GGA as TU is a special interest group that, among other fishing related interests, promotes conservation and restoration of rivers. Although quality fishing is the recreational goal, TU recognizes that better fishing begins with healthy ecosystems. As such, much of TU's efforts and funding are directed towards river cleanup, restoration, and preservation. That brings me to the history I want to share specific to 3 Uncompahgre River projects over the last 20 years.

Sometime in the mid-1980's – the year escapes me – high spring runoff in the Uncompahgre ate through the man-made dike along the river that contained Chipeta Lakes . I intentionally use the plural form of lakes because at that time there were 3 smaller lakes with dikes inbetween. The broken dike allowed the lakes to drain. Lead by GGA, local citizens put together an effort that rebuilt the dike and created one large lake. Contributions in the form of donated cash, equipment, and labor were pledged as matching funds for a Colorado Division of Wildlife's Fishing Is Fun grant program.

Pa-Co-Chu-Puk below Ridgway Reservoir has been described as a Disneyland for anglers. With the construction of the dam, GGA recognized an opportunity to create a tailwater fishery where none existed before. GGA proposed a river improvement project to go along with what was being hailed as the nicest state park around. Why wait until the park is open to build a quality streambed? GGA front funded a feasibility study by leading stream hydrologist Dave Rosgen which confirmed the possibility of a major project the entire distance of the public property from the dam to the Cow Creek confluence. The involved agencies accepted and funded the project, incorporating it into the construction schedule, such that it was complete when the park opened.

Ten or so years ago, GGA proposed to the City of Montrose that the river within Riverbottom Park , now Baldridge Park, be improved in a manner similar to the work done below Ridgway Reservoir. Although the idea didn't take off then, when the City later acquired more land in the vicinity, the Cherise addition, GGA renewed its efforts in 2004. Following the successful model of the Ridgway improvements, GGA again front funded a feasibility study by Jim Walsh of Stream Team. Using the data from the study, GGA met with the City and pointed out two important points regarding the proposed development ideas for the park area. One, all of the ideas had to do with projects away from the river – no project involved the river itself. Secondly, because the river is at the heart of the property and any river work would involve heavy equipment being brought in, it made scheduling sense to prioritize the river work first so as to avoid post-damage to other projects. For those and other good reasons, the City agreed and GGA secured from the City a commitment of capital budget funds using lottery proceeds. Also, because GGA lacks the expertise and staff to be the lead agency in such a major project, GGA asked the City to take on that lead role in applying for a Colorado Division of Wildlife Fishing is Fun grant. The in-stream portion of the project was completed in November 2006 by Ecological Resource Consultants during a period of low stream flows, a requirement for heavy equipment maneuverability and to meet the design purpose of maximum fish habitat at lowest flows. This spring, revegetation work is scheduled by ERC and GGA to complete the project.GGA would welcome FORU assistance.

Obviously with a river that stretches from Ouray to Delta, there is a lot of ground to dream about. Other ideas have been proposed that build upon this history. I recount this history so that when future riverway preservation and improvement projects are proposed, organized, funded, and completed, the Uncompahgre Valley citizens can know that their efforts are building on a legacy that goes back decades. A legacy that recognized that at least for that one stretch of river, a difference was made.

Thanks for listening. Joel Evans

"Fish/Trout in the Uncompahgre River "

These are photos of brown and rainbow trout. Both are stocked to the Uncompahgre and can be found year round. The brown are more plentiful than the rainbow. The trout also enter the stream from the Gunnison River through the south canal.

Brown Trout <click to enlarge >

Rainbow Trout

Photos courtesy of Ted Elstad

                     <Click to enlarge>

Photo courtesy of © January 2005 W D Wright/© July 2004 W D Wright

SPRING FEATHERS by Tom Peace

Orange breast, gray back, dark head feathers, jaunty posture. Most call it ‘robin'. It is really a thrush, and is the best-known, -loved, and –welcomed of the several hundred species of North American birds. Hopping across lawns, head tilted, catching the slightest sound from the earth—a night crawler or red worm sneaking through the grass.

Leans forward, neck stretched, pounces and comes up with worm, straining to get into the safety of its burrow. The several gaping mouths in the robin's nest will be fed.

We speak, in spring, of robin's return, and of warm, sunny weather. Fact: robin has been around all winter, enduring the cold, living on short rations, huddling in thickets and brush piles, along stream banks and other natural shelters in the local woods and riparian areas. Comes spring and days of sunshine, worms—among robin's favorite entrees—crawl about seeking mates, and robin is out of his winter shelter, and hungry. I have seen dozens of them in one flight, converging on one green, worm-looking lawn.

Robin is best known of resident birds, but not alone. Here in Western Colorado , several other bird species winter, depending on one thing for survival—adequate habitat. The same basic requirements we humans must have—food, clothing, shelter—the necessities. The riparian area of the Uncompahgre River—our town's prime asset—and its flood plains, at one time provided superb habitat for robin, for wintering deer, elk, eagles, owls, and other wild creatures forced from the high country by deep snows and frigid temperatures. Then the river lands became, for a time, home for both wildlife and humans. But the numbers of human grew, while wildlife diminished, having no defense against man's attacks on wild habitat. Today, wildlife associated with the riparian habitat is probably less than ten percent of its former numbers, when the Ute people camped along the stream and shared the lands.

Our present community seems to pursue a determined effort to destroy the surviving tags of forest, clean air and water, and remnants of wildlife that remain and struggle to survive along our river. If ‘we the people' wish to preserve even those shadows of the primal beauty that ‘used to be', we must assert our authority and take prompt and firm action against the unrelenting devastation of our river and its lands and forests. It is almost too late.

© Tom Peace, '07