Attention Colorado River fishers

[wateroksnmud]

Read a not so great article today. It's not so great, due to what they want to do. Find it here.

http://www.summitdaily.com/ARTICLE/20110226/NEWS/110229863/-1/RSS

 

[gjcordray]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I guess here we go again.

Seems like every decade we have to fend off some threat to our prime waters. This is why I have no problem with water conservation efforts, especially in our most highly populated areas like the Denver-metro area. I have lived in Colorado for every one of my 46 years and I hardly recognize it anymore. The increased and ever-increasing population is taxing the area's resources to the breaking point. The lifestyle I knew as a child is on life support at this time.

For anybody planning to relocate to Colorado, or for anybody who knows somebody - If you (they) do not love and respect the outdoors and appreciate the need to have these precious assets available to our great grand-children, move somewhere else. Choose a big city that values concrete and air conditioning and neon and have a fabulous life. If you do move here, enjoy one of the greatest outdoor locations on the planet and support efforts to keep it that way.

Dismount soap box here.

Gary

 

[milt spawn]

Surprising that CO only has one "Wild and Scenic" river. milt.

 

[Chukwithak]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I guess here we go again.

Seems like every decade we have to fend off some threat to our prime waters. This is why I have no problem with water conservation efforts, especially in our most highly populated areas like the Denver-metro area. I have lived in Colorado for every one of my 46 years and I hardly recognize it anymore. The increased and ever-increasing population is taxing the area's resources to the breaking point. The lifestyle I knew as a child is on life support at this time.

For anybody planning to relocate to Colorado, or for anybody who knows somebody - If you (they) do not love and respect the outdoors and appreciate the need to have these precious assets available to our great grand-children, move somewhere else. Choose a big city that values concrete and air conditioning and neon and have a fabulous life. If you do move here, enjoy one of the greatest outdoor locations on the planet and support efforts to keep it that way.

Dismount soap box here.

Gary

Not a problem. I just hope if it happens, it doesnt take the effect that some might suggest.

Surprising that CO only has one "Wild and Scenic" river. milt.

Sarcasm? if so, why would that be necessary? I dont get the point of your message here.

 

[Jimmie]

Surprising that CO only has one "Wild and Scenic" river. milt.

Just based on the article that surprised me too milt.

Wild and Scenic
A single river — the Cache La Poudre — in Colorado has been designated “Wild and Scenic,” a term established by Congress in 1968 to set aside rivers with outstanding natural, cultural and recreational values such that they remain free-flowing for the enjoyment of present and future generations. Designated rivers are managed with the goal of protecting and enhancing the identified values that qualified it as Wild and Scenic.

“Colorado has some of the finest rivers not only in the United States, but in the world,” Rice said, adding that the Congressional act was meant to protect “our most valuable rivers.”

But Fey said the Cache La Poudre has a “pseudo” designation — it accommodates future development.

“So we don't have one honest-to-god wild and scenic river in Colorado,” Fey said.

Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, California and Michigan lead the pack in terms of states with the most rivers under the Wild and Scenic designation.

 

[milt spawn]

I would have thought that a state with so many beautiful waterways would have more protections in place. Is it due to water rights, mining laws, landowner issues? I fish this river, albeit waaay downstream. Here it's only wild around spring break, and a different type of scenic. milt.

 

[gjcordray]

Milt,

I am only guessing, but knowing Colorado's history with water, I would say the reason we have so few W and S rivers is due to water rights. And yes, private property is also an issue. Water from the smaller rivers in Colorado eventually ends up in a few larger ones - the Colorado, the Platte, the Arkansas are some of the biggest. This water travels for thousands of miles and is used over and over. And in Colorado, much of our drinking water comes from reservoirs created by damming up these. But, since we have to release so much water downstream for use, we cannot store it for local use only. Therefore, as more people move into the state, we must create more reservoirs and often complex series of pipelines to meet the new demand. That is why Colorado has such fantastic tailwaters but so few great freestones. It is also why fishing here can be such a challenge. Thousands of anglers fighting for precious few spots on very technical waters to increasingly educated and depleted fish stocks. The impact is pretty severe in some cases.

Gary

 

[fredaevans]

Interesting question injected above; where are the rivers (or parts thereof) with the W and S designation. Not sure just how current this is (2007), but it made for an interesting read:

National Wild & Scenic Rivers

 

[milt spawn]

I've visited this site before, but did not see three "rivers" IMBY. If some of these can qualify, it should not be that difficult for others. Frinstance, Palm Canyon Creek is bone dry for most of its course, most of the time. milt.

 

[fredaevans]

Sounds like a 'flash flood' run way? Remember seeing (on u tube) a 'Wadi' somewhere in Arizona (?), desert country anyway, when the 'results' of a heavy rain finally made its way down to the camera man's location. Bone dry and then a wall of water!

I can understand why these things can be darned dangerous!

 

[Chukwithak]

Here's an article that Trout Unlimited came out with just weeks ago.

Upper Colorado River is “Tapped Out” | Trout Unlimited Blog