Ted Trueblood Chapter 2004 Annual Report
The Ted Trueblood Chapter of Trout Unlimited completed another very active year of activities, and is poised to make some historic moves in FY 2005.
We held our spring event at the Big Easy Concert House on Tuesday, April 6, 2004. This was our second Trout on Tuesday fundraiser. Two episodes shown have aired on Trout Unlimited Television on the Outdoor Life Network. One episode is on the South Fork Snake River and was filmed in 2002. The other is on the Big Wood River and it was produced in the fall of 2003.
In the latter part of the year we prepared for a one day conference on the Owyhee River to be held in November 2004 in Ontario, Oregon. The conference is in cooperation with the Indian Head Fly Fishers, Bureau of Reclamation, and Bureau of Land Management.
We closed out our NFWF grant on the Island Creek Project at Eagle Island. There is more vegetation planted and growing along the stream, and we will continue to collect monitoring information, but the major excavation work is largely complete and for the first time in decades a small tributary to the lower Boise River is reconnected to the main river.
On important Boise River issues, we sent a comprehensive eight-page letter of comment to the Bureau of Reclamation on their draft environmental assessment to permanently contract 71,000 acre-feet of water in Lucky Peak Reservoir for irrigation use. With continuing and rapid urbanization of the Boise Valley, we have taken the position that all this water cannot be justified for irrigation use in perpetuity (as in forever). Some water should be dedicated to improve winter Boise River stream flows for trout habitat enhancement and to meet other growing municipal and community water needs.
On February 11, TU presented comments to the Ada County Commission opposing a proposal to reduce Boise River floodway setbacks downstream of the city of Boise. The Commission listened to our comments and from others and later that evening voted to retain present setback distances and protections.
Based primarily on the Ted Trueblood chapteršs lobbying efforts, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission decided to maintain the two trout harvest restriction (quality regulations) in a mid-town reach of the Boise River for the next two years. This river section will continue to be favored by walk-in or floating anglers wanting a better shot at catching wild trout literally within the city limits of Boise. Check the IDFG fishing regulations for the Southwest Region area.
Our chapter has created a new modular display system that we can transport, set up and use to better "advertise" the activities and projects we pursue. The display will be utilized at fund raising events and stationed in public places to expand community awareness of TU.
Some upgrades to our chapteršs website at www.tedtruebloodtu.org were made. Darryl Kuhrt and Shigeru Yokoyama spearheaded the work. We will post 1) upcoming project outings and volunteer work signups, 2) correspondence that we formally generate to further coldwater fisheries conservation, 3) expanded Trout in the Classroom coverage and 4) a calendar of upcoming TU activities.
Our January 31, BSU John Shewey seminar event generated a net return to the Ted Trueblood chapter of $1,500.
The Ted Trueblood Chapteršs Trout in the Classroom Program continues to grow. Five new schools are now part of the program: North Junior High, Anser Charter School, Meridian High School, White Pine Elementary, and Lowman School House. Through the involvement of professional fishery biologists, dedicated teachers and chapter member support, Trout in the Classroom is in sixteen Treasure Valley schools. Students are currently witnessing rainbow trout emerge in their classroom aquariums. The Program provides an excellent interactive and integrated curriculum for hands-on learning of salmonid ecosystems, life cycles, and the world we interact with everyday.
Here is a current listing of pending fish habitat improvement and research projects that the Ted Trueblood Chapter worked on during 2004. Please note the TU contact and their phone number if you want more information or wish to volunteer for the work outing.
Harris Ranch Boise River side channel project - Several permits were obtained and construction continued through 2004 with the hope of construction in early 2005 on the initial stream excavation on the side channel project at Harris Ranch, along the Boise River just upstream of Eckert Bridge. Contact Andy Brunelle at 343-1510 for more information.
Bull trout radio-tagging study - Anglers participated in efforts to catch bull trout on June 17, 18, and 19 in the Deadwood River for radio transmitter implants to facilitate a fish migration study. Unfortunately the high river flows made the trout not cooperate.
Fir Creek Campground Fencing Project With some funding from a TU Embrace-A-Stream grant, our chapter held an outing in August 2004 to construct fencing next to Fir Creek Campground to improve salmon, steelhead and trout habitat in Bear Valley Creek. This was a two day project which included camping and fishing having some good times while we build fence. Look here for more information.
River Run Boise River side channel spawning gravel placement This project will be located next the greenbelt walking path section and adjacent to The Island housing development of River Run. We began discussions with the City of Boise Parks and Recreation Department, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and with the homeowners association to place gravel in a side channel to create spawning beds for trout, which has been historically limited in the lower Boise River system. This will be a great one day work outing. Arrangements and permitting are underway. It will be scheduled sometime in summer 2005. Stay tuned and call Richard Prange at 336-9167 (h) if you would like to help.
Ted Trueblood Chapter of
Trout Unlimited
P.O. Box 1971
Boise, ID 83701