An untold story of the Colorado flood

Sen. Mark Udall speaks at TU's LWCF event in Lyons, Colo.

by Randy Scholfield

One year later, the fishing on the St. Vrain through Lyons, Colorado, isn't what it was. There are anecdotal reports that a few trout are coming back, though--slowly, surely, making their way back after the devastating floods of 2013.

The small town of Lyons, which depends on recreation economy, is also on the way back--thanks in part to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a little-known program that pays big dividends for communities and sportsmen.

Lyons was hit hard--the rampaging St. Vrain destroyed much of the town's river-based park system and left many families homeless. One year later, Front Range communities like Lyons are remembering the tragedy and telling stories of recovery and rebuilding. TU today released a report that tells one of those untold stories: How the Land and Water Conservation Fund is playing a crucial role in responding to disaster and restoring river habitat, recreation trails, and fishing opportunity.  

The LWCF was created 50 years ago, using a small percentage of royalties from offshore oil drilling to invest in public parks, river access and recreation trails, and open spaces.

At an event in Lyons hosted by TU to commemorate flood recovery efforts and release the report, Sen. Mark Udall spoke about the critical role played by the LWCF, which has provided funds for rebuilding a popular recreation trail along the St. Vrain River and extending the Lyons park system.

He noted that the LWCF helped protect communities and rebuild parkland after the devastating Big Thompson Flood of 1976--and it played a critical role again helping communities like Lyons recover after the flood of September 2013.

David Nickum, executive director of Colorado TU, and Stephanie Scott, CTU's outreach coordinator, also spoke about how the LWCF is making a difference. The TU report highlights a couple of case studies of how LWCF funds helped buy out scores of homeowners in the nearby Big Thompson Canyon floodplain after the 1976 disaster, replacing these flood-prone homes with new parkland that provided public access to roughly 200,000 angling days a year of outstanding fishing on the Big Thompson. (This foresight also avoided some $16 million in damages in the most recent flooding.)

It's not just Colorado that benefits--here's another recent report from 19 outdoor groups, including TU, that shows how the LWCF improves habitat and outdoor opportunity across the nation. So why can't Congress fully fund the program and these smart investments in our quality of life? 

The little town of Lyons, sitting on the doorstep of Rocky Mountain Park, depends heavily on its river for tourism and outdoor recreation. With the help of LWCF, it's poised to make a strong comeback.

I have no doubt the fish will soon be back, too.

Randy Scholfield is TU's director of communications for the Southwest region.