SOUTHERN COLORADO

GREENBACK #509

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WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO?

February

FROSTBITE FISH-OFF

The Frostbite Fish-Off was started in 2011 as SCGTU's main fundraising event. The event takes place over two days and includes twenty, two-person teams and approximately 30 volunteers. A beat drawing is held the evening before the fishing day and each team is assigned four randomly selected beats that they will fish for 90 minutes each. Scores are based on each team recording the two largest fish caught from each of their beats. There is a dinner and awards banquet that evening where prizes are awarded for 1st through 5th place. A silent auction is also held to help raise additional funds. Team entry is $500 and business sponsorships from around the area are sought out. The event has raised between $13,500 and $15,000 in each of the last three years.

April

CHARITY AUCTION AND STREAMSIDE CLINIC

In April, our chapter hosted a streamside clinic at the Nature Center in Pueblo. We conducted a silent auction benefiting Casting for Recovery during the meeting and served dinner to clinic attendees.

The STREAM Girls program is aimed at fostering environmental stewardship and personal connections to our home waters. Twelve participants were in attendance, with members from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Pueblo County and TU member kids were also in attendance.

STREAM GIRLS

May

Chapter President and owner of the Dryft Fly Shop in Pueblo hosted approximately ten teens over two days, teaching the some fishing basics.

YOUTH FLY FISHING CAMP

July

August

ANNUAL SUMMER MEETING AND BOARD ELECTION

In August, our chapter once again got together at the Nature Center in Pueblo, updated chapter members on our budget and current projects, and elected new officers. Following the meeting, many of the club members stuck around for some night fishing on the Pueblo Tailwaters

SEMPTEMBER

SUPPORT BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB CAMPAPALOOZA

Pueblo is incredibly fortunate to have a fantastic Boys and Girls Club that gets kids outside. Our chapter supported the Boys and Girls by setting up an aquatic invertebrate station where youth could see live mayfly nymphs, caddis larva, scuds, leeches, and juvenile crayfish. We also had members assist with youth fishing. We ended up having 133 members and families from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Pueblo County in attendance.

June

NEW WEBSITE

To improve communication with our membership and community partners, we launched a new website in June.

Tailwater Restoration

Willow Planting

ONGOING PROJECTS

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WILLOW PLANTING

The project involves taking willow cuttings along the Arkansas River within Lake Pueblo State Park and the City of Pueblo. The cuttings will be planted by hand in exposed sand and gravel bank areas, focusing on a specific area highlighted on slide two. The project is expected to take one day with the help of 10-20 volunteers. It may be beneficial to install one or two "watering stations" for volunteers and the public to water the cuttings from the river during the first summer while the root systems are established. These watering stations would consist of a temporary 4x4 timber or a dead tree along the bank with a bucket hook, five gal. bucket, and signage.

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TAILWATER RESTORATION

The chapter was awarded grant funding to develop design plans to mitigate several areas of streambank erosion within Lake Pueblo State Park. However, the central region of concern involves private land, which recently changed ownership. The new landowner initially showed interest in working with TU but suddenly stopped communicating with us. This has forced the chapter to reevaluate the project to see how best to proceed. We are still hopeful we can work with CPW to address the other areas of concern.