The State of Colorado's Watersheds Report 2005

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local watershed reports The Evergreen area's Bear Creek begins on Mt. Evans and carves a scenic canyon down to Morrison /Red Rocks, eventually joining the South Platte. There was no significant mining here to cause toxicity; the basic issue is metropolitan growth. Friends of Bear Creek (FOBC) was formed as a watershed advocacy group in 2000 to protect the stream's aquatic and riparian wildlife from growing problems of urbanization and human abuse, triggered by large scale fish -kills that summer. The problem was heat gain the Evergreen water system added to the creek, resulting in "temperature- induced anoxia." Appeals were made to the state to list Bear Creek as an "impaired stream" under the Clean Water Act on grounds of thermal pollution, which finally came to fruition in 2005. Trout are like canaries in a coal mine — living indicators of stream health. Going into the drought- stricken summer of 2002, FOBC and Trout Unlimited installed high -tech temperature monitors to pair hard data with predictable fish kills. The results proved multiple violations of temperature standards related to three fish - killing episodes that summer. With support from CDOW, CWQCD, and EPA, we appealed again for "impaired" status in 2004, but were turned down flat by the CWQCC. Remarkably, EPA overruled in Bear Creek's favor. It was a rare victory for conservation in these times, and apparently set a precedent for thermal pollution in Colorado. Other 2005 Accomplishments FOBC played a leading role in a $180,000 stream restoration project near Kittredge which culminates this fall. The site was a badly eroded, highly visible section of O'Fallon Park, a popular venue in the Denver Mountain Parks system attracting hundreds of big -city escapees each weekend. Heavy equipment deepened pools and stabilized banks, and scores of volunteers helped plant new riparian vegetation. The project has been featured in both Denver dailies, and selected "Project of the Year" by Colorado Trout Unlimited. FOBC also helped rewrite the Jefferson County Long -Range Plan for the Evergreen area. The old plan, from decades ago, made no mention of trout or aquatic wildlife and had no guidelines for riparian development, or related factors like private wells. The new version, although mostly advisory, at least lays down an official outline for planning and enforcement that enjoys broad public support. Goals for 2006 Up until EPA's decision, FOBC functioned as a volunteer advocacy group responding to wildlife emergencies. Before, we passed up potential 501(c)(3) funding because creek wildlife needed a political advocate to stop abuses. Now, the problems have been acknowledged and some serious federal money is available to help fix them. We are shifting to a stakeholders model for developing realistic solutions, but we need role models from other CWA members to help us achieve it.