Wyoming Trout Unlimited Winter 2022 Newsletter

The Trout Tale WYOMING COUNCIL OF TROUT UNLIMITED

WINTER 2022

PERSPECTIVE

Walt Gasson

Oxygen for the soul W

old bull, but the heir tagged his first bull a few days later. Mission accomplished.

henever I talk with someone about my work, I tell them I’ve got the best job in the world. It’s an easy case to make. I work with great people doing great work that makes the world a better place. They treat me with way more respect than I deserve, the boss included. That’s not starry-eyed naivete speaking. I’ve got almost five decades of experience in wildlife conservation in government, non-profits and the private sector. Some of that experience sucked.

Most of it was wonderful. The last ten years, working with Trout Unlimited, have been the best years of my career.

But even the best jobs are better if you take a break occasionally. I took one this fall, and it was fabulous. I didn’t go into it with some detailed day-by-day plan. I knew I wanted to take an extended and long-postponed road trip with Kim. I knew I wanted to fish and hunt a lot. I knew I wanted to spend time with my family. The rest of it just unfolded on its own in a series of semi-disconnected moments that will live in my heart forever.

n Sharing a day on the prairie of southeastern Wyoming with my oldest granddaughter. The wind was outrageous, the antelope were few and skittish, but the time spent with her was priceless. n Gathering the whole family for Thanksgiving – 22 of them, spanning four generations – and watching Kim’s face alight with pride and joy in their love and support for one another. These people are our hopes, our dreams and our legacy.

That’s it. No fishing trip to the Amazon. No sheep hunt in Alaska. Just a large dose of Wyoming-grown faith, family and love of the land. But for me, that’s oxygen for the soul.

For three precious months, I took deep draughts of it every day. And somehow, it washed away all the drama and trauma of the last two years. It put everything back in perspective. It gave me hope, the quiet yet sure knowledge that things will work out for the best in the end for my family and for all of us.

So as we begin this new year, allow me to make one humble suggestion for all of us engaged in this great work of conservation in the Cowboy State: Take a break. Ride your horse. Pet your dog.

Go fishing. Go hunting. Grow some vegetables. Hug your friends.

Hug your kids. Have a drink with a buddy. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Laugh a little more. Stress a little less. And give thanks for all the blessings in your life.

You’ll be glad you did.

A few examples come to mind: n Watching the sunrise over the sagebrush sea, hunting antelope with Kim. Over the course of a few days, we saw over 1,000 antelope. We looked at over 200 bucks, but never fired a shot and never regretted that for a second. n The moment in a stand of old growth hardwoods just south of Lake Ontario when I realized that these were trees that had stood here since before the Revolutionary War and I felt as close to God as I’ve ever felt in my life. n Walking the banks of the Maumee River in the pre-dawn darkness and drizzle, wondering what this must have been like – what it must have sounded and felt like – when it was part of the Great Black Swamp, a wilderness in the American heartland.

Walt Gasson is the Director of Trout Unlimited’s Endorsed Business program. He is a fourthgeneration Wyoming native and has worked in conservation for over 40 years in government, non-profits and the private sector.

Walt currently resides in Laramie with his beautiful wife, Kim.

n Hunting what will probably be my last high country elk hunt at the home place and teaching my heir to that experience the lessons of fifty years in a few short days. I passed up a two-year-

No need to worry.

You can still get your very own Wyoming Trout Unlimited bucking fish Christmas tree ornament for $25 (includes shipping) But hurry, supplies are limited to stock on hand.

WANT ONE? TWO? MORE? SIMPLY CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR ORDER AT WYOMINGTU.ORG

THE TROUT TALE

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WINTER 2022

The official newsletter of the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited

FROM THE COORDINATOR

Mike Jensen

The Trout Tale

The hope of a new year

Winter 2022 • Volume 7, Issue 3

First and foremost, I hope you had the opportunity to spend a peaceful holiday season with family, friends and fish. I also hope you have some snow on the ground where you live and you were able to enjoy a white Christmas.

Here we are on the doorstep of yet another new year. I’m ready for good things to happen in the coming year, both on a personal and professional level.

Wyoming’s Chris LeDoux got it right when he so eloquently sang in his song The Ride — “keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky.”

Great advice. I intend to do just that.

I’m looking forward to the day that COVID and its variants go away. Enough is enough.

I’m ready for a long winter with a heavy snow pack that will help replenish drought-stricken grounds in Wyoming and the Intermountain West.

I’m looking forward to engaging face to face with Trout Unlimited members in Wyoming. Enough Zoom calls and video conferences. Let’s get together and shake hands. Let’s smile and laugh while enjoying a cold beer and figure out a way to build enthusiasm among our TU members and revitalize our chapters that need revitalizing in the Cowboy State.

I’m looking forward to watching Cory Toye and his Wyoming Water and Habitat team — Nick and Hillary Walrath, and Leslie Steen — to see what projects they have planned for the coming year. Despite many challenges this past year, they accomplished some outstanding “boots on the ground” work in the Cowboy State.

I’m looking forward to our expanded Trout In The Classroom program that will be conducted in three schools this year — Expedition Academy Alternative High School in Green River, Whiting Alternative High School in Laramie and Torrington Middle School in Torrington. Rainbow trout eggs will be delivered on January 4, to each of the three schools where students will raise trout from eggs to fry. A special thanks to Green River Project Manager for TU Nick Walrath who will be helping to deliver eggs to Green River.

I’m looking forward to fishing a lot this year. That was something that didn’t happen too much last year due to low water flows and rising water temperatures. I’m really looking forward to dusting off the drift boat and floating Wyoming’s famed waterways with family, friends and conservation partners in search of big Wyoming trout willing to eat a big bite.

The Trout Tale is a quarterly newsletter of the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited.

The deadline for submission of articles, information, photos and content for the Spring 2022 newsletter (April, May, June) will be March 1, 2022. Send all contributions for the spring issue to Wyoming Coordinator Mike Jensen at mike.jensen@tu.org The Trout Tale is available online at the council’s website: wyomingtu.org © 2022 Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited

• Mike Jensen, Newsletter Editor • Cole Sherard, Chair

Proud recipient of the 2014 Trout Unlimited “Bollinger Award For Best Newsletter”

Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited P.O. Box 22182 Cheyenne, WY 82009 e-mail: mike.jensen@tu.org Phone: 307.421.3188 www.wyomingtu.org

ON THE COVER: The quiet serenity of a crystal clear, bitter cold, winter day shines through on the Green River in Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge.

Photo by Tom Koerner, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

I hope you’ll peruse through this winter edition of the The Trout Tale. It’s packed full of great information and informative stories. Make sure to check out Walt Gasson’s column on page 2. He writes about his recent extended break from Trout Unlimited. I think it’s one of his best pieces of prose to-date.

You’ll want to make sure you read Leslie Steen’s piece on Trout Unlimited’s Priority Waters Initiative that was developed earlier this year after the organization developed their five-year strategic plan. Leslie will be serving as lead on this project moving forward.

Make sure to check out Cory Toye’s excellent story on the recently completed Wood River project on pages 12 and 13. As part of the project, TU contractors installed a technical fish ladder that will provide upstream passage to over 100 miles of habitat for the first time in over 50 years. The project was a collaboration of conservation partners who came together to find solutions to problems and challenges. That’s impressive.

Wyoming Trout Unlimited friend Paul Bunker has written two articles for this newsletter. You’ll find the first one on pages 7 and 8 where he talks about the recent release of the Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout poster. Learn more about this great project and find out how you can get your own copy of this incredible poster.

Paul also wrote a very interesting article about the Yellowstone National Park volunteer fly fishing program and it’s worth the read. Check it out on page 14.

For you chapter presidents and leadership, you’ll find a couple of important See COORDINATOR on page 5

WINTER 2022

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THE TROUT TALE

SUSTAIN

Public land planning and priority sharing Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning invited Trout Unlimited and other Wyoming conservation groups to sit down for a meeting in Cheyenne

From left to right are: Liz Rose, Wyoming Field Coordinator for Trout Unlimited; Tasha Sorensen, Western Energy Lead, Trout Unlimited; Joy Bannon, Policy Director, Wyoming Wildlife Federation; Tracy Stone-Manning, Director, Bureau of Land Management; Jeff Cowley, Southeast Wyoming Chapter Chair, Muley Fanatic Foundation; Mike Jensen, Wyoming Council Coordinator, Trout Unlimited; and John Rader, Conservation Advocate, Wyoming Outdoor Council.

Photo by Acting Wyoming State BLM Director Kim Liebhauser

By LIZ ROSE Wyoming Field Coordinator, Angler Conservation Program, Trout Unlimited

which is about one tenth of our country’s entire land base. The total amount of BLM land in the U.S. is about four times the size of the state of Wyoming. Needless to say, the BLM Director is a very busy person.

It meant a lot that Director Stone-Manning made time to visit with a variety of Wyoming stakeholders (including TU, of course), so soon in her tenure as director. We greatly appreciated having the opportunity to talk about our concerns related to Wyoming fisheries and public lands; our hopes for the BLM’s ongoing work in Wyoming; and our willingness to be a resource to them, whether that means sharing our perspectives, touring BLM staff around priority landscapes, or showing off restored native trout waters.

As the BLM evaluates its land and resource management programs, endeavors to improve existing systems, and plans for the future, TU will continue to track their proposals and weigh in whenever there is an opportunity to do so. TU staff, members, and supporters provide government agencies such as the BLM with

On November 17, Trout Unlimited (TU) staff and representatives from the Wyoming Wildlife Federation, Muley Fanatic Foundation, and Wyoming Outdoor Council had the honor of meeting with newly-confirmed director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Tracy Stone-Manning, and acting Wyoming BLM state director Kim Liebhauser in Cheyenne.

Director Stone-Manning was confirmed as the 19th director of the Bureau of Land Management in September 2021, and congratulations are in order for her assuming this very important role. Director Stone-Manning is tasked with overseeing a huge amount of the country’s public land and public land uses including recreation, mining, oil and natural gas development, renewable energy production, wildlife watching, habitat restoration, hunting, and angling.

There are 245 million acres of BLM land in the United States, THE TROUT TALE

See BLM DIRECTOR on page 5

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COORDINATOR

from page 3

reminders in the WYTU News Notes section on page 11. As of now, we’re planning to hold our annual Spring Council and Business meeting in Green River on April 29, 30 and May 1. This meeting will feature elections for officers of the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited. Watch for more details as they become available. Also, chapter presidents and treasurers should be aware that TU’s fiscal year will end on March 31. In addition, each chapter will be required to file their respective Annual Activity Reports by May 15, or preferably sooner.

OUR MISSION: Conserving, protecting and restoring Wyoming’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds

n n n n n n n n

WYOMING COUNCIL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Cole Sherard Laramie...................................................Chair Kathy Buchner Jackson..........................................Vice Chair Sadie St. Clair-Valdez Rock Springs....................................Secretary Jim Hissong Mountain View.................................Treasurer Werner Studer Casper............................NLC Representative Dave Sweet Cody...................................At Large Member John Madia Sheridan.............................At Large Member Mike Jensen Cheyenne...................Council Coordinator

And finally, the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited executive committee and chapter presidents were made aware recently that Wyoming Field Coordinator for TU’s Angler Conservation Program Liz Rose would be leaving Trout Unlimited as of January 4. Liz has accepted a position with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and will begin her new duties on January 10. I know I speak for everyone in WYTU when I say, “We hate to see Liz go and appreciate everything she has done for Trout Unlimited in Wyoming. We wish her the very best as she turns the page on her conservation career.”

Until next time. Thanks to each of you for all you do for Trout Unlimited in Wyoming. Best wishes for a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

Mike Jensen currently serves as the Wyoming Council Coordinator for Trout Unlimited, and he and his wife, Jodi, call the Cheyenne area home. When he’s not at his desk, puttering around the “Lazy J” with the dog or tying a few flies, you’ll find him driving his drift boat in search of big Wyoming trout. E-mail Mike at mike.jensen@tu.org.

BLM DIRECTOR

from page 4

WYOMING CHAPTERS AND AEGs: n Casper/Grey Reef n Curt Gowdy n East Yellowstone n Jackson Hole n Laramie Valley n Little Bighorn n Platte Valley n Popo Agie Anglers n Seedskadee n Upper Bear River n Upper Green River n Adiposse (AEG) (Alternative Engagement Group) The incredible view from Little Mountain, surrounded by southwestern Wyoming public lands.

WYTU Photo by Liz Rose

To join Trout Unlimited today, go to tu.org and click on the “Become a member” link.

WINTER 2022

valuable perspective and expert feedback, which is used to inform public land and resource management plans and decisions. Ultimately, we hope to offer our support for policy and program changes that will do more to protect coldwater fisheries on public lands.

There will surely be opportunities for members of the public to submit feedback and comments to the BLM as they chart their course forward and update outdated plans and policies, so please keep an eye out for emails and posts from TU with action alerts, or simply click here to learn more.

Your knowledge, experience, perspective and your voice really do matter.

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PROTECT

Trout Unlimited’s Priority Waters process in Wyoming highlights opportunities for conservation These three strategic plan goals are linked, and as you can see, a lot relies on the identification of TU’s Priority Waters, which in turn has led to a lot of questions about what it all means and how we will accomplish it. True to TU fashion, the Priority Waters identification process is meant to be rooted in science, groundtruthed by staff and grassroots, and crafted with input from agency partners.

Each state where TU works has a Priority Waters staff lead, and a team made up of staff and grassroots leaders. For Wyoming, I am the staff lead, and joining me on the team are Mike Jensen, Diana Miller, Werner Studer, Dave Sweet, Hillary Walrath, and Nick Walrath. We kicked off the process in September, gave a presentation at the last Wyoming Council meeting in October, and now are at the point where the rubber meets the road. Armed with TU’s Priority Waters mapping tool, which has been built by TU’s science team, we have been going through each major drainage where trout are found in Wyoming and doing our best to determine if it meets the criteria of a shared priority for Wyoming. The mapping tool (shown below) has Wyoming-specific data included as layers that can be filtered and overlayed – Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s (WGFD) 2020 Statewide Habitat Plan Priority Areas, blue and red ribbon streams, and Yellowstone, Colorado River, and Bonneville cutthroat trout rangewide data, for example – as well as other national datasets such as stream temperature

By LESLIE STEEN Northwest Wyoming Program Director

L

aunched earlier this year, Trout Unlimited’s (TU) new 2021 – 2026 strategic plan (www.tu.org/strategic-plan-2021) goes beyond a mere update of the old, seeking to take our organization in a new, bold direction built off of the solid foundation of TU’s “secret sauce” of collaborative partnerships, community-based staff and grassroots engagement. The new plan includes an update of our mission and vision statements, and strategic plan goals focused on the concept of “Priority Waters:” • Identify shared Priority Waters for native and wild trout and salmon across the country and take strategic action to care for and recover them.

• Inspire people and communities across the country to care for and recover their waters.

• Invest in our staff, volunteers, and partners so we have the tools, technology, training, and resources necessary to achieve our shared goals.

THE TROUT TALE

See PRIORITY WATERS on page 7

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PRIORITY WATERS

from page 6

suitability models for trout, protected lands information, and water quality data.

We are looking for strongholds of large, intact habitats with healthy native trout populations because these are the populations with the life history and genetic diversity that will enable them to persist into the future even as the climate changes. We are also looking for outstanding wild trout waters where conservation efforts are not to the detriment of native trout. However, the identification of priority waters will not simply be a mapping exercise. We will be using on-theground knowledge of these watersheds and conversations with agency partners to then focus on areas where TU has the opportunity to add value, impact, and resources – where our “secret sauce” can really make a difference for trout conservation. To that end, our team has been going through each watershed and asking ourselves, what are the reconnection and restoration projects we foresee in the next five years? The protection campaigns? Other opportunities? Will we be leading the way with an investment of staff time, playing more of a supporting role, or will chapters be the main source of engagement?

We anticipate that many of the watersheds where we have already heavily invested staff and volunteer time will rise to the top – the strongholds for our four subspecies of cutthroat trout in the upper Snake, Bighorn Basin, upper Green, and upper Bear. Other areas that are likely to be elevated include wild trout (brown and rainbow trout) waters that are priority areas for WGFD and other partners, and where we may be able to bring innovative tools or

new resources to bear, like our demand management (voluntary water leasing program) in the upper Green and water quality work in the Shoshone River.

So, what’s next? We are currently on track to identify a first draft of Wyoming’s Priority Waters by the end of December. We will then share this with the Wyoming Council, chapters and membership for feedback, and also loop in our key agency partners in the early part of 2022. We will develop a vision and objectives for each priority watershed, and craft this into a narrative, report, and accompanying graphics by the end of summer 2022 that we envision will be compelling to our supporters and funders. Then, we will roll up our sleeves and get to work.

One of the outcomes of this prioritization process is that not every Wyoming trout water will be deemed a priority. There will be some cherished home waters that will not be flagged. Rest assured, chapters will continue to be able to do good work in their home waters, even if these areas are unlikely to receive a significant investment of TU staff time. On the flip side, they may learn about and be inspired to help with projects in Priority Waters elsewhere in the state, in the same way that many of our members support projects in their home waters but also take action for national-level priorities like Bristol Bay and the Lower Snake River dams. Team Wyoming’s suggestion is to think of Priority Waters as the best “Opportunity Waters” for where TU should work in Wyoming in the next five years. We look forward to sharing our draft with you and hearing your feedback, so that the end product is something that really resonates with our chapters, membership and partners in the state.

Get to know your native Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout

By PAUL BUNKER Trout Unlimited Native Trout Workgroup YCT Poster Project Lead

After nearly a year in development, the Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout (YCT) poster is complete, and now available for anglers and non-anglers alike to enjoy, and to teach and inspire others to protect and conserve one of our country’s most iconic native trout.

As part of the “Get to Know Your Native Trout” series — established by the Western Native Trout Initiative (WNTI) — the YCT joins other posters telling the story of the Inland Redband, Apache, Gila, and Eastern Brook trout, along with the Rio Grande, Greenback, and Bonneville Cutthroat trout.

Here’s a behind the scenes look at the YCT poster development.

poster’s focus was going to tell the story of the restoration efforts of native fish in Yellowstone National Park, namely the Yellowstone and Westslope Cutthroats, and Arctic Grayling. However, the scope was soon narrowed to simply highlight the YCT, including its entire range in Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Utah, with an emphasis on restoration efforts in Yellowstone Lake.

CONCEPT AND SCOPE Initial discussions about the YCT poster started among the TU Native Trout Workgroup (NTWG) in January of 2021. At first, the WINTER 2022

See YELLOWSTONE CUTTHROAT TROUT on page 8

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THE TROUT TALE

YELLOWSTONE CUTTHROAT TROUT from page 7 USGS, BLM and state wildlife agencies. Because of all their efforts, this poster is more of a celebration of hard work and foretelling of a future with promise, rather than a story of demise and destruction of a beautiful gift of nature.

PURPOSE The project was designed to raise awareness of the native YCT in their current range of Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Nevada. The poster is now available to TU state councils and local chapters for use in Trout in the Classroom programs and at various events, such as fly fishing dealer and consumer shows, chapter meetings, and local community events.

The goal is to reach diverse organizations and communities – especially classrooms, youth groups, conservation organizations and governmental agencies that have a direct impact on the environment from their planning and decision-making. By becoming aware of the impacts on this native fish, from both natural and man-made activities, the public will have the knowledge and hopefully the motivation to take action to preserve this native trout. The poster can also be used to generate donations to support native fish restoration.

We are currently working with the National Park Service and Yellowstone Forever to have this poster made available to the millions of annual visitors to Yellowstone National Park.

ARTWORK AND DESIGN It is one thing to put down the words to tell an amazing native fish restoration and conservation story, but what really brings the YCT poster to life is the artwork and design. As with all the other “Get to Know Your Native Fish” posters, the artwork for the Yellowstone cutthroat trout was provided by renowned fish illustrator and fly fisherman Joe Tomelleri.

The poster design surrounding this amazing illustration was done by Jeremy Carlson. He has done some fly fishing, just not much. His talent is with pen and ink, and his ability to transform words and photos into masterful works of art.

During this past summer, I took some pictures of the iconic Fishing Bridge and the Yellowstone River as it flows out of the lake. Although the Yellowstone Lake segment is small, the image he created will have many people saying “I stood on that bridge and know that riverbank.” Likewise, the custom lettering he created for the Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout banner depicts a true sense of the Old West. Many thanks, Joe and Jeremy, for a job well done!

Please enjoy this poster, and for my TU friends around Wyoming, pat yourselves on the back for a job well done. My hope is that a youngster will look at this work of art, and the pictures and words will inspire him or her to continue the legacy of those before them.

FUNDING Developing posters is definitely not cheap. Artwork, design, printing and distribution costs can total $4,500 to $7,500, depending on the number of posters produced. Fortunately, there are a lot of friends of the Yellowstone cutthroat, from Maine to California. The East Yellowstone TU Chapter in Cody and the Wyoming TU Council (WYTU) were among the first to raise their hands and write checks to help.

This was followed with grants from WNTI, the TU councils of California, Idaho, Maine and from Orvis. Individual TU chapters — Sagebrush, Nevada; Oak Brook, Illinois; El Dorado, California; and Lackawanna, Pennsylvania — also contributed.

My older brother John, and I, also donated speaking fees from ZOOM® presentations to organizations who actually tolerated listening to us for an hour or so about our passion for visiting Yellowstone and restoring native fish. And with the help of a few other advocates of YCT, the fundraising was successful.

Here’s how you can get your own Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout poster

CONTENT From the outset, the wording of the poster took a more conservation and restoration tone, rather than outline what you need to have in your tackle box. Not better, just different. I was surprised by how little room was available to tell such a big story.

More than half of the poster is taken up by pictures, maps, legends, logos and descriptors of the fish itself. The conservation and restoration side of the YCT story is contained in the lower left and center of the poster: “A Keystone Species,” “Yellowstone Lake — Paradise Almost Lost,” “Threats and Current Status,” and “How you can help.”

Through the years, WYTU and the East Yellowstone TU chapter have made significant contributions to the YCT success story along with other partners — Yellowstone Forever, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, National Park Service, USFWS, USFS, THE TROUT TALE

The Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited has an excellent supply of these great-looking, educational posters on hand in Cheyenne and available for donation. The suggested donation is $25, which includes a poster ($15) and all shipping and handling costs ($10). Additional posters are available for a donation of $10 per poster. All posters require a shipping and handling fee of $10.

To make a donation and receive your poster(s), please e-mail Wyoming Council Coordinator Mike Jensen at mike.jensen@tu.org.

All donations received from this project will go toward restoration and conservation of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout projects in Wyoming.

WYTU also plans to distribute posters at the Spring Council Meeting and to TU chapters throughout Wyoming.

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CHAPTER YEAR-IN-REVIEW

East Yellowstone Trout Unlimited Chapter The number of trout rescued was below 50 fish.

Last year, at 90 percent operation, the screen filtered all but 117 trout. In years prior to the screen in place, we rescued 700 to 1,600 trout. Secondly, after many years of negotiating, the Lakeview Canal may see its first fish screen, a non-mechanical solution to divert trout back to the South Fork of the Shoshone. Our rescue, mostly in siphons, sets the before picture, where over a thousand trout would be lost to their entrainment.

EYTU donated funds to two projects of significant importance to Yellowstone Cutthroat conservation. First, the WGFD and Greater Yellowstone Coalition plan to isolate the Crandall Creek drainage and to reduce isolated populations of rainbow trout. The project’s goal is to raise the genetic purity of YCT to 98 percent in the system, from its current level of 92 percent. Secondly, the Wood River Fish Passage project was just completed. Recent inflation of steel and other material prices threatened delays, so to defray costs, EYTU made a second donation. When successful, this fish passage will reconnect 100 miles of YCT habitat for the first time in over 50 years.

EYTU partnered with First Hunt Foundation where TU members mentored youth and adults in fly tying, casting and fly fishing, shotgun and rifle shooting, and guiding youth through their first whitetail deer and upland game bird hunts.

In drought years, water management becomes dire. Unfortunately, fisheries are seldom a priority, as we’ve seen winter releases significantly reduced on many of Wyoming’s tailwaters. In a letter, our top officers approached the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) over the winter use agreement which threatens the fisheries on the lower Shoshone River. We questioned their categorical exclusion from the NEPA process, asked for incremental reduction of flows, and proposed implementing efficient reduced flow management. The BOR suggested we negotiate with WWDO and we plan to incorporate that additional option in our quest for change.

Kids Fishing Day was a huge success. On a perfect weather day, over 320 youth participated in our fishing derby. We expected 200 participants, but were able to give away fishing poles and tackle to 280 anglers. Prizes were awarded for the top three places for best fish and the grand prize was an inflatable kayak and life jackets. We offer a special thanks to the Cody Optimist Club, WGFD, US Forest Service and Park County and Shoshone Recreation Districts.

At our annual holiday meeting, we launched the dissemination of the new Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout poster. This beautiful, artistic, old school style poster was created through the National Leadership Council (NLC) of TU and the Western Native Trout Initiative.

By KATHY CROFTS East Yellowstone Chapter President The East Yellowstone Trout Unlimited chapter (EYTU) members and others worked four long days seeding vegetation plots in an attempt to reclaim an abandoned bentonite mine. Each plot was treated differently to determine the most efficient treatment to encourage native vegetation growth. Since the early 1990s, the 10-acre exposed surface mine eroded significantly, resulting in fine, silty bentonite particles washing into the Shoshone River.

Not only does fish health and habitat suffer in silt-choked water, but the silt collects downstream, causing a need to employ sometimes detrimental flushing events in the system. Our work effort is in support of the Willwood Working Group #3— a multi-agency consortium including the Wyoming Game & Fish Department (WGFD), Park County Conservation Districts, the University of Wyoming, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

Volunteers pictured: Kathy Crofts, Jerry Anthony, Dave Sweet, Bob Capron, John Crick, Larry Timchak, Cathy Sweet, Brad Tribby, Laura Burchardt, Len Fortunato, Brenda Sportsman. Not pictured: Linda Crick, Donna Kenney and Carmen McIntyre EYTU photos by Kathy Crofts

The final phase of the five-year Soldier Creek Restoration project was completed in May of 2021. Protected by 3,000 feet of steel jack fencing, willows stocks and young shrubs were planted on the meandering meadow stream bank. Within a month, we saw green leaves stretching for the sun.

To-date, an increase in trout length and size has been experienced. Soldier Creek lies in the Big Horn Mountains and is home to a pure strain of Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout.

Monitoring efforts continue on East and West Newton Lake. Trout Unlimited (TU) teams measure inflow and outflow, sinkhole discharges, survey lake levels, measure TDS concentration, and observe daily use and conditions. When water temperatures rose significantly this summer, a series of temperature loggers were placed at various depths and monitored by our members. We hope to produce data for wise management and be sure this gem is not forgotten. The chapter has a lot of skin in this game.

Twenty-five years ago, East Newton Lake was a salamander pond until members of this chapter took on improving its fisheries. It is now known as a trophy trout fishery due to our efforts and those of the Wyoming Game & Fish Department.

Unfortunately, fish rescue was reduced again this year, down to two rescue projects. Since the North Fork fish screen was operating at peak performance at 96 percent, it was vital to survey the downstream canals.

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— Dave Sweet contributed to this article

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WYTU NEWS NOTES AIS watercraft checkstations saw high numbers, live mussels in 2021

Maggie Heumann joins TU as new manager of volunteer operations

CHEYENNE — Wyoming remains free of invasive mussels after a challenging year protecting the state from aquatic invasive species (AIS).

Over the summer season, Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) watercraft checkstations inspected more than 68,000 boats across the state to protect Wyoming’s waters from invasive aquatic plants and animals. Game and Fish personnel decontaminated 924 boats, and inspectors found live mussels on two. It’s the highest number of decontaminations ever since the AIS program was established in 2010 by the State Legislature and the first time live mussels were found on boats at Wyoming checkstations.

“Checkstations were extremely busy in 2020, and we stayed that way in 2021,” said Josh Leonard, Game and Fish AIS coordinator. “It was another record-breaking year, but this time it was because we intercepted more risk.”

AIS checkstations are regarded as the first line of defense against invasives entering the state or being spread between Wyoming’s waters. Those range from invasive plants like curly pondweed, which Wyoming does have, to species that the state has managed to keep out like Asian carp and zebra or quagga mussels.

In Wyoming, the law requires any watercraft transported into the state from March 1 through Nov. 30 must undergo a mandatory inspection by an authorized inspector prior to launching. Any watercraft that has been in a water infested with zebra/quagga mussels within the last 30 days is required to undergo a mandatory inspection by an authorized inspector prior to launching during all months of the year. All watercraft must stop at any open watercraft check station on their route of travel, even if not intending to launch in Wyoming.

As more states and waters turn up with AIS, particularly mussels, the threat to Wyoming continues to swell. Decontaminations in 2021 were more than double the 480 conducted in 2019. In 2021, checkstation inspectors found mussels on 54 boats; in 2019, only 19 boats were intercepted with mussels.

While there’s a growing threat of AIS, Leonard said more public awareness of AIS in general led to increased compliance to stop at required watercraft checkstations, and ultimately the recordbreaking numbers. Leonard attributes that partially to a partnership with Wyoming Department of Transportation to use highway signage reminding boaters to stop at checkstations — flashing “ALL BOATERS MUST STOP” for most of the summer months.

The other reason he suspects more adherence to the rules is due to the unfortunate identification of zebra mussels in moss balls, a popular aquarium plant, in pet stores this last spring. That discovery thrust AIS into the spotlight.

Game and Fish and the Wyoming Department of Agriculture led a governor’s response team to remove moss balls from retail shelves, monitor municipal water treatment plants for traces of zebra mussel DNA and get the word out to Wyomingites to watch for AIS in their homes. Through a robust communications campaign, residents were encouraged to dispose of any moss balls they owned by boiling the

Trout Unlimited is pleased to announce that Maggie Heumann, an active TU volunteer leader and avid conservationist, has been hired as the new manager of volunteer operations, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.

Maggie was born and raised in the Appalachian foothills of North Alabama and was drawn to the outdoors from as far back as she can remember. Upon graduation from Auburn University, Maggie followed her heart West, ultimately landing in Driggs, Idaho. She has spent the last 10-plus years working in fly shops, organizing events and volunteering in the Jackson Hole area.

She most recently worked at Orvis, where she was able to fully engage with the angling and river community on a daily basis.

She is a co-founder of Artemis Sportswomen, a Jackson Hole Chapter board member and an Idaho Wildlife Federation board member.

Maggie’s husband is a Navy Veteran and fly-fishing guide in Idaho. Their lives are completely entwined with trout, conservation and public land use. Maggie is honored and thrilled to be a part of Trout Unlimited as the manager of volunteer operations, not only for her sake, but for the benefit of future generations and beyond.

Join Wyoming Trout Unlimited in welcoming Maggie and feel free to connect with her by e-mail at maggie.heumann@tu.org.

Zoe Bommarito joins TU as Mountain West communications director Zoe Bommarito has joined Trout Unlimited as Mountain West Communications Director.

Based in Missoula, Montana, Zoe will lead communications efforts in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Nevada, as well as some national campaigns.

She grew up in Michigan and is a graduate of Michigan State University.

She comes to Trout Unlimited from the National Forest Foundation, where she managed all integrated communications and marketing campaigns, field communications, and digital channel strategy.

She has also worked in various capacities for the U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Association of State Foresters.

THE TROUT TALE

See WYTU NEWS NOTES on page 11

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WINTER 2022

WYTU NEWS NOTES

from page 10

Wyoming Trout in the Classroom program expands to three schools

plants and the tank water, and then pouring it outside on grass or soil.

“The outreach around moss balls and zebra mussels created a lot more awareness about the threat of AIS to our state,” Leonard said.

Invasive mussels are one of the most destructive forms of AIS and it is very unlikely to eradicate mussels once they are established in natural water. While the state was the most vulnerable it’s ever been to a mussel infestation, Wyoming remains free of zebra and quagga mussels. Game and Fish monitors for mussels and other invasives by sampling 20 waters twice per year and an additional 50 waters once per year. This year, municipal water testing was also added to that list to make sure mussels didn’t find their way into pipes from aquariums.

The department also finalized rapid response plans in 2021 to quickly respond if mussels are ever found in the state’s 23 most vulnerable natural waters.

“There’s still a place in the United States that doesn’t have mussels, it’s Wyoming — and we’re doing all we can to keep it that way, with inspectors working very hard to keep AIS out,” Leonard said.

“Wyoming has wonderful, diverse water resources, and we need to protect them.”

— Sara DiRienzo, Public Information Officer, WGFD

After a very successful pilot program at Torrington Middle School this past year, the Trout in the Classroom curriculum is expanding to include a total of three schools in Wyoming in 2022.

The program will return to Jenna Krul’s sixth-grade science class at Torrington Middle School. The program will also be taught in Allison Baas’ science class at Whiting Alternative High School in Laramie, and Lee Harper’s science class at Expedition Academy Alternative High School in Green River.

The curriculum will kick off on January 4, when each school will receive 400 rainbow trout eggs from the Wyoming Game & Fish Department’s (WGFD) Dubois Fish Hatchery.

The Trout in the Classroom curriculum is an environmental education program in which students raise trout from eggs to fry, monitor water quality, engage in stream habitat study, learn the value of clean, coldwater resources, begin to foster a conservation ethic and grow to understand ecosytems.

In addition, the students will learn about the importance of native and wild fish, ongoing conservation work with agriculture, municipalities and other partners, adverse implications of illegal fish stocking and more.

A special thanks to the Wyoming Game & Fish Department team for their incredible support of this project. Thanks, too, to the Laramie Plains TU Chapter in Laramie, the Seedskadee TU Chapter in the Rock Springs/Green River area, and the Wyoming Council of Trout Unlimited for making this program possible in the three schools for 2022.

Watch for updates on social media platforms, and the spring 2022 The Trout Tale newsletter.

Mark your calendars — WYTU Spring Council Meeting set for April 29, 30 and May 1, in Green River, Wyoming “It’s time for Wyoming Trout Unlimited (TU) members to meet in person,” said Wyoming Council Coordinator Mike Jensen at the December 21 WYTU executive council meeting. “It’s been two-plus years since we last gathered for a council meeting in Pinedale.”

Despite continued and current concerns with the Omicron COVID19 variant, the executive committee is moving forward to plan for an in-person business/council meeting in Green River on April 29, 30 and May 1.

“Of course, we’ll monitor the situation and make any necessary adjustments,” Jensen said. “The safety of our TU members, staff and conservation partners is paramount.”

This particular meeting is of added importance, as it’s time to elect new officers for the Wyoming Council.

“If anyone is interested in a position on the executive committee, we would love to talk to you,” said Jensen. “We’ll be looking to elect the president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and National Leadership Council positions. In addition, we have three at-large board positions that will need to be filled.”

If anyone who is good standing with Trout Unlimited is interested in any of the positions, please contact Mike Jensen by e-mailing him at mike.jensen@tu.org.

Watch for more details on the council meeting as they become available.

WINTER 2022

Action item: Attention chapter presidents and treasurers As a reminder to chapter presidents and treasurers in Wyoming, the WYTU executive committee wants each chapter to be aware that Trout Unlimited’s fiscal year will end on March 31. In addition, each chapter and the council will be required to file their respective Annual Activity Report to track and account for the financial and volunteer activity during the fiscal year from April 1 through March 31.

The reports are due annually by May 15. If you have questions or need any help on this all-important matter, please contact WYTU council treasurer Jim Hissong at wyohiss@gmail.com

Annual Activity Reports

WYTU GEAR: GET SOME! Click here to get yours today!

11

THE TROUT TALE

RECONNECT

Removing the last barrier on the Wood River

Trout Unlimited and its conservation partners recently completed the Wood River reconnect project that will open migratory corridors to over 100 miles of habitat for the Yellowstone Cutthroat trout and other native fish. Here, the size and scope of the project during construction can be seen. The new, technical fish ladder can be seen on the left.

WYTU PHOTOS: Cory Toye

unforgiving weather and relentless uncertainty from one year to the next.

One of the greatest gifts I have received in my career with Trout Unlimited is the opportunity to develop partnerships in the Greybull River watershed to reconnect and improve habitat for Yellowstone Cutthroat trout (YCT). I have made countless friends through With the recent this work: TU volunteers, completion of the landowners, state and federal Wood River Diversion agency staff, teachers, Fish Ladder, TU, GVID consultants and many others — and our partners have each motivated to make a connected nearly 300 difference for the watershed. miles of native YCT Although many of the habitat in the Greybull partnerships may seem unlikely, drainage the passion for the resource drives innovation and willingness to find the middle ground on difficult projects. There have been tough conversations but there has also been compromise which has led to watershed scale success.

By CORY TOYE Wyoming Water and Habitat Program Director

A

s I have gotten older, I have become very aware of when I am feeling joy. I find it with family and friends, I can find it in my work and I find it in the places I feel connected to. There are a lot of these places for me in Wyoming. Across this amazing state, I have memories seared in my mind of great times, hard times, fun times and experiences with landscapes that influence who I am. Finding that connection and feeling the pull of the water, dirt, wind and sun resonate in me now more than ever. I take the time to be humbled by the scope, scale and the mystery of wild places and how we work to protect or improve landscapes that we can only try to understand.

I was born in Meeteetse, Wyoming, and lived there for the first five years of my life. After we moved to Laramie, my family would regularly visit friends who made a living on the banks of the Greybull River. These people remain my heroes. I marveled at the motivation to carve out a living with the rustic landscapes, THE TROUT TALE

See WOOD RIVER on page 13

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WINTER 2022

WOOD RIVER

from page 12

This aerial photo shows the recently completed technical fish ladder built by Trout Unlimited contractors. For the first time in over 50 years, the ladder will provide upstream passage to over 100 miles of habitat for YCT and other native fish.

Most recently, partners assembled to complete the Wood River reconnect project to reestablish migratory corridors to over 100 miles of habitat for YCT and other native fish.

The Wood River is the largest tributary of the Greybull River in Wyoming and boasts one of the last strongholds of YCT in the state.

For over a decade, TU has worked with ranchers, irrigation districts, state and federal agencies and countless other partners to improve connectivity and streamflow throughout the watershed.

One of the most critical partnerships TU maintains in the watershed is with the Greybull Valley Irrigation District (GVID), who manage two large reservoirs in the heart of YCT country.

GVID and TU have partnered for over 10 years to find projects that maintain water delivery requirements and improve connectivity. With the recent completion of the Wood River This photo, taken in 2019, shows the diversion dam that was built in 1972. The concrete dam spans the entire channel and is nearly eight feet high, making it a complete barrier for Yellowstone cutthroat trout and other native fish.

Diversion Fish Ladder, TU, GVID and our partners have A SPECIAL THANKS connected nearly 300 miles TO OUR WOOD of native YCT habitat in the RIVER PROJECT Greybull drainage.

PARTNERS: The Wood River Diversion is located 14 miles upstream of the Greybull River/Wood River confluence west of Meeteetsee. The diversion n Antlers Ranch dam was built in 1972 and is n Greybull Valley operated by GVID to fill Irrigation District Lower Sunshine Reservoir as n Meeteetse well as provide irrigation Conservation District water to nearby ag lands. n East Yellowstone The concrete structure spans TU Chapter the entire channel, is nearly n U.S. Fish and eight feet high, and was a Wildlife Service complete barrier for YCT n U.S. Forest Service and other native fish since its n Wyoming Game original construction. and Fish Department For the last two months, n Wyoming Wildlife and TU contractors were on site Natural Resource Trust building a technical fish ladder to provide upstream passage to over 100 miles of habitat for the first time in over 50 years. This structure was the only barrier for YCT on the Wood River from its confluence with the Greybull River to the headwaters in the Absaroka Mountains. Completion of this project also represents that last barrier removal for YCT on the mainstem Greybull and its major tributaries. Over the next few years, TU will continue to improve passage and habitat on smaller tributaries in the drainage.

I look forward to more successes with all of our partners in the Greybull drainage. Each project that we complete is helping to ensure that generations will be haunted by this amazing Another view of the project. The new watershed and the mighty fish ladder can be seen at the top of the photo.

YCT that call it home.

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CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS TODAY! As always, all proceeds benefit our efforts to conserve, protect and restore Wyoming’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. Thank you for your support!

WINTER 2022

13

THE TROUT TALE

2022 Yellowstone National Park volunteer snorkeling for science program

(aka: Yellowstone National Park volunteer fly fishing program) river at least three to four days during the week, weather dependent and as conditions dictate. There will be other projects available throughout the park if you are not on the river.

By PAUL BUNKER Yellowstone National Park (YNP) Fly Fishing Program Volunteer Recruiter

I

HOUSING Volunteers need to secure their own housing/camping reservations, whether in the park (through Xanterra) or located in the northeast corner (Gardiner/Cooke City, Montana). I plan to be in the Canyon Village campground for the summer. If you are camping/RV in the park, I would suggest you make reservations through Xanterra for Canyon Village (first choice) and Bridge Bay (second choice) as soon as you can, arriving on Sunday night and departing on Saturday. Xanterra has a 30-day cancellation policy.

Also, I anticipate the Slough Creek, Pebble Creek and Mammoth campgrounds will have opened up for reservations in mid-December. However, most sites at these coveted locations CLICK HERE TO CHECK CAMP AVAILABILITY will be gone in less than an hour based on last year’s personal experience. Get familiar with the website beforehand. Please understand the cancellation policies of whatever housing you choose, as the program will not reimburse you for any cancellation fees you incur. In addition, if you live close to the park and want to commute to the project sites, we will work with you on a drop-in basis.

thought if I started this out with the customary annual Yellowstone National Park (YNP) Volunteer Fly Fishing Program announcement, I’d get a lot of “Oh no, here we go again!” reactions. So, I thought this time I would introduce the invitation to be part of the 2022 YNP Volunteer Fly Fishing Program a little bit differently.

But yes, this past year, a group of scientists did indeed “snorkel for science” in Slough Creek and the lower Lamar River surveying the waters and counting fish — native cutts and non-native hybrids and bows. As they say, it’s a tough job, but somebody had to do it.

In 2022, these same scientists will be trading in their snorkeling gear for more traditional angling equipment and need citizen scientists to help them fly fish for science and conduct creel surveys in park waters, primarily in the Lamar River.

PROGRAM BASICS The program will be broken up into six weekly segments, starting Sunday, July 17, and ending Friday, Aug. 26. Volunteers can sign up for an entire week or indicate the number of days you want to participate. The exact number of days you volunteer depends on the number of applicants per week and where folks are located (Northeast corner, Canyon, Bridge Bay, Mammoth, Roosevelt).

We hope to have up to four anglers each day assisting a Montana State graduate student complete his thesis by collecting/catching survey data on the Lamar.

I expect we will be on the

At this time, a shuttle service (van) is planned to transport volunteers from Canyon Village Campground to the project work sites on the Lamar or elsewhere in the park when conditions/schedule warrant. Folks staying at Bridge Bay need to plan to meet at Canyon Village for the shuttle. Folks staying elsewhere in the park or northeast corner need to plan their own transportation to the project sites.

If you are interested in volunteering or have any questions about the program, please contact Paul Bunker at pnsbunker@comcast.net.

This is a great opportunity for you and a group of your angling friends to help in the conservation and restoration of Yellowstone’s native fish.

Above left: Several scientists are pictured “snorkeling for science” last year. They were surveying the waters and counting fish in both Slough Creek and the lower Lamar River. Left: Suz Bunker admires a beautiful Yellowstone cutthroat trout she caught during the volunteer fly fishing program in Yellowstone National Park.

COURTESY PHOTOS: Paul Bunker

THE TROUT TALE

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WINTER 2022

YOUR TROUT UNLIMITED BUSINESSESLittle IN Big WYOMING CHAPTER SUPPORT SPOTLIGHT Horn Chapter n North Fork Anglers

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O L

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Brandon Specht Laramie, WY 82070 (307) 745-5425 flystore@flystore.net www.flystore.net

n Wyoming Newspapers, Inc. Mark Tesoro (307) 789 -6560 Evanston, WY 82930 mtesoro@uintacountyherald.com

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Josh Hattan Pinedale, WY 82941 (307) 367-4131 info@tworiversfishing.com www.tworiversfishing.com

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O G

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Clark Smyth Sheridan, WY 82801 (307) 672-5866 clark@anglingdestinations.com www.sheridanflyfishing.com

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Trout Unlimited Business members are TU ambassadors in protecting, restoring, reconnecting and sustaining North America’s coldwater fisheries. To become a TU Business member, contact Wyoming’s own Walt Gasson at 307.630.7398 or e-mail him at walt.gasson@tu.org

O Outfitters

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As always, all proceeds benefit our efforts to conserve, protect and restore Wyoming’scoldwater fisheries and their watersheds. Thank you for your support!

WINTER 2022

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THE TROUT TALE