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Ninemile: Bringing in the big guns for river restoration
Work is ramping up again as the Ninemile Creek restoration enters its fifth phase. And this one is a big one as workers prepare to bring in the bulldozers, excavators and haul trucks. "This particular reach of Ninemile Creek was significantly altered, destroyed, even by Ninemile standards," said Paul Parson, Clark Fork restoration coordinator for…
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Worrying about water
All is not right with Lake Meade. As of this writing, Lake Meade is almost 156 feet below "full pool." It's down almost 140 feet below its levels about 20 years ago
My partner and I drove eight hours down to southern Nevada last week for a friend's wedding. It was a classic desert affair, tastefully done, simple and a whole lot of fun. One afternoon, with time to kill before wedding events began to take up the schedule, Toni and I drove out to Lake Mead,…
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Thinking big on the Upper Rio Grande
Trout Unlimited has worked in the upper Rio Grande drainage for years, investing staff and volunteer time into things like raising water tables, reconnecting rivers with their flood plains and protecting public lands. We've worked with indigenous people and local communities to protect and restore this important watershed. We're now combining and organizing our various…
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Twenty tips on how to take better photos on the water
Part one Cameras have gotten faster, cheaper and a whole lot more powerful. Almost everyone owns a camera or has a very powerful one in their phone and, therefore, everyone can be a photographer. While "happy snaps" can do a fine job of documenting a trip, why not up your game a little and take…
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Taking in the infrastructure of nature in New Mexico
Humans are coming to grips with the damage we've done ... and the need to repair it Even in New Mexico, a state so over-endowed with emptiness that one can find a place to hide a body almost anywhere, Gila country is about the loneliest place imaginable. The closer you get, as I realized on…
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Sauce up your campfire steak for Memorial Day
Calling all campfire pyros: It’s almost Memorial Day! It’s not that there’s any bad time or way to break out the grill, but if you’re one of the lucky millions out around the campfire this weekend, might we suggest this as the perfect time to upgrade to your steak and veggies? And as far as upgrades go, there’s not much easier than adding a classic sauce -- made in advance --…
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Is catch-and-release angling all it’s cracked up to be?
Releasing a nice brown trout back into the river. Kirk Deeter photo. Is catch-and-release angling overrated? It is if the only thing that matters is numbers of fish caught… In 1936, the late, great Lee Wulff said, “game fish are too valuable to be caught only once,” and the “catch-and-release” movement was born. I’m a…