Cutthroat Chapter Trout Unlimited

HELP US MAKE A DIFFERENCE

OUR ORGANIZATION. Our non-profit organization is dedicated to Conservation, Education, and Community Engagement. We subsist solely on donations from like-minded humans who share our passion for protecting the environment and special outdoor places for future generations. Over the past 15 years our organization has logged over 55,000 Volunteer hours to further our mission, making a positive impact through each project and event, while including and engaging the Community. Your donations fund the supplies and activities to enact our volunteers' efforts that improve the world around us. To learn more about our non-profit projects, scroll to the bottom and click on "Programs" under the Organization Data section. Click the DONATE button to support us.

OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY CONSERVATION PROJECT is to Restore the Gill Trail in Cheesman Canyon. We have a Gill Trail Fundraiser Page dedicated to this multi-year project. The last major restoration of the Gill Trail took place from 1999 to 2006 -- about 20 years ago. Now is the time to invest in improving this trail to sustain it and the unique trout habitat it abuts for the next generation of fishing enthusiasts and hikers. A professional assessment of the Gill Trail was performed by ERO Resources/Tapis Associates in 2022-2023. The multi-year phased approach to repair and restore access to the Gold Medal Water of Cheesman Canyon will take >$500,000 and thousands of Volunteer hours.

Cheesman Canyon - South Platte River
Photo Credit: Bill MangleGill Trail Assessment Map
Image Credit: ERO Resources

Side Channel Debris Flow at Segment M of Gill Trail
Photo Credit: Bill Mangle

WE HAVE THE VOLUNTEERS - WE JUST NEED TO GET THEM INTO ACTION. More than 350 Volunteers have signed up and are committed to do the hands-on work of repairing the Gill Trail. That is how special this trail is, and how much this fishery means to the Community. Your Donations are the next element needed to make this a project a reality.

OUR PARTNERS. A project of this scope and duration cannot be accomplished without shared responsibility and commitment. It will take a village to be successful in this multi-year endeavor. We have on-going collaborations with key stakeholders of Cheesman Canyon and its resources: water, habitat, fishery, land, environmental specialists and users.

1. Individual Donors - Like minded conservationists and fishing enthusiasts who make monetary or in-kind donations to CCTU to support our mission. Without our donors we would not have the funds to enact positive change in our environment.
2. Volunteers - Individuals and groups who volunteer their time and talents to support CCTU's mission and objectives. CCTU Volunteers are the workhorses and engines driving our conservation efforts, ensuring better fishery habitats and environments for the next generation to enjoy.  
3. US Forest Service Pike National Forest, South Platte Ranger District - The South Platte Ranger District is 450,000 acres with elevations ranging from 5,800 feet at the South Platte River to more than 14,000 feet at Mount Evans. The agency's mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.
4. Denver Water - Responsible to maintain and deliver the water used on the Front Range and to implement the requirements laid out in the South Platte Protection Plan, specifically those related to the Streamflow Management Plan for the Upper South Platte River.
5. ERO Resources - ERO provides natural resource and environmental evaluation, compliance, planning and facilitation services to address complex environmental issues. ERO is experienced with on-site trail design, trail planning processes and trail plans that balance natural resource protection, quality user experience and community needs.
6. SPEB (South Platte Enhancement Board) - Key overseer of the implementation for the South Platte Protection Plan (SPPP), established on October 21, 2004. SPEB holds monthly meetings, collects and manages the endowment fund, and distributes grants for projects. SPEB adjudicates and is a proponent of Outstandingly Remarkable Values (ORV) on the South Platte River per the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. 
7. Business Donors - Businesses that donate products, services and funds to CCTU to support Conservation, Community and Youth Education.

JOIN US ON THIS JOURNEY. Together, with your donations and giving spirit, we will engage our Volunteer Community and embark on this important Conservation Project. Let's restore this trail to protect the South Platte Cheesman Canyon Gold Medal Water fishery.

OUR OTHER NON-PROFIT PROJECTS CONTINUE. While planning the multi-year Gill Trail Restoration project, our Volunteers continue to actively support all our other Conservation, Education and Community Engagement projects. To learn more about our non-profit projects, scroll to the bottom of this page and click on "Programs" under the Organization Data section.