CHAPTER PROJECT PAGE

UPDATES ON CHAPTER PROJECTS WILL BE POSTED ON THIS PAGE AS THEY PROGRESS

• On June 13,2009 The Gila Trout Chapter will be joining other Trout Unlimited chapters throughout the United States in a clean up day of local streams. The Gila Trout Chapter will be cleaning up the E. Verde River of trash along the river that day with the assistance of volenteers and in cooperation with the US Forest Service.
• On April 6 and 7 the Gila Trout Chapter will be assisting Arizona Game and Fish in stocking of Tonto Creek and The E. Verde River, by carrying buckets of fish to pools and  locations on the stream that their stockingtruck can not reach.
• On March 27, the Gila Trout Chapter members will be assisting Arizona Game and Fish at Payson Town lake at Green Valley Park in teaching about 250 5th graders how to fish. The lake will be stocked heavily by Az. Game and Fish prior to this day with trout for the kids.
• OUR CHAPTER HAS RECEIVED A GRANT FOR $1200.00 FROM THE DORR FOUNDATION, WHICH WE WILL BE USING TO START A TROUT IN THE CLASSROOM PROJECT AT PAYSON HIGH SCHOOL. MEETINGS ARE BEING CONDUCTED WITH THE SCIENCE TEACHERS THERE NOW TO GET THE PROGRAM STARTED SOON.
• Ongoing meetings are being held with the US Forest Service and Arizona Game and Fish Department officials towards improvement of the habitat and fishery on the East Verde River and other streams under the Mogollon rim in our area.
• We now have the trout in the classroom project tank set up at the Payson High School in Beverly Adams/Joe Schmidts science classrooms. We are now awaiting the arrival of the trout eggs to start the project. Also Az. Game and Fish Dept. Education Section has agreed to order another tank set up to be used at Randall Elementary School 5th grade science class of Wayne Gorry. Will update when that happens.
• UPDATE: JANUARY 15, 2010 200 EGGS WERE PUT INTO BOTH TANKS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND RANDALL ELEMENTARY AND ARE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING READY TO HATCH AT PRESENT
• NOVEMBER 2010, TROUT IN THE CLASSROOM TANKS ARE PRESENTLY SET UP AT JULIA RADALL 5TH GRADE SCIENCE CLASS AND AT PINE/STRAWBERRY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AWAITING EGGS FROM GAME AND FISH FOR THE 2011 SEASON. BOTH TANKS ARE NOW SET UP FOR THE 2012 SEASON AND EGGS SHOULD ARRIVE SOMETIME IN EARLY JANUARY, 2012.
• WE HAVE STARTED OUR WATER QUALITY STUDIES OF THE EAST VERDE RIVER, WHICH WILL CONTINUE INTO NEXT SUMMER. FIRST TESTING OF THE WATER DISCLOSED VERY GOOD CONDITIONS FOR MAINTAINING TROUT.  

     OUR CHAPTER HAS JOINED WITH AZ GAME AND FISH DEPT. IN A HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECT ON THE EAST VERDE RIVER, TO IMPROVE THE HABITAT FOR THE WILD TROUT AND NATIVE HEADWATER CHUBS IN THE STREAM. NATURAL CHANNEL DESIGN WORK HAS STARTED AS OF OCT, 2011 AND PROJECT WILL BE AN ON GOING PROCESS.

      NOTE: THE INITIAL CHANNAL DESIGN WORK IS NOW COMPLETED AS OF DECEMBER 12, 2011. THE NEXT STEP IS THE NEPA ENVIROMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT AND THEN THE ACTUAL WORK ON THE HABITAT RESTORATION.