Trout Unlimited

Removing dams is one of the best things we can do for salmon, steelhead, and other native anadromous fishes. Every time we take out a barrier to fish passage, we see fish move into the formerly inaccessible habitat, sometimes immediately. Exhibit A is the Klamath River, where TU’s work with Tribal and conservation partners over the past two decades culminated this fall with the removal of four old fish-killing dams; mere days later, a salmon was documented passing the first of those former dams. On Wednesday, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed that Chinook salmon had made it all the way up into Oregon to a Klamath tributary called Spencer Creek – having traveled some 230 miles from the ocean, navigated Caldera Rapid and Moonshine Falls, and climbed over 4000’ in elevation to get there. TU salutes the incredible persistence of salmonids – and of all the people working to bring them home to the Klamath watershed. 📸: Swiftwater Films // Shane Anderson & Katie Falkenberg #ReconnectKlamath Yurok Tribe The Karuk Tribe Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group California Department of Fish and Wildlife KLAMATH RIVER RENEWAL CORPORATION

New Film Alert❗ Check out the amazing work being led by Jackson Hole Trout Unlimited to Strengthen the Snake River in Wyoming. Facing dynamic challenges, the river’s mainstem can fluctuate from 30,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) to just 280 cfs in a single season – a flow reduction of 90 percent. Combined with human-driven changes resulting in riverbank erosion, land loss and degraded habitat for native Snake River cutthroat trout, TU is working to address these challenges and restore this iconic watershed for future generations. A major community effort, local volunteers, businesses and partners came out in force to work at the Snake River Ranch for this restoration project. Agency partners and likeminded conservation organizations also came together to support and strengthen this vital watershed. 🎥 Watch the full film: https://bit.ly/4dTE4j3

Tune in and be inspired 🌟 Join Chris Wood, TU President & CEO, live on Zoom on Thursday, October 24, for the annual State of TU address. Full of projects that matter, people who are making a difference and programs driving the conservation of native trout and salmon forward, you’ll get a nationwide look at all your support makes possible. Register now and share with friends: https://bit.ly/3Udsatr

Today, on Indigenous Peoples' Day, we honor Indigenous communities and the deep connection they have with the lands, waters, fish and wildlife that have been central to their lives since time immemorial. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our tribal partners, whose leadership is vital to restoring and protecting iconic rivers and fisheries – from the removal of the four Klamath River dams to the recovery of Apache trout and advocating from Bristol Bay to the Snake River. Today and every day, we're proud to work alongside our tribal partners to safeguard these irreplaceable ecosystems for future generations.

  Among the high-mountain meadows of the Golden Trout Wilderness, small streams serve as the headwaters of the Kern and Owens Rivers. These alpine streams are vital to the health of golden trout, California’s state fish, as well as the surrounding ecosystem and downstream communities. Over the summer, Trout Unlimited’s California Inland Trout Program spent three months living and working in these meadows alongside our partners at the Inyo National Forest and California Department of Fish and Wildlife to lead the Golden Trout Meadows Restoration Project. Now in its second year, this program aims to restore meadow functionality and critical fish habitat in 20 alpine meadows across the Kern River Plateau using low-tech, process-based methods to revitalize golden trout streams and bolster the resilience of the ecosystem in the face of a changing climate. Read more from Lindsay Fitzgerald about a summer spent in these meadows – beloved by anglers, hikers, fish and wildlife alike – and the ongoing, expansive nature of this restoration work: https://bit.ly/48l7lSN

TROUT magazine editor Kirk Deeter remembers writer John Gierach, who passed away last week: John’s talent was that he related well to the ‘everyman’ angler, but his skill as a writer transcended. He was proof that while the world is filled with anglers who want to write stories, it’s rare to find a truly gifted writer who happens to have a deep understanding of what the fly-fishing world is really all about. We were very lucky to have John Gierach and Bob White contribute 30 columns to TROUT magazine. I was a fan when they produced their columns for Fly Rod & Reel beforehand, and when when that magazine sadly closed, John and Bob wanted to continue in TROUT magazine. That was a gift to me as editor and to the many thousands of TROUT readers who looked forward to their column in every issue. Those columns were compiled into John’s books, and all his works will remain artifacts of what will always be remembered as a special era in the fly-fishing world. Things won’t be the same without John, but I count my blessings that I was able to work with him, fish with him, and consider him a friend. 📸 Photos 1 & 2 courtesy of Missy Sprouse Photography, captured at the 2023 Hooks for Books fundraiser in Missoula, MT

We have spent decades fighting to protect the public lands where we hike, float, camp, and pursue wild fish and big game—and we can’t let up now. The state of Utah recently filed a legal complaint with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking state control of 18.5 million acres of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. If the lawsuit succeeds, it could set a dangerous precedent, putting at risk public access and conservation gains across millions of acres of public lands nationwide. Read more from TU’s president and CEO about what’s at stake, why this could be the biggest threat to public lands yet, and how you can help: https://bit.ly/4h1NAnc

It's National Salmon Day, and we're celebrating a milestone for salmon on the Klamath 🎉 Following the removal of the four Klamath River dams, the first salmon has passed the former site of the Iron Gate dam, marking their return to historic spawning grounds that have been unreachable for decades and demonstrating the profound impact of protecting and reconnecting habitat. From removing the lower four Snake River dams to improving fish passage on Maine’s Kennebec River to establishing permanent protections for Bristol Bay, there’s more work to be done, and salmon need our help. This #NationalSalmonDay, take action to reconnect and protect salmon habitat ⬇️ Remove the lower four Snake River dams: https://bit.ly/4evwc7V Establish permanent protections for Bristol Bay: https://bit.ly/2vYz7TC

We have the privilege of inspiring curiosity among future generations. And we have a responsibility to protect our rivers and streams so they may enjoy them for years to come. Blue lines, those small streams that may even go unnamed on a map, are the source of the coldest, cleanest water — benefitting fish and providing healthy drinking water to communities downstream. Raise your voice to protect clean water for future generations so they may continue to access clean drinking water and experience the joy of healthy fish: https://bit.ly/4eETE3d #TUBlueLines

"To this day, if you offered me quiet and solitude and small native fish or larger, more crowded rivers with big stockers, I would always choose the former. Clearly, that is a personal preference, but blue lines are more than a boost to my psyche. "Blue lines are the sources of our coldest and cleanest water. They harbor the highest abundance of native trout and salmon, as they are generally in less developed higher elevation areas." Take a blue lines journey with TU President and CEO Chris Wood: https://bit.ly/4dzPdFo #TUBlueLines