WE MAKE COLORADO’S RIVERS IN EAGLE COUNTY HEALTHIER – JOIN US!
Since 2010 the Eagle Valley TU Chapter has been working to care for and recover rivers and fisheries in the Vail Valley. Most of our work focuses on the cold trout streams in our area, including Gore Creek and the Eagle River.
Read about Gore Creek Restoration, one of our core projects we’ve been helping with the planning and assisting in 2025 and will take place in 2026. LINK
Other 2026 projects and collaboratives we are supporting both from a purpose and financially giving with EVTU dollars:
Abrams Creek project: Enhance road crossing up near the top of Abrams Creek that is causing significant sediment issues and threating native cutthroat trout population. This will entail installation of concrete matting on this road crossing to armor it and stop further sedimentation in the reach.
Water Quality Monitoring & Assessment Program: Collects and analyzes river and water quality data and informs decision-making for projects, land use, and policy.
The Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Program (WQMAP) is a long-term program that serves as a watchdog for water quality, as well as a central information clearinghouse and sharing forum that makes data available to the public. It is the sentinel for long-term change, providing longitudinal studies on threats to river and ecosystem health. Program outputs inform Clean Water Act protections, land use planning, and local permitting.
Gypsum Study:
ECOSYSTEM HEALTH: The goal of this project is to improve river health and aquatic habitat while protecting critical urban infrastructure and bolstering the town of Gypsum and Eagle County’s economies.
AGRICULTURE: This project will engage the Walker Ranch on river left, which owns ~1/2 mile of the reach, has water rights off Gypsum Creek (OH Anderson Ditch), and produces grass pasture.
SAFE DRINKING WATER: The project reach includes the Gypsum Wastewater Treatment Plant and there is a surface water intake on the Eagle River mainstem which supplements the town’s other drinking water sources.
CONSERVATION: The project reach is sandwiched between two unconstrained reaches, which are currently also being studied (by BLM below and CPW above). With the availability of public access points and proximity to Interstate 70, this reach is very popular with all kinds of recreational users, including anglers, boaters, paddle boarders, bird watchers, etc.
LAND USE: This reach is entirely within the Town of Gypsum. An expected outcome of this study will be developing strategies for the landowners to improve their landscaping methods and maintenance to improve riparian habitat and stabilize banks.
Beyond our home waters, we work together with TU staff and partners in our Priority Waters, we advocate for our rivers, restore our stream habitat, plant native trees, help connect kids to the outdoors and so much more.
Our conservation and restoration work relies on volunteers and supporters to be successful and thanks to all of you, we are able to:
- Clean up trash along local rivers and streams
- Plant native trees and shrubs to keep rivers cool and prevent erosion
- Restore degraded habitat through in-stream projects
- Support TU’s national network of Priority Waters through advocacy, volunteerism and contributions
Last year, we completed conservation projects, planted native trees, collected trash and recorded 100’s volunteer hours from our members, supporters and partners in the community.
Support our river restoration work today! As an all-volunteer organization, we need your time, expertise and donations to continue our great work!
Protect, Reconnect, Restore & Sustain
Our river restoration work uses Trout Unlimited’s “landscape approach” to conservation in order to address the many issues impacting the health of our rivers, streams and the watersheds in which they flow. It is not enough to simply plant trees along a river to reduce erosion and shade and cool the water. Nor is it adequate to just focus on removing dams and culverts that block fish migration. And just reducing the volume of polluted stormwater runoff flowing into streams – while positive – on its own is not enough to turn the tide.
To truly restore our local rivers, we must do all of the above – and more – so that the entire ecosystem is brought back into balance.
Not only are we working to repair the damage caused by historic activities such as logging, agriculture, industry and development, but now we are also driving to build resilience into our rivers and streams so they can withstand the coming pressures of man-made climate change and the expected increase in droughts, floods, temperature and volatility in the coming years and decades.