Projects

DTU Projects

Trout-in-the-Classroom

Trout in the Classroom (TIC) is a conservation-oriented, environmental education program for elementary, middle and high school students.

Pollution Protection

Ongoing DTU efforts to fight to protect the pollution levels allowed in the DSP

River Cleanups

If you’re looking to volunteer, get outdoors,
and help clean up the waterways in this wonderful state of Colorado, you’ve come
to the right place.

Chatfield Storage

10 Acre Feet of Chatfield Storage

$75,000 spent and water is set to be released as needed for a healthy and happy DSP.

On May 13, 2020 the project participants were granted the right to store water in the new 20,600-acre-foot reallocation pool by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Read more about it here.

6PPD Study on Local Rivers & Fish

Scientists from CPW are leading a statewide investigation (partially funded by DTU) to identify whether the tire wear chemical, 6PPD, exists in Colorado streams at concentrations that are harmful to aquatic life. Sampling will determine if this toxin is a problem in Colorado and will inform future mitigation efforts.

Angling Access Design Guide

This guide is intended to fill a knowledge gap for designers, engineers, and contractors so that river access points can be located near good fishing locations and can incorporate underwater habitat into their designs.

By interviewing experts with years of experience working with our unique river we have assembled ideas, examples, do’s and dont’s, and design recommendations to help these professionals understand the opportunity to integrate aquatic habitat into their designs. 

In-Stream Trash Collection

Denver Trout Unlimited is proud to partner with the City and County of Denver, Groundwork Denver, The Greenway Foundation, and Osprey Initiative on an innovative in-stream trash collection pilot at Weir Gulch and Bear Creek.

This project will install temporary floating boom systems designed to capture trash before it reaches Barnum Lake and the South Platte River, protecting fish habitat, improving water quality, and enhancing the health of our urban waterways. The systems are engineered to function safely during storm flows and will be maintained through regular cleanups and volunteer support.

Increasing DSP Trash Collection Stations

Denver Trout Unlimited has partnered with Denver Parks and Rec to install additional trash collection receptacles along the South Platte River Trail from REI to Globeville Landing Park.

Ongoing emptying and maintenance will be handled by the Denver Parks Department.

School of Mines
Trash Study

Denver Trout Unlimited (DTU) is proposing to study the trash inflows into the Denver South Platte (DSP)--between Chatfield Reservoir and Henderson, Colorado--with the intent to understand where the trash is coming from so that countermeasures can be best deployed to prevent trash entering the river. Potential sources include but are not limited to roadways, solid waste processing sites, trash collection activities, and unhoused encampments.