Cache La Poudre River

Geobox River
name = Cache la Poudre River
native_name =
other_name =

---

image_size = 300
image_caption = Cache La Poudre River as it flows through Fort Collins, Colorado.
etymology =
country = United States
country1 =
state = Colorado
state1 =
region_type =
region =
region1 =
city = Fort Collins
city1 = Greeley
landmark =
landmark1 =
length_imperial = 126
length_note = [http://www.bartleby.com/69/15/C00215.html Cache la Poudre River] , The Columbia Gazetteer of North America. 2000.]
watershed_imperial =
watershed_round =
watershed_note =
discharge_location = Fort Collins
discharge_imperial = 162
discharge_max_imperial = 6080
discharge_min_imperial = 0
discharge_round = 1
discharge_note = [http://pubs.usgs.gov/wdr/wdr-co-03-1/vol1/pdf/WDR_CO-03-1.pdf Water Data Report, Colorado 2003] , from [http://pubs.usgs.gov/wdr/wdr-co-03-1/ Water Resources Data Colorado Water Year 2003] , USGS.]
discharge1_location =
discharge1_imperial =
source_name = Rocky Mountains
source_location = Rocky Mountain National Park
source_district =
source_region =
source_state =
source_country =
source_lat_d = 40
source_lat_m = 25
source_lat_s = 29
source_lat_NS = N
source_long_d = 105
source_long_m = 48
source_long_s = 24
source_long_EW = W
source_coordinates_note = Gnis|205018|Cache la Poudre River, USGS GNIS.]
source_elevation_imperial = 10755
source_elevation_note = Google Earth elevation for GNIS coordinates.]
source_length_imperial =
mouth_name = South Platte River
mouth_location = Near Greeley
mouth_district =
mouth_region =
mouth_state =
mouth_country =
mouth_lat_d = 40
mouth_lat_m = 25
mouth_lat_s = 17
mouth_lat_NS = N
mouth_long_d = 104
mouth_long_m = 36
mouth_long_s = 3
mouth_long_EW = W
mouth_coordinates_note =
mouth_elevation_imperial = 4600
mouth_elevation_note =
tributary_left = North Fork Cache la Poudre River
tributary_left1 =
tributary_right = South Fork Cache la Poudre River
tributary_right1 =
free_name =
free_value =


map_size =
map_caption = The Cache La Poudre River (sometimes called the Poudre River for short) is a tributary of the South Platte River in the state of Colorado in the United States.

Its headwaters are in the Front Range in Larimer County, in the northern part of Rocky Mountain National Park. The river descends eastward in the mountains through the Roosevelt National Forest in Poudre Canyon. It emerges from the foothills north of the city of Fort Collins.

It flows eastward across the plains, passing north of the city of Greeley, and flows into the South Platte River approximately five miles east of Greeley.

The name of the river means "hiding place of the powder" in French. It refers to an incident in the 1820s when French trappers, caught by a snowstorm, were forced to bury part of their gunpowder along the banks of the river.

The river is a popular summer destination for trout fishing, whitewater rafting and kayaking in the Poudre Canyon.

Trout Fishing

From its headwaters downstream, through the city of Fort Collins, the Cache la Poudre River contains abundant populations of self-sustaining wild trout, with none of these salomnid populations being native to the river. The vast majority of trout that live within the river system are Brown Trout. The community of Fort Collins contains devoted Poudre River Anglers, who seek brown trout of all size- ranging from juvenille trout all the way up to piscivorous and predominantly nocturnal five to eight pound trout. Anglers pursue these trout most actively in the guise of a fly fisher and dozens, if not hundreds of local fly patterns] have been developed purely for use on the Poudre.

Many locals consider the Cache la Poudre River to be the life blood of the Fort Collins community. Yet, water rights run deep in the community's history and water ownership for uses such as irrigation, drinking and industry create unstable flow environments, greatly impacting the abundance of wildlife in and around the river. As a result, several conservation organizations have been formed in an effort to protect and enhance the natural state of the river.

Anglers seeking success on the Cache la Poudre River can find it in all seasons, as water remains open in certain areas year-round. Fishers in the winter often pursue skiddish trout with flies the size of a pinhead at distances of up to forty feet. In the fall, Brown Trout spawn and in the spring, so do the Rainbow Trout, making for aggressive and active fish that are more than willing to take a fly, dressed of fur and feather and will fight the angler well. Spring, Summertime and Fall mark the highest amounts of anglers on the stream, but enough public water exists that one may always find solitude if he or she so desires it.

Because of increasing fishing pressures on a finite resource, special regulations have been designated for certain stretches of the Poudre by the Colorado Division of Wildlife. These regulations include the use of flies and lures only and strict catch and release designations. This ensures that trout populations are left to thrive naturally and that fish who are caught for sport are released , unharmed, to live on as a wild creature, a worthy adversary, and also as an intoduced invasive spcies. Special regulation waters include, The Indian Meadows Section, The Hatchery Section and a small tailwater stretch of the North Fork of the Cache la Poudre River, which flows from Seamen Reservoir to the main fork of the Poudre. As the Cache la Poudre leaves the canyon for the valley to flow through Fort Collins the water quality decreases significantly. Although trout still live in the lower Cache la Poudre, the population is increasingly diminished due to marginal water flows and water quality, both of which greatly hinder self-sustained trout reproduction in the lower Poudre. Because of this, all fishermen whether bait or artificial should release their catch in town in order to make sure the fishery on the lower Cache la Poudre will remain for years to come.

Many believe that with the right combination of flow, habitat and regulation, that the Cache la Poudre River can become a world-class trout fishery. Furthermore, the Cache la Poudre River has and will continue to support tremendous fly fishing in a wild and beautiful setting.

ee also

*List of Colorado rivers

References

External links

* [http://www.nps.gov/rivers/wsr-cache-la-poudre.html National Park Service: Cache La Poudre River]
* [http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1985/42685b.htm Ronald Reagan 1985 address to Congress] requesting wilderness designation of the river.
* [http://www.poudretrail.org/ Poudre River Trail Corridor]
* [http://www.poudrefoundation.org/ Cache la Poudre River Foundation]