New bill would clarify management, improve fishing in Colorado

Anglers should rejoice in the introduction of the CORE Act, particularly if they live or fish in Colorado’s iconic Gunnison Valley. The Curecanti portion of the Act, introduced by Sen. Michael Bennet and Rep. Joe Neguse, would establish permanent boundaries for the current National Recreation Area making management simpler and creating improved fishing access.   In 1965, Blue Mesa Dam was completed…

Rainscaping to help the Rogue River

By Jamie Vaughan Michigan has no shortage of freshwater lakes, rivers and streams, and local environmental groups are always collaborating to come up with creative ways to protect the precious water resources.   In western Michigan, partners joined together to create the Grand River Rainscaping Program, which is helping homeowners, landscapers and contractors learn about and incorporate green infrastructure practices…

New Zealand mud snails in Michigan trout streams

More than 180 non-native species have been introduced to the Great Lakes region, and many of them have been categorized as invasive, causing potential threat to native ecosystems and their populations.   One relative newcomer is causing concerns about its potential risks to the region’s trout streams.  The New Zealand mud snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) is an aquatic invasive that has appeared in Great Lakes streams only recently. …

Restoring trout, protecting the future

Editor’s note: this is part two of a series on recovering native brook trout. You can read part one here. “What is the name of that tree?” Brandon Keplinger, the district fisheries biologist for West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, asked the 20 or so fifth graders from Slanesville Elementary School in West Virginia. The…

TU receives tree planting grant in Michigan’s Rogue River watershed

Trout Unlimited has received funding from the U.S. Forest Service, through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, to plant nearly 17,000 trees along coldwater streams in Michigan. The project, “Reducing Runoff in the Rogue River Watershed,” aims to address stormwater runoff that pollutes, erodes, and warms the important western Michigan trout fishery by planting trees at…

Army Corps approves plan to block Asian carp from Great Lakes

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved its final plan recommendation for addressing Asian carp at Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Ill.   Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, the commanding general of the Corps of Engineers, signed the report, which will now be sent to Congress for approval and funding.  Asian carp are currently one of the most serious…