colorado byline spring-summer 2016

COLORADOCOLORADOSPRING-SUMMER 2016SPRING-SUMMER 2016SPRING-SUMMER 2016SPRING-SUMMER 2016SPRING-SUMMER 2016SPRING-SUMMER 2016

BylineBylinePARKS & RECREATION ASSOCIATION

Focus: Northeastern Colorado Carbon Valley, Fort Collins, Greeley, Loveland, Sterling, and Yuma



PARKS & RECREATION ASSOCIATION

Writing a Proper Job Description



Improved Fish Habitat Enhances Recreation

Potential in NE Colorado





Check Out the Enhanced CPRA Career Center



Matt Willson (303) 263-2222 • Robert Morgan (303) 908-6591 Matt Willson (303) 263-2222 • Robert Morgan (303) 908-6591

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ADVERTISING IN BYLINE Thank you to our advertisers for your help in supporting COLORADO BYLINE magazine. We kindly ask members to please support our advertisers. Interested in advertising? Contact Todd Pernsteiner at 952-841-1111 or [email protected].

TABLE OF CONTENTS

President’s Letter ............................................................................... 4

Member Spotlight: Matt Kraus ......................................................... 5

Writing a Proper Job Description .................................................... 7

Northeastern Colorado Focus.......................................................10-14

Improved Fish Habitat Enhances Recreation Potential.................... 15

2016-17 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

P.O. Box 1037 • Wheat Ridge, CO 80034 (p) 303-231-0943 (f) 303-237-9750www.cpra-web.org, [email protected]

SPRING-SUMMER 2016 • Colorado Parks and Recreation 3

PRESIDENT Patrick Hammer Town of Superior 303-499-3675 [email protected]

PRESIDENT-ELECT Jayna Lang City of Lakewood 303-987-5419 [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT Becky Richmond South Suburban Parks & Recreation Division 303-730-4613 [email protected]

AT-LARGE Mike Sexton City of Pueblo Parks & Recreation 719-553-2804 [email protected]

SECRETARY/TREASURER Betsy Sweet Denver Parks & Rec 970-333-9013 [email protected]

AAPS Kate Fisher City of Northglenn 303-450-8841 [email protected]

AQUATICS Ethan Z. Venn Commerce City Parks, Recreation & Golf 303-289-8109 [email protected]

CARA Brian Magnett City of Northglenn 303-450-8899 [email protected]

CTRS Katherine Crocker Jefferson Center for Mental Health 303-432-5359 [email protected]

DIRECTORS Kit Newland City of Lakewood 303-987-7822 [email protected]

FACILITY MANAGERS Chad Redin Commerce City Parks, Recreation & Golf, 303-289-3663 [email protected]

FITNESS Tehra Porterfield City of Northglenn 303-450-8947 [email protected]

PARKS Chris Byrnes Foothills Park & Recreation District 303-409-2819 [email protected]

PLAaY Shelly Shipley City of Thornton 720-977-5916 [email protected]

WESTERN SLOPE Justin Mashburn Montrose Recreation District 970-901-5583 [email protected]

CPRA VISIONThe Colorado Parks and Recreation Association is a dynamic, proactive organization that creates healthy residents and livable communities by promoting excellence in parks and recreation.

CPRA STAFF Allison Kincaid, Executive Director [email protected]

Ashley Perillo, Professional Development Program Manager [email protected]

Natalie Flowers, Professional Development Coordinator [email protected]

Amanda Drinkard, Communications & Office Assistant [email protected]

ON THE COVER:SNAG golf foursome in Loveland

COLORADOPARKS & RECREATION ASSOCIATION Byline

“However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results” – Sir Winston Churchill

At some point most of us have heard about, participated in or designed an action plan that provides direction towards accomplishing a set of strategic objectives. Sometimes these plans are executed beautifully with concise direction and follow-up; sometime these plans fail only to sit on a shelf with other brightly bound books and reports. Regardless of the final outcome all strategic plans have a thread of commonality – they are only as successful as those willing to implement the directives and evaluate the effectiveness of the results. In 2011 and 2012 a very smart and dedicated group of Section Representatives, Board Members and staff had the foresight to create the CPRA Vision Plan which was a five-year strategic plan that would serve as a roadmap to a new future for the Association. By all accounts, the Vision Plan was successful in its design and execution and helped guide CPRA’s operations through a handful of lean years. Now sitting at the midway point through 2016 with 2017 lurking around the corner we find ourselves asking “what is the next step for CPRA?”

Last summer the staff and Executive Board met for a two-day facilitated retreat to discuss the progress made towards achieving the 2012 Vision Plan, and to begin developing new objectives that will guide CPRA into the future.

The result of this effort was the creation of an Operational Action Plan which is intended to guide operations and decision making for the Staff and Board ensuring members’ interests and needs are at the forefront of everything we do.

Operational Action Plan

1. Engaging Today’s CPRA Member

• Goal – Understand member interests and needs

• Goal – Strategically engage members

2. Providing Relevant Service Delivery

• Goal – Provide relevant services based upon today’s conditions and member interests and needs

• Goal – Ensure the CPRA Governance is aligned with member interests and needs

3. Financial Sustainability

• Goal – Operate within the constructs of a financially sustainable funding model

• Goal – Provide a menu of services that provide for ROI

I am proud to announce that a year into implementation the Action Plan is starting to produce measureable results. Working over the last 10 months staff and the Board have defined a financial reserve policy, adopted a new investment standard, inventoried all CPRA services, defined member engagement on spectrum, aligned staff’s annual work plan with the Board’s adopted goals and developed a professional development committee

comprised of representatives from each Interest Section along with members from the general membership. On the surface these items may not be noticeable or even feel relevant, but they are critical to the healthy and sustainable management of CPRA and speak to the commitment to developing amazing professionals within an amazing industry.

Thank you to the following CPRA members who made the 2012 Vision Plan and CPRA Operational Action Plan a reality. Your dedication to the profession and to CPRA is appreciated!

Cindy Keating, Cathy Metz, Rod Tarullo, Susan Peterson, Tim Anderson, Carolyn Peters, Lauren Goodwin, Jill Nunes, Maripat Gallas, Dan Schwieder, Amanda Peterson, Julie Holmgren, Betsy Scally, Dean Johnson, Clint Dudley, Rob Cook, Kristi Marosy, Mark Snow, Bret Rodewald, Chris Helm, Susan Anderson, John Barnholt, Eric Crennen, Amber Garrett, Allison Boyd, Shannon Fern, Mary Colton, Janet Johnson, Therese Thompson, Stephanie Stephens, Ashley Perillo, Jo Burns, Jamie Sabbach, Natalie Flowers, Allison Kincaid, Jayna Lang, Mike Sexton, Becky Richmond and Betsy Sweet.

Sincerely,

4 Colorado Parks and Recreation • www.cpra-web.org

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

By CPRA Board President, Patrick Hammer, CPRA Board, and CPRA Staff

Patrick Hammer, CPRA Board, and CPRA Staff

Membership helps you stay connected to what’s happening in our industry. All memberships expired February 28 and have a 60 day grace period ending April 28. Renewals can be done online at cpra-web.org. Thank you for your continued support of CPRA.

Go to www.jobs.cpra-web.org

Don’t Forget to Renew Your Membership! Check Out the New Enhanced CPRA Career Center


Member SpotlightMeet Matt Kraus

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Matt serves as a Recreation Supervisor who currently oversees Youth Programming, Soccer, Fitness, Track and Tennis. He has been with the Town of Windsor Parks, Recreation & Culture Department for 11 years. This coming August, coinciding with the opening of the Town’s newly expanded recreation

center he will be converting to the role of Fitness Supervisor.

Matt moved to Colorado from Dublin, Ohio where he spent seven years as a Recreation Supervisor. Matt has been a member of CARA for 11 years. He has been involved with CARA Tennis and Track for eight years. Matt has served as the CARA Chair for two years and was the Hershey State Chair for their final year. Over the past year Matt has taken on the challenge of planning our new Wellness Center which is part of our recreation center expansion. Matt has also led the Department through the conversion of Rec Trac and the Department’s website redesign. His willingness to take on new challenges and tasks has proven to be very valuable and why Matt is such a valuable member of our department.

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If there is one piece of advice employers most disregard from employment at-torneys or human resource professionals, it would be the importance of adopting job descriptions. Job descriptions serve an important purpose and should be prepared before the hiring process be-gins. Job descriptions are “Exhibit A” in most employment law claims, and serve as the employer’s first outline of its ex-pectations for the employee with respect to his/her position. Without a detailed job description in place, the expecta-tions are unclear, and it is difficult to hold employees accountable for job duties that have not been clearly articulated.

Job descriptions that are written well also enable employers to determine whether a position is exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the essential functions of the position for purposes of the Americans with Dis-abilities Act (ADA), and serve as the guideline for any performance evalua-tion, disciplinary action, or termination decision. Like most employment docu-ments, job descriptions that are written poorly can be of minimal value or even harmful in a dispute. So what makes a good job description? At a minimum, a good job description contains the follow-ing information:

WAGE CLASSIFICATIONThe job description should clearly state whether the position is a non-exempt or exempt position under the FLSA. If a position is classified as exempt, then the primary duties should include a descrip-tion that clearly establish the “duties” requirements outlined in the federal regulations that establish which positions are exempt.

GENERAL WORK HOURS Tell the employee what you expect from him/her regarding work hours. Will they be expected to work evenings and weekends as necessary? For exempt po-sitions, employees must work whatever hours it takes to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position

REPORTING STRUCTURE OR CHAIN OF COMMAND State clearly in the job description what the reporting structure is for this posi-tion. Identify the position that directly supervises this position and any other positions that may have supervisory authority over this position

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OR ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITIONList the primary duties of the position. What does this mean? First, consider whether a third-party –who knows nothing about your organization or this job – could read the job description and have an accurate picture of the primary responsibilities this individual is expected to perform. While you can’t list every little detail for every position, make sure you hit all the highlights and be sure to include a statement that the duties identified are not intended to be an all-inclusive list. Also, include a state-ment that the employee will be required to perform other duties and responsibili-ties as may be requested from his/her supervisor. Second, is your list of primary duties up to date? Be sure to update your job descriptions routinely. A good time to review job descriptions is prior to posting any position for hire and in anticipation of employee performance evaluations.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES What knowledge, skills, or abilities would an applicant be required to have in order to do this position?

REQUIRED LICENSES OR CERTIFICATIONSInclude any legally required or depart-ment required licenses or certifications for the position.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, OR CERTIFICATIONSIf you are hiring for a position, or offer dif-ferent pay for the same position based on differences in experience, certifications, or skills, identify these “preferred” or “desired” qualifications, experience, skills, or certifications. Such information will be useful in any pay discrimination claim.

WORKING ENVIRONMENTMost employers are aware that a state-ment of primary duties is crucial to the analysis of whether an individual can perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation under the ADA. Yet, most job descriptions fail to include a discussion of the work environment and physical/mental requirements for a position. Does the position require work outdoors, in an office environment, or on soccer fields? Is there strenuous activity or repetitive motion involved? Must the individual be able to lift 20 pounds or more frequently?

AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT STATEMENTEvery job description should repeat the at-will statement that you included in the offer letter and handbook.

If you follow these tips, your job descrip-tion should be in great shape and be an effective tool for hiring, evaluations, analysis of reasonable accommodations, and defense of FLSA, ADA, or pay dis-crimination claims. Following these tips will save you time, money and heartache in the future.

This article is intended as general information on the topic covered, and is not to be construed as legal advice. If legal advice is needed, you should consult an attorney.

Michelle B. Ferguson is an employment attorney at Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe, PC, and she works with private and public employers to be proactive in identifying and solving issues before an employment claim is filed, or in the defense of any employment law claims. She also provides training to employers and their employees on all matters of employment law. Questions? Michelle can be reached at (303) 628-3658 or [email protected].

WRITING A PROPER JOB DESCRIPTIONBy Michelle B. Ferguson, Esq.

NORTHEASTERN

Colorado


CARBON VALLEYFORT COLLINS

GREELEY

STERLINGLOVELAND

YUMA

SPRING-SUMMER 2016 • Colorado Parks and

“Too small to be big and too big to be small,” that’s how Executive Director Ross Blackmer describes the Carbon Valley Park and Recreation District. Centrally located between the Denver metro area and Northern Colorado, Carbon Valley Park and Recreation District (CVPRD) operates a recreation center and senior/ gymnastics center and serves the communities of Dacono, Firestone and Frederick. The area has grown 234% since 2000 and has attracted many young families and professionals looking for affordable living and a short commute to the Denver area. Firestone was the fastest-growing municipality in Colorado between 2000 and 2010 but the entire Carbon Valley area has experienced dynamic growth and is projected to explode with new residents in coming years.

“We have just about reached capacity at our current facility and are working on plans to meet the needs of the growing population. Some of our fitness classes have outgrown the aerobics studio and were moved into the gym. Personal trainers can be seen working with clients in the hall or wherever they can find free space. Our sports leagues have grown exponentially and field space is at a premium,” said Blackmer.

To accommodate the growth, the District collaborated with the tri-towns and the St. Vrain Valley School District to align resources and work together to meet the needs of the communities. A joint-use agreement with the school district allows CVPRD to utilize school facilities to run community programs and provide increased resources for physical activities. “It’s a win-win situation for the entire community - schools, students, community groups, sports leagues, and more,” said Blackmer.

In an effort to meet the social and physical needs of the growing communities, CVPRD offers unique activities such as innertube water polo leagues for adults and eSports Gaming leagues for tweens and teens, an age group that is difficult to engage in organized recreation programs.

The District was recently awarded the Carbon Valley Chamber of Commerce People’s Choice Award which is given to a business in the community that provide unparalleled service as evidenced by public support. “We are very proud to be the 2016 recipient of the People’s Choice Award, especially with some tough competition. This is validation that residents recognize we are committed to taking care of our people and the community in which we operate. We are very pleased that our efforts are valued by residents.”

CARBON VALLEY

STERLINGLOVELAND

YUMA

Dynamic Growth Poses Challenges for Carbon Valley Park and Recreation DistrictBy Heather Hammarstrom, Marketing and Communications Coordinator


It was the 60s and you could purchase gas for 32 cents per gallon, Frank Sinatra and The Beatles topped the charts, and (believe it or not) Fort Collins was still a “dry” town (prohibition in Fort Collins was repealed in 1969). Just like today, Fort Collins residents were active, engaged, and enjoyed recreating. Fort Collins was experiencing a recreation “boom” and City Council recognized the need for a Parks and Recreation Department.

On October 29, 1965, City Council authorized the formation of a Parks and Recreation Department effective January 1, 1966. Now, in 2016, the City of Fort Collins Parks and Recreation Department is celebrating our 50th anniversary.

Our first appointed director, H.R. Phillips, managed a budget of $57,708 per year. The budget covered additional staff and provided recreational services to neighboring communities such as Wellington and Laporte. Parks and Recreation maintained several parks, including Library Park, Washington Park, City Park, and Avery Park, and facilities such as Club Tico, City Park Nine Golf Course, and a “pool” in Lake Sheldon. Recreational activities were organized by the new department, as well, such as JAA football, basketball, baseball, tennis, and swimming.

Throughout the years, Parks & Recreation grew to become two departments managing a budget of $44.5 million. Our Parks system is comprised of more than 50 parks within

875 acres. We also have 10 recreation facilities. Our newest facility, Foothills Activity Center, opened March 28, 2016. The $5.8 million center is located in our newly renovated mall, Foothills.

Throughout the year, we’ll be hosting events and activities such as a 5k Run/Walk and the Summer Concert Series. Our 4th of July Parade and Celebration will highlight the decades of Parks & Recreation, and you’ll see our community filled with bulletins announcing our proud Parks & Recreation history.

Feel free to visit us in Fort Collins to help us celebrate. For more information about the history of Parks & Recreation in Fort Collins, and about our upcoming festivities, follow us on facebook.

FORT COLLINS

NORTHEASTERN

Colorado

City of Fort Collins Park & Recreation Celebrates 50 Years

As most people in the profession of Parks and Recreation already know, participation in the sport of golf has dramatically declined since 2003. The National Golf Foundation reported the sport had 30.6 million participants in 2003 which declined to 24.1 million by 2015. This reflects a 21.2% decrease in national participation in 12 years. The sport, you could say, is in desperate need of a growth plan.

Rounds played at the City of Loveland golf courses mirrored the national statistics from 2004 until 2011. By 2012, course operators realized that there was structural imbalance in the industry. Clearly, more customers were leaving the sport than entering. A formal growth plan was developed for Loveland’s 3 golf courses.

First, learning the sport from family members was strongly encouraged. Ironically, the golf industry discourages family led learning. To encourage more family led introduction, the nation’s first SNAG friendly 9 hole course was constructed. Next, a 3 hole playing

option was added at the Cattail Creek Par 3 Golf Course for the price of $4 that included club and ball rental. Youth rates were expanded at Cattail Creek and new youth rates were introduced at The Olde Course. All of the new family led activities were highlighted in a marketing campaign titled “Families on Course”.

Second, learning the sport from friends was strongly encouraged. Ironically, the golf industry discourages the transfer of skills from one friend to another. To encourage more friend to friend learning, a concept called “Games on the Range” was introduced at Mariana Butte which made going to the driving range social event. Like TopGolf, consuming appetizers and drinks on the range tee while music plays in the background was offered as a form of golf entertainment.

Third, learning the sport using self-directed learning technics was strongly encouraged. Ironically, the golf industry discourages self-directed learning (see a pattern?). A prototype device called

the “Learning Cube” was installed on the driving range at Cattail Creek to help self-directed learners. Self-directed instructional videos were added to the Golf Division website to assist golfers. Rugged targets and obstacles were added to the ranges to create a “terrain park” feel on portions of the driving ranges.

As always, the traditional lesson programs that are offered at the courses continued to receive support. These programs include SNAG, beginning golf, various youth golf programs, and Get Golf Ready lessons.

Staff is now facilitating growth by acknowledging and actively embracing the 4 main entry methods; Family, Friends, Self-directed Learning, and Lesson Programs. The retention rate has increased by offering improved entry methods, intimidation free facilities, and easy transitions from one facility to the next. In the last 2 years, revenues at Cattail Creek (the host course for most of the innovation) has increased 18.5% without fee increases.

LOVELAND


Golf: Facilitating Growth in a Struggling IndustryEmbracing Entry Methods, Creating Facilities, and Offering Successful Transitions


Trends in small towns can be unpredictable. Through the years in Yuma, Colorado – a small community on the Eastern Plains – we’ve seen many different activities become the town favorite. Right now, volleyball seems to be gaining steam as the sport of choice for residents in Yuma, and the City of Yuma’s Parks and Recreation Division is looking to get involved.

For years, people in town have gathered on Monday nights at the Nazarene Church for a semi-competitive volleyball league in the winter. During the past few years, “Church League Volleyball” has grown in popularity, and has nearly outgrown its space. On a given Monday night this winter, anywhere between 75 and 100 people would show up at the church to play, watch, cheer, or simply be a part of the community.

“The young people in town cry out for this,” explained local youth minister Juan Pablo Rios. “They need activities like this, that bring them together.”

Turns out, it may not be just about the volleyball. As Rios pointed out, what truly matters is bringing people together. This is where the City of Yuma comes in. The Parks and Recreation Division, which operates under the Community Services Department, sees a great opportunity to meet a need in the community, while promoting a healthy, active lifestyle.

“Volleyball is a sport that families can enjoy together,” explained Parks and Recreation Field Manager Ron Wills. “By putting it in the park, we can provide a safe place for that to happen, where members of the whole family can be active.”

The Parks and Recreation team is currently working on obtaining funding for new

sand volleyball courts in the City Park. Wills views this as a perfect opportunity to rejuvenate the park, by bringing people to it, as well as promoting the City’s mission of healthy living.

In addition to building sand volleyball courts, the City is also currently exploring the idea of adding adult co-ed

volleyball to its list of activities offered. These projects will help the City of Yuma achieve its mission of serving the community. When a new activity comes along that brings people together, the City of Yuma will be ready for that too.

YUMA

NORTHEASTERN

Colorado

STERLINGCheck out what the Sterling Recreation Center has to offer!

The outdoor pool has a capacity of 450. The pool includes several water features including a Multi-Play 5 and four slides. The largest attraction at this pool is the double flumed slides. The translucent blue speed slide is about 130 feet long and the open flume slide is about 220 feet long. Our pool also has a 50 x 50 beach entry as well as a separate fenced in wading pool with a mini water dome and six water jets. Picnic tables and chairs can accommodate over 300 patrons and the seven shade structures provide plenty of protection from the sun’s ultra violet rays.

The indoor pool has a capacity of 222, including the baby pool and a diving well.

Enjoy the wide range of state of the art fitness and cardiovascular equipment including Life Fitness, StairMaster, and Precor in our Fitness Room. Any time is

a good time to start a fitness program. Parents can monitor their children when they work out in the close by Youth Room on a big screen TV in the fitness room.

Drop in play is welcomed at any of our courts, but if you want a guaranteed court, you can call and reserve one up to 24 hours in advance. Reservations are taken on the hour.

Wallyball is a team game, played on a racquetball court, combining the skills of racquetball and volleyball. Each game is played to 15 points, two points ahead to win. A match is the best two out of three games.

Racquetball games are played to 15 points, two points ahead to win. A match is the best two out of three games.

No place to practice your shot, play a

game of Around the World or a game of 3 on 3? We have a basketball court available with a 10’ foot hoop for recreational shooting.

A 20 ft x 32 ft multi-purpose room is designed for patrons to host birthday parties, meetings, baby showers, etc. The room is rented for $10.00 per hour any time the facility is open.

The recreation center is located at 808 Elm St. Sterling, CO 80751. Feel free to give us a call at: (970)522-7882

DAILY ADMISSION FEES: Residency is not required!

CHILD (0-5 yrs. old) ..........$1.75

YOUTH (6 – 17 yrs. old) ..... $2.25

ADULT (18 – 54 yrs. old) ... $3.00

SENIOR (55 yrs. +) ............. $2.25



By David Sanchez and Karen Scopel

Recently, the City of Greeley received a Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Inspire grant to help develop a plan to engage youth and families in the outdoors, locally and statewide. Research indicates that the average time a young person spends in the outdoors is less than 7 minutes per day. The local effort is headed by the Cache la Poudre Inspire Coalition, which includes Poudre Learning Center, Greeley/Evans School District 6, Colorado Youth Outdoors, Weld County Dept. of Public Health and Environment and Poudre Heritage Alliance along with the City of Greeley. Through this planning effort, the Coalition hopes to foster a community that values and connects to the great outdoors through the development of leaders of all ages, places and programs that integrate

youth and families to each other and the natural world, and leads young people into careers that embrace their Colorado backyards.

Weld County and Greeley face significant challenges in preventing and controlling chronic diseases which accompany obesity. In our area, 67.2% of adults and 31.8% of youth ages 2-14 are obese. Currently 88% of American youth say they spend time on-line every day, with 69% playing video games or watching TV, while only 10% say they spend time outdoors every day. Much of this outdoor time is spent in organized sports and not in nature-based outdoor experiences. Many young people have a fear of things in the natural world – generally because they have not been allowed to explore and experience it.

Recognizing that today’s youth are the future for outdoor appreciation and stewardship, it is vital that communities seek ways to engage and activate young people in nature-based experiences that will expand their interests and desire to protect and preserve Colorado’s heritage of the great outdoors.

The City of Greeley has retained the services of Design Workshop to guide the development of the Inspire plan through focus groups, surveys and analysis. In addition, the Coalition is forming a Youth Task Force, comprised of young people between the ages of 9 and 25, to provide input and assure the final plan will enable the community to reverse the trend and help their generation become part of nature. It is anticipated to be complete by late fall. Once completed, the Coalition will be eligible for additional GOCO grants for implementation of key projects identified in the plan.

For more information on this project contact Recreation Program Manager, David Sanchez, at [email protected] or Natural Areas Coordinator, Karen Scopel, at [email protected].

NORTHEASTERN

Colorado

GREELEYWanted: Youth and Families to Enjoy the Outdoors


The Cache La Poudre (pronounced “pu-der”) river runs from the Rocky Mountain National Park in northeast Colorado down through a beautiful canyon stretch, through the City of Fort Collins to then eventually merge with the South Platte River.

The Poudre River is a popular recreation spot for anglers. However, trout and native fish species are declining in the river in part due to habitat loss. Part of this habitat loss is attributed to diversion structures that fragment the river every 1.7 miles from the mouth of the Poudre Canyon to Interstate 25, according to information natural areas and irrigation specialists.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff along with several local partners have found and implemented a solution by providing fish a passage through the structures that fragment the habitat. This widens the habitat for fish and increases recreational opportunity in northeast Colorado.

The passage allows many fish species to migrate upstream

and seek refuge from predators, without affecting agricultural use and water rights, two critical and dynamic concerns for Colorado. Improving the fish habitat was a cooperative endeavor by the North Poudre Irrigation Company, city and county natural areas specialists and Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

A structure had been in place, prior to the 2013 floods, since the early 1900’s. The flood and cooperation of

recreation and wildlife enthusiasts enabled the new passage to be designed with specially placed rocks that allow the fish to migrate upstream, and provides area for fish to stop and rest along the way.

The solution this innovative team of collaborators delivered creatively managed the

priorities of multiple and diverse groups.

The team hopes to continue their relationship and find further solution to improve the fish habitat on the

river, which will benefit not just the health of the river but the recreation and habitat that surround it.

Improved Fish Habitat Enhances Recreation Potential in Northeast Colorado

P.O. Box 1037 Wheat Ridge, CO 80034

COLORADOPARKS & RECREATION ASSOCIATION

Byline

w w w. k i m l e y - h o r n . c o m

• Trails

• Public Spaces

• Multimodal/Shared-Use Pathways

• Sustainable Design

• Park Renovation and Rehabilitation Plans

Landscape Architecture • Planning • Civil Engineering • Electrical Engineering • Environmental • Public Involvement | kimley-horn.com

Contact Chris Hice, PLA, LEED AP: 303.228.2300 • [email protected]

Offices in Denver and Colorado Springs

• Regional Parks

• Community Parks

• Neighborhood Parks

• Aquatic Centers

• Splash Pads

• Linear Parks

• Greenways

• Sports Complexes

• Playgrounds

• Sports Fields

• Sports Lighting

• Wayfinding

• Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Plans

Reach Hundreds of Park & Recreation ProfessionalsAdvertise in the Colorado Byline!Rates start as low as $400 per issue

Get into the Fall issue!Ad deadline: August 12 • Mails: September 2016

To purchase ad space contact: Todd Pernsteiner

[email protected] or (952) 841-1111

colorado byline spring-summer 2016

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