Contact: Nick Gann, Rocky Mountain Communications Director, Trout Unlimited – nick.gann@tu.org
Trout Unlimited media resources: https://tu.org/about/media
CHEYENNE, WY – Earlier today, Trout Unlimited (TU) launched a new film, “Lifeblood,” celebrating the collective work and partnerships needed to revitalize Muddy Creek, an important tributary of the Colorado River Basin located south of Rawlins, Wyoming.
For decades, TU and partners such as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wyoming, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and the Little Snake River Conservation District have been restoring vital habitat for Colorado River cutthroat trout in this watershed. Home to four native fish species, Muddy Creek is part of the Little Snake River Basin. Through a feat of Western water engineering, the Basin serves as both a headwater for the Upper Colorado River Basin and provides source water for the city of Cheyenne, which is outside the watershed.
“Historically, Muddy Creek has always been an important water source for both wildlife and humans given its location in the high desert,” said Nick Walrath, Green River senior project manager for Trout Unlimited. “Tribal Nations, emigrants along the Overland Trail, and even visitors to the landscape to this day have all relied upon this creek for water.”
Walrath has led TU’s work at Muddy Creek for years, and has overseen low-tech, process-based restoration efforts and the installation of man-made beaver dams with support from the Wyoming Conservation Corps. Known as beaver dam analogs, these structures restore resilience and natural hydrologic function to Colorado River tributaries, slowing down flows and allowing the water to spread across the floodplain to increase seasonal water storage and raise the streambed. This simple approach to stream restoration influences a range of hydraulic, geomorphic, and hydrologic processes – which all help achieve restoration goals.
“Beavers used to be abundant within the Muddy Creek watershed and the system was dominated by wet meadows and meandering streams,” said Andrew Archuleta, BLM Wyoming State Director. “However, loss of beaver in the area from a variety of causes has resulted in a reduction if overall habitat quality.”
Although restoration efforts have been happening in the area for years, recent federal infrastructure funding has supercharged this restoration work.
“Over the summer, we were able to hire multiple crews from the Wyoming Conservation Corps and host high school and college aged students through our TU Expeditions program to learn about careers in conservation and the incredible amount of work it takes to restore our watersheds,” said Walrath. “These jobs and volunteer opportunities would not have been possible without our national partnership with the BLM and funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”
Utilizing funds made available by the Inflation Reduction Act, BLM Wyoming plans to invest $10 million dollars to repair habitats in the Muddy Creek Restoration Landscape in southwestern Wyoming, with over $1 million planned for stream restoration work.
“More than 100 man-made beaver dams were installed over multiple weeks in the desert heat by a collection of partners like Trout Unlimited, work crews, and volunteers,” said Archuleta. “This work is just the beginning of a large-scale effort to restore stream habitat within the Muddy Creek watershed. Additional stream work will continue to focus on enhancing riparian habitat, augmenting spawning gravels, and improving fish passage.”
Seeing the success for these efforts in recent years, corporate and philanthropic partners like Microsoft, the Water Foundation, and the Walton Family Foundation also joined forces with TU to expand watershed restoration work, culminating into the revival of a historic watershed.
“I’m looking forward to telling future generations of Wyomingites that conservation is as clear as Muddy Creek,” said Walrath.
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Trout Unlimited is the nation’s oldest and largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization dedicated to caring for and recovering America’s rivers and streams so our children can experience the joy of wild and native trout and salmon. Across the country, TU brings to bear local, regional and national grassroots organizing, durable partnerships, science-backed policy muscle, and legal firepower on behalf of trout and salmon fisheries, healthy waters and vibrant communities.