High Country Angler
www.HCAmagazine.com
Summer 2010

Today, a skilled angler can catch wild trout just about anywhere on Middle Boulder Creek, from the headwaters of the Indian Peak Wilderness through bustling downtown Boulder. Until recently however, one would not have found many fish within this half mile stretch located approximately nine miles up the canyon from Boulder. Purchased in 1994 by Boulder County and designated as Open Space, Platt Rogers Memorial Park was originally owned by the Rogers family. At the time Boulder County acquired the property, the river was severely degraded due to a multi-year a sawmill operation, the construction and later widening of Highway 119, as well as floods and pollution. While the surrounding land was intact, the trout habitat was severely compromised and demanded attention.

Following on the heels of two other successful chapter projects, the Boulder Flycasters (BFC) Board of Directors discussed tackling another Significant environmental project within our “home waters” on either South or Middle Boulder Creek. After exploring different options, the BFC Board decided to restore Platt Rogers Memorial Park as the chapter’s primary conservation effort to close out the decade. Tremendously excited about the project, but blissfully unaware of what was going to be required, Roger Svendsen volunteered to lead the project. When he asked if any of the BFC Board members would join the effort, all hands went up. This was an encouraging start -right away we had thirteen chapter members with a tremendous amount of experience and diverse backgrounds ready to go to work.

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