Fishing is Fun Grants Awarded for 8 Colorado Angling Projects

Description: (Courtesy Photo)

Fishing is Fun grants awarded for 8 Colorado angling projects

DENVER - Colorado Parks and Wildlife has awarded $650,000 to eight Fishing is Fun (FIF) projects, all geared to improve angling opportunities in the state of Colorado. The approved projects include improved angling access, habitat improvement, and trail and boat access. Funding recipients include projects that will protect and improve a threatened fishery on the eastern plains, build a new fishing pier and boat docks at Lake San Cristobal in Hinsdale County, and develop new angler access at Kyger Open Space in Windsor. 

“The angling opportunities that Colorado waters provide are part of what makes this state so special,” said CPW Director Dan Prenzlow. “Not only does the Fishing is Fun program help revitalize aquatic ecosystems across the state, it also ensures that residents and visitors will continue to have improved angling access for years to come.”

Among the projects approved for funding are:

Ordway Reservoir 
The project will make improvements to an existing fishery on the eastern plains to address angler access difficulties. Improvements include an ADA-compliant fishing pier, angler access points to mitigate the current steep banks and deepening a portion of the reservoir to increase fish overwinter survival. The project is part of a larger dam repair project to fix safety issues that threaten the reservoir’s future.

Lake San Cristobal Peninsula
The project will develop angling facilities at a newly acquired portion of a peninsula on the west side of Lake San Cristobal near Lake City. The lake currently has limited public access. The project will help fund new motorboat docks, a fishing pier, and canoe, kayak and belly boat access. Major partners include Great Outdoors Colorado and Hinsdale County.

Kyger Open Space Lake (Windsor)
A 90-acre lake on the northwest side of Windsor recently opened to the public. A survey conducted in association with development of a master plan for the site found non-motorized boat access and angling to be the top two priorities. Improvements include an ADA-compliant fishing pier, non-motorized boat access, five angling points, and habitat improvement.  

“This year’s awards will effectively open up angler access to six new stream and lake fishing opportunities,” said CPW’s Fishing is Fun Program Coordinator Jim Guthrie. “Two additional projects will make cost-effective investments to maintain angling quality at existing waters. Thousands of Colorado anglers will directly benefit from these investments.”    

Fishing alone contributes $2.4 billion dollars in economic output per year, supporting over 17,000 jobs in Colorado according to CPW’s 2017 economic study.

For over 30 years, FIF has supported more than 380 projects in nearly every county in the state, improving stream and river habitats, expanding public access to angling waters, developing new angling opportunities, facilitating ADA access and more.  

The program typically provides up to $400,000 annually from the Federal Sport Fish Restoration Program (SFR), funded with excise taxes on fishing equipment and motorboat fuel. This year the program awarded an additional $250,000 from revenue generated through Colorado’s wildlife sporting license plate. “Sportsmen and sportswomen who have signed up for the license plate have helped make more projects possible. That is a big boost to making angling accessible to many more people,” said Guthrie. The $650,000 total will be met with more than $2.5 million in local matching funds for the eight projects approved in 2021.

Additional Fishing is Fun program details and requirements can be found on CPW's website.

Fishing is Fun 2021 grants include:

South Pond Aerator in Fraser
Aerator, bench, shade and shelter
$11,100

Pleasant Valley – Yampa River
In-stream habitat improvement
$40,000

Lake San Cristobal in Hinsdale County
Fishing pier and boat docks
$150,000

Ordway Reservoir #2 in Ordway
Angling improvements and dam repair
$182,500

Crystal River in Carbondale
Stream habitat improvements
$50,000

Kendall Reservoir
Dam repair to restore fishery
$40,000

Blanca Vista Pond in Alamosa
Dredging to improve fish habitat and overwinter survival
$48,400

Kyger Open Space in Windsor
Fishing pier, boat access, angler access
$128,000

Source Link: https://cpw.state.co.us/aboutus/Pages/News-Release-Details.aspx?NewsID=7886

Share

Tweet

Follow SECO News on Facebook.
Subscribe to the SECO News YouTube Channel.

Press releases Sponsor