Garfield County, in partnership with the Middle Colorado Watershed Council, is building a permanent fish barrier in Roan Creek to protect a rare strain of cutthroat trout from invasive species.
The barrier will be a big concrete structure that pools water, creating a 4-foot waterfall high enough to block fish from swimming upstream.
Crews broke ground Aug. 5 on the structure, which will prevent invasive species like rainbow trout, brook trout and cutbow from getting upstream, where the rare native species live.
Ben Felt, a senior aquatic biologist with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, said the remote stretch of creek near De Beque is one of a few places where this genetic strain of Colorado River cutthroat trout exists.
However, CPW is paying special attention to this area because several other species of native fish also live there.
“I can't think of anywhere else where we have Colorado River cutthroat trout, blue head sucker, sculpin and speckled dace, with all those natives coexisting in one stream,” Felt said. “Very, very unique.”
Colorado River cutthroat trout only occupy a fraction of their historical range, which Felt said is primarily due to competition from non-native fish that fishery managers have stocked for sport fishing.
He said they are now more careful about where they stock fish to protect local species.
Native fish are also threatened by human-caused climate change, as pervasive drought conditions deplete water levels and reduce the amount of livable, riparian habitat.
“What used to be a great-looking creek, in a bad drought year, it can just totally disappear,” Felt said. “And there’s big losses of fish associated with that. Long term, managing this subspecies of cutthroat trout in the face of climate change is a big part of the story.”
The fish barrier will also improve irrigation efficiency by saving water.
Agricultural producers with rights to the creek’s water use “push-up dams” with plastic tarps and rocks to divert water. The new structure will include a headgate, fish screen and flow-measuring device to help maintain water levels throughout the creek and potentially free up water for other users.
Construction of the fish barrier is expected to be completed by October 2025.
The project is a partnership between the Middle Colorado Watershed Council, Garfield County, CPW, the Bureau of Land Management, the Colorado River District and the Trout and Salmon Foundation. Funding for the $1,034,995 project comes primarily from the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Program, under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
