The following is a transcript of the Exemplary Project Award nomination letter, from March 2005, for CMCTU's work with Trees for Trout

Cheyenne Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited
P.O. Box 458
Colorado Springs, CO 80901


March 14, 2005

CTU Awards Committee
1320 Pearl St., Suite 320
Boulder, CO 80302

Dear Committee Members:

It is both an honor and a privilege for me to nominate the Cheyenne Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited for the CTU’s Exemplary Project Award for 2004.

CMCTU has a tradition of having a strong “projects” program and 2004 not only continued this tradition, but made significant improvements upon it. This area of our overall program got off to a quick start in 2004 when U.S. Forest Service representative, Pete Gallagher, attended the January board meeting to seek our assistance. Mr. Gallagher and CMCTU have had a long-standing relationship and he viewed us as a safe harbor to float his idea. A window of opportunity had opened which would not last long. As of the result of the Hayman Forest Fire, there were many dead trees available for possible use in habitat restoration projects. Specifically, this proposed project would be for the purpose of placing these trees in area streams. This placement would have multiple benefits to these streams and to the life that resides there. These trees needed to be harvested in a way to keep their root wad intact and during a time when the ground was still frozen so as not to destroy the integrity of the soil structure in the burn area any more than had already taken place. In addition, if the trees remained standing for another year, their integrity would have deteriorated to a point where they would not be usable for the intended purpose. The problem was funding. Government funding could not be obtained in the time required.

The CMCTU board and Pete Gallagher spent a lot of time that evening in January brainstorming and talking. This concept would be considered both a pilot project and an experiment, and there would be lots of people watching. As far as anyone present knew, this had never been done before. Trees in streams are a natural occurrence; however, in Colorado most of the trees near the South Platte had been harvested when the railroads were built. Due to the semi-arid climate, not a lot had grown back. When trees grow near the water, some of them are bound to fall into the stream. This affects both the hydro-dynamics of the stream, as well as the habitat for trout and the food they feed upon. The intent of this project was to take a damaged resource provided by the fire and restore wood into the stream. Sites would be selected where the stream had become wide and slow, where silt had built up and covered the gravel bed. By placing the trees into the stream, it was the hypothesis that the water flow would, in effect, narrow the stream, speed the flow of water, and create a center channel where the silt would be washed away, thereby exposing the gravel bed. The trees would also act as a snow fence on the stream’s edge to collect silt from upstream and deposit it behind the trees. The effect would be to remove silt from the stream and stabilize the bank around the trees and create a point bar. The wood in the water would also provide surface area for phytoplankton and zooplankton to grow and provide additional food for the food chain. If this plan worked it would create another tool for stream habitat improvement that could be used in the future in other areas where fires had occurred.

That evening the project that became known as “Trees for Trout” was born. The CMCTU board voted unanimously to underwrite the project. While we requested that Pete continue to seek additional funding sources, we wanted to make sure the project went forward. Other funding sources were ultimately found, so CMCTU only was required to fund $5000 of the project. CMCTU volunteers were able to obtain funding from a local fly shop, Angler’s Covey, and a local plumbing store, Rampart Plumbing and Supply. Another organization, the Coalition for the Upper South Platte, contributed the remainder of the required funds, and the Colorado DOW also gave a great deal of support and expertise.

The first step in the plan, after the funding was assured, was for the trees to be harvested through the use of inmates from the Buena Vista prison facility. We were aware of this program, provided through the Vocational Training area of the Colorado Department of Corrections, and felt it would help keep the costs down. The trees would then be stored at various sites until they could be used. This, however, was the first part of the plan that met with a roadblock. Soon after the January board meeting, it was discovered that a decision had been made within the prison system to greatly restrict the inmate construction training program and, as a result, this resource would not be available to us. CMCTU took this on as a challenge and organized a letter writing and phone calling campaign to officials in and outside the prison system to encourage them to retain this program. In the meantime, the decision was made to contract the work of harvesting the trees and, although a bit later than desired, 150 trees were harvested.

The campaign on the Department of Corrections proved to be successful and inmates were ultimately allowed to participate in the program on a restricted basis. Eventually, the inmates, under the direction of Tom Bowen of the DOC and Rod Van Velson of the CDOW, placed trees in a tributary to the Tarryall Creek.

One of the storage sites we obtained for the trees was the result of our partnership with the Boy Scouts. The Boy Scouts graciously allowed us to store a large number of the trees on the Camp Alexander property they own and operate (which is private land). Private land was required due to some regulation that would not allow the trees to be stored on Forest Service land.

One of the more exciting aspects of this project was all the partnerships and new relationships that were formed. One such relationship is a partnership between CMCTU and The Coalition for the Upper South Platte (“CUSP”). CUSP not only made a significant monetary contribution toward “Trees for Trout,” but also provided both volunteers and equipment to the project. CUSP is an organization that formed following and because of the Hayman Fire. Through this project, the relationship between this chapter and CUSP has become very strong and has resulted in a number of joint activities in this current calendar year. In addition to partnering with the U.S. Forest Service and the Colorado DOW, Boy Scouts, Rampart Plumbing, Angler’s Covey, and a reluctant Department of Corrections, we also partnered with the South Park Wetlands Focus Committee whose primary interest was the Tarryall Creek.

A majority of the trees were placed into the stream during the months of October and November of 2004 when the silt that would be dislocated would have a minimal effect on developing trout eggs. These trees were placed in the stream to create a narrowing effect as well as to create a hydrodynamic scrub of the stream to remove silt and deposit it behind the trees at the water’s edge. The hypothesis was that on one bank we would place the trees at a 30-degree angle or less, pointing up stream and bury them into the bank with their root wad out into the stream. Here, the water would be backed up and slowed, resulting in the deposition of the silt being carried, the stream being forced toward a central channel, and the ultimate creation of a point bar. The trees on the opposite bank would be placed at a similar angle; however, these trees would be allowed to have space between the stream bottom and the tree. The water flowing here would scrub the silt off the bottom and create a habitat for stream life. Wood in a stream has a 4 to 1 ratio when compared to rock for biomass creation. Rocks were also placed in the stream in such a way as to create a silt scrubbing effect in order to improve the habitat of the stream. While CMCTU volunteers were not allowed to operate the heavy equipment, chapter members collected survey data at the work sites, reestablished the shore structure, and landscaped and revegetated the sites. Trees from this project were used in Eleven Mile Canyon and on the Tarryall with CMCTU and CUSP volunteers, U.S. Forest Service and Colorado DOW personal working side by side.

As the project developed and time passed, a sense of excitement and energy grew. This energy resulted in a number of innovations and additions to the plan. One addition was the development, planning and implementation of a media day at the one of the project sites. Local and Denver-area television and print media outlets participated which put the spot light on the project and CMCTU and generated a great deal publicity in both the electronic and the print media.

The “Trees for Trout” project has been a great success for this chapter and for the improvement of the habitat. Indications are being received on a regular basis that the original goal, that this concept be picked up by others as a new tool to be used in other locations for habitat improvement, is being achieved. Recently, CMCTU was approached by the Colorado DOW to begin conversations on providing them with assistance in implementing “our” Trees for Trout project on some of their suggested sites. Plus, the U.S. Forest Service recently announced its awarding of a large grant to Trees for Trout in Eleven Mile Canyon.

We believe that this project meets or exceeds the criteria set out for this award. CMCTU has shown great initiative in sponsoring this project. While implementing the project, many chapter members volunteered significant time, skill and effort in making it happen. The chapter not only called upon old friends and partners from previous projects such as the Boy Scouts, Angler’s Covey, and U.S. Forest Service, but formed new partnerships with Rampart Plumbing and Supply, The Coalition for the Upper South Platte, South Park Wetland Focus Committee, The Independent and local TV stations, as well as put a great deal of our resources (financial and muscle) into this project. The pay off has been a gratifying success as experienced and evidenced by watching the area stream residents move into this area of the stream, which was minimally inhabited before.

In addition to this letter, please find attachments of artifacts that will aid in the telling of this story.

We deeply appreciate your consideration for the award we seek and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely

Allyn J. Kratz
President