NEWSLETTERS
SUBSCRIBE

Print Edition

Log in
My Account
Log in
Subscribe
My Account
Log in

Gov. John Hickenlooper to be recognized by Trout Unlimited for river conservation efforts

By Marianne Goodl 03/11/2018 | updated 7 years ago

Trout Unlimited this week announced Gov. John Hickenlooper will be recognized for his contributions to conservation for state rivers and streams.

The 2018 River Stewardship award will be presented to Hickenlooper Thursday, for his actions both as Denver mayor and as Colorado governor.

In 2007, according to a statement from Trout Unlimited, the Denver chamber held a first-ever “Carp Slam” – a fly-fishing tournament – to raise money and awareness for conservation of the South Platte River. Hickenlooper, then Denver mayor, encouraged his city agencies to partner with Trout Unlimited on the tournament, which is now an annual event. He also appointed “a new breed of commissioners” to the Denver water board,  “who encouraged Denver Water to engage with other interests to find cooperative, collaborative solutions – not simply continue the old water fights of the past.” That resulted in a landmark 2013 Colorado River Cooperative Agreement. which works to meet water needs while improving the Colorado River watershed health.

Hickenlooper’s water accomplishments as governor include the state’s first-ever comprehensive water plan, according to Trout Unlimited Executive Director David Nickum. The governor brought together “the right people, at the right place and time, and with the right support and encouragement, to make these remarkable accomplishments possible,” Nickum said in a statement. “He has done nothing less than create the climate in which river stewardship can thrive in Colorado. And that is the essence of great leadership.”

The water plan, ordered by Hickenlooper in 2013, seeks to improve river and stream health as well as ensure Colorado has a reliable water supply for the next three decades. The plan, completed in Nov., 2015, directs state water providers and state agencies to come up with one million acre-feet of water through conservation and additional storage, to meet an expected population surge of at least three million people between now and 2050. The cost, estimated at a minimum of $30 billion, will largely be shouldered by water providers, although the state is also expected to put in about $3 billion, at $100 million per year, starting in 2020. Where those dollars will come from have not yet been determined, given competition for state revenue from transportation and public education needs.

The award will be given Thursday evening at the annual Trout Unlimted River Stewardship Gala.

Trout Unlimited is the nation’s oldest and largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization that works to conserve, protect and restore the nation’s trout and salmon habitats and their watersheds. Colorado Trout Unlimited has 24 chapters and more than 10,000 members.

 
David Zalubowski
Marianne Goodl

Reporter

PREV

PREVIOUS

This Week at the Capitol: March 12-16

Here are the legislative committee hearings of note for the week ahead at the Colorado Capitol. Committee schedules are subject to change. The daily schedule is available on the legislature’s website. Click here and scroll down to committee hearings to listen online. Some of the hottest bills of the session (civil rights, PERA reform) are up this week. […]

NEXT

NEXT UP

Republican Nic Morse, a former congressional nominee, drops primary bid in Larimer County's Senate District 15

Larimer County Republican Nic Morse is withdrawing from the race for the Senate District 15 seat held by term-limited state Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, who is seeking the GOP nomination for state treasurer, Colorado Politics has learned. Morse, a marketing executive and the 2016 Republican nominee for the congressional seat held by U.S. Rep. Jared […]
Welcome Back.

Streak: 9 days i

Stories you've missed since your last login:

Stories you've saved for later:

Recommended stories based on your interests:

Edit my interests