Save the Poudre Coalition Launches

 

May 6, 2009

Fort Collins, CO -- The Save The Poudre Coalition has launched a "June Rise" contest where the public can guess the date and amount of peak flow in the Cache la Poudre River of northern Colorado. Every spring the river rises as mountain snow melts. When the river is at its highest, it is referred to as the "June Rise" because the peak is usually in the month of June.


"The June Rise is exactly what will die if Glade Reservoir is built," said Gary Wockner of the Save The Poudre Coalition.

"The June Rise is what keeps the entire river alive -- it scours the riverbed so that trout can plant their eggs in rocks, it feeds the wetlands along the river corridor running through Fort Collins, and it fills the entire north side of Fort Collins with the smell of a wild flowing river."

Contestants can guess when the Poudre River runoff will peak at the USGS Canyon Mouth Gage, or how much the actual peak flow will be in cubic feet per second (cfs). Guesses must be made by May 31st, 2009. Ticket prices are $5 per guess; proceeds are donations to the Save The Poudre Coalition. Prizes include a weekend of lodging in Steamboat Springs, a new whitewater kayak, a new bicycle, a raft trip on the Poudre, and framed Poudre River photos. www.JuneRise.org also lists the June Rise dates and amounts for the last 130 years on the Poudre as helpful hints for contestants.

"By guessing the June Rise, you can help save the June Rise," said Wockner. "I cannot imagine a more perfect way to help Save The Poudre River. Anyone can take a guess, anyone can help."

The Save The Poudre Coalition is working to stop the Northern Integrated Supply Project and its Glade Reservoir. The Coalition has proposed a "Healthy Rivers Alternative" that will be cheaper, better for farms, and will keep the Poudre River and its "June Rise" alive.


The Save The Poudre Coalition is made up of 14 national, state, and regional groups including: National Wildlife Federation, Clean Water Action, Defenders of Wildlife, American Rivers, Western Resource Advocates, Colorado Environmental Coalition, Environment Colorado, Sierra Club – Rocky Mountain Chapter, Fort Collins Audubon Society, Citizen Planners, Wolverine Farm Publishing, Poudre Paddlers, Friends of the Poudre, and the Cache la Poudre River Foundation. Membership in these groups totals over 3 million American citizens.

visit the website: http://SaveThePoudre.org

The contest is available at: http://www.JuneRise.org