Sand Creek- A Long Journey of Reclamation for the Native Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout

Join Andrew Todd to hear his presentation on the Rio Grand Cutthroat Trout.  Historically, many in the Wet Mountain Valley have been drawn to the Sand Creek Lakes due to their (relatively) easy accessibility and the outstanding fishing for hybrid cutthroat trout.  And while it has long served as a great recreational resource, since the early 2000s, it has been identified by biologists as an even more important strategic asset in the long-term conservation strategy for the Colorado-native Rio Grande cutthroat trout (RGCT).  After several decades of scientific study, in 2021, all non-native fish were removed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife from the upper watershed and in 2024, the lower watershed was treated all the way to the sand.  Post-reclamation monitoring and reintroduction of the RGCT is ongoing, but early signs indicate that the watershed is recovering well and that it will return to being an outstanding angling resource, this time as a unique opportunity to catch a true Colorado native fish species.