Conservation Efforts-- Our Chapter has participated in a number of conservation projects in Rim Country through both volunteer and funding support. Over the years, we have been involved with efforts to improve trout habitat on Canyon Creek, Haigler Creek, Christopher Creek, Tonto Creek, East Verde River, Upper East Verde River, Dude Creek, Roosevelt Lake, and Green Valley Lake.
Here are some of our most recent conservation efforts:
Green Valley Lakes in Payson
We help keep our city lakes clean, which are stocked with trout from October to May, and use the lakes for fly fishing classes for kids and adults. We helped construct 15 fish structures for Green Valley Lake 3, through our after school fly fishing program for students at Julia Randall Elementary and Rim Country Middle Schools. AZGFD consulted on the device selection and placement, and helped us get the students started. The town of Payson Water Department, through a grant, provided the fish structure kits, and deployed the completed structures into the lake. We also deployed several temperature monitors in all three Green Valley Lakes, with the help of the town of Payson Water Department to confirm lake temperatures are satisfactory for the AZGFD trout stocking window of October-May.
We help keep our city lakes clean, which are stocked with trout from October to May, and use the lakes for fly fishing classes for kids and adults. We helped construct 15 fish structures for Green Valley Lake 3, through our after school fly fishing program for students at Julia Randall Elementary and Rim Country Middle Schools. AZGFD consulted on the device selection and placement, and helped us get the students started. The town of Payson Water Department, through a grant, provided the fish structure kits, and deployed the completed structures into the lake. We also deployed several temperature monitors in all three Green Valley Lakes, with the help of the town of Payson Water Department to confirm lake temperatures are satisfactory for the AZGFD trout stocking window of October-May.
Two Chapter 530 Trout Unlimited Members collect trash from the lake side. Diapers, plastic bottles, plastic bags, styrofoam are common items pulled from the shore line. They are often embedded in the rushes that shelter wildlife around the lake.
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Fishing instructor Jim Strogen aids an adult fly fishing student on the West side of Green Valley Lakes. Classes are offered through the Payson Parks and Recreation Office and taught by Strogen with coaches from the club.
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EAST VERDE RIVER HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECT
Our chapter has been working for several years with the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the US Forest Service on a habitat restoration project on the East Verde River, north of Payson. This is a Partnership Waters Program Project. The goal is to improve the habitat of the river for the trout in the stream which will also improve the habitat for the native headwater chubs that are present in the lower portions of the river and a species that will take a fly just like a trout. Our chapter has donated over $10,000 to Arizona Game and Fish Department to help pay for the cost of the improvements. We also supply labor.
The photos below show TU Members from Payson planting willows along the stream bank to shade the water to help keep it cooler. Also shown is stream improvement work at Second Crossing. An excavator is installing a log barb to protect the bank from erosion and provide cover for trout.
The photos below show TU Members from Payson planting willows along the stream bank to shade the water to help keep it cooler. Also shown is stream improvement work at Second Crossing. An excavator is installing a log barb to protect the bank from erosion and provide cover for trout.
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Upper East Verde
The Upper East Verde River is a spring-fed, wild rainbow trout, catch and release stream. Plunge pools, undercut banks, boulders and wood debris provide cover in much of this stream, but some sections are scoured down to sheer bedrock and are barriers to trout passage and production.
Our members helped with the funding of the stream improvement on a large barren bedrock section of the creek, and provided labor along with AZGFD, USFS, Natural Channel Design, Inc. OPTU, ZGTU and the Mogollon Sporting Association to create four deep pools in a stretch of the creek that was only a few inches deep.
The four log chevrons increased the depth of the stream section to almost two feet and also provided immediate cover for trout. These pools provide habitat for aquatic insect life as well as allow access to rock ledges and large boulders in the stream section as stream depth increased. There are more sections of the Upper East Verde that we hope to improve with similar projects in the near future.
Construction work
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After picture. Notice the deep pool.
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Dude Creek stream improvement work
Dude Creek is a stream that AZGFD has designated as a recovery stream for Gila trout. Several years ago, members of GTTU/PFC helped pack down young Gila trout to Dude Creek to help establish a recovery population of this threaten native trout species. Catch and release fishing is permitted outside of the spawning window for Gila trout on Dude Creek as the population numbers remain healthy.
The stream requires some improvement to help maintain cover and provide added depth to allow for adequate movement of trout throughout the stream. GTTU has helped AZGFD with funding for this work that is planned for November 2022 - January 2023, with additional work planned for fall 2023.
Dude Creek is a stream that AZGFD has designated as a recovery stream for Gila trout. Several years ago, members of GTTU/PFC helped pack down young Gila trout to Dude Creek to help establish a recovery population of this threaten native trout species. Catch and release fishing is permitted outside of the spawning window for Gila trout on Dude Creek as the population numbers remain healthy.
The stream requires some improvement to help maintain cover and provide added depth to allow for adequate movement of trout throughout the stream. GTTU has helped AZGFD with funding for this work that is planned for November 2022 - January 2023, with additional work planned for fall 2023.
Silver Creek
Silver Creek, just north of Show Low, is a two hour drive from Payson. This spring-fed creek that maintains 60 degree temperatures all year, is stocked with Apache trout and very large rainbow trout during the Catch and Release season from October 1 - March 31. The rest of the year, the creek is under the normal regulations that allow for the keeping fish to daily bag limits.
The stream is generally a slow moving current that is fished from the banks where openings in the reed growth allow access to the stream. Last summer, flash flood damage severely impacted the stream and reduced the depth in several sections, and exponentially increased the reed growth along the banks.
While there is substantial and expensive stream improvement work planned by AZGFD for Silver Creek, there was some recent work that our members volunteered to help with that drastically improved access to about a 1/4 mile of the stream, and increased the depth of the stretch just above the footbridge.
Seen below are TU Chapter 530 members helping with stream improvements on Silver Creek.
Silver Creek, just north of Show Low, is a two hour drive from Payson. This spring-fed creek that maintains 60 degree temperatures all year, is stocked with Apache trout and very large rainbow trout during the Catch and Release season from October 1 - March 31. The rest of the year, the creek is under the normal regulations that allow for the keeping fish to daily bag limits.
The stream is generally a slow moving current that is fished from the banks where openings in the reed growth allow access to the stream. Last summer, flash flood damage severely impacted the stream and reduced the depth in several sections, and exponentially increased the reed growth along the banks.
While there is substantial and expensive stream improvement work planned by AZGFD for Silver Creek, there was some recent work that our members volunteered to help with that drastically improved access to about a 1/4 mile of the stream, and increased the depth of the stretch just above the footbridge.
Seen below are TU Chapter 530 members helping with stream improvements on Silver Creek.
Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI)
4FRI is an effort led by the USFS with the purpose of improving the health of the Kaibab, Coconino, Tonto, and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests that have become overgrown and a tremendous fire risk to the forest and communities in the footprint of the project.
The USFS plan focused heavily on tree removal but seemed significantly lacking in plans to assure watershed health within the forests. Joe Miller, GTTU past President, has represented Trout Unlimited in the 4FRI stakeholder group discussions and has been a driving force in the inclusion of healthy watersheds and effective improvements to the springs, streams, and lakes within the 4FRI plan.
This led to a very specific set of procedures to ensure that these water assets are protected and ideally significantly improved as part of the process. When 4FRI is ultimately approved, this work will allow AZGFD, USFS, and TU to more quickly attend to the critical needs of the waters within the 4FRI project. That will no doubt include significant stream improvement work in which GTTU will play an active role.
4FRI is an effort led by the USFS with the purpose of improving the health of the Kaibab, Coconino, Tonto, and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests that have become overgrown and a tremendous fire risk to the forest and communities in the footprint of the project.
The USFS plan focused heavily on tree removal but seemed significantly lacking in plans to assure watershed health within the forests. Joe Miller, GTTU past President, has represented Trout Unlimited in the 4FRI stakeholder group discussions and has been a driving force in the inclusion of healthy watersheds and effective improvements to the springs, streams, and lakes within the 4FRI plan.
This led to a very specific set of procedures to ensure that these water assets are protected and ideally significantly improved as part of the process. When 4FRI is ultimately approved, this work will allow AZGFD, USFS, and TU to more quickly attend to the critical needs of the waters within the 4FRI project. That will no doubt include significant stream improvement work in which GTTU will play an active role.
Conservation Funding
GTTU needs your support to help with upcoming conservation projects on streams and lakes in Rim Country and the White Mountains. We are a 501c3 non-profit organization and have made great improvements to our waters to help fish habitat that has also resulted in improved fishing. If you are able to help us with a donation of $25 or more, we would like to send you an “I SUPPORT NATIVE TROUT” custom, cast metal pin in either the Gila or Apache versions...or both to thank you for your donation. Use the button below.
GTTU needs your support to help with upcoming conservation projects on streams and lakes in Rim Country and the White Mountains. We are a 501c3 non-profit organization and have made great improvements to our waters to help fish habitat that has also resulted in improved fishing. If you are able to help us with a donation of $25 or more, we would like to send you an “I SUPPORT NATIVE TROUT” custom, cast metal pin in either the Gila or Apache versions...or both to thank you for your donation. Use the button below.