April 2026| View Upcoming Events

April 2026 Newsletter

Welcome to the Zane Grey Chapter April newsletter. This past month has been unusally warm. Despite the record breaking heat, our March was busy with lots of activites.

• We held our Salt River Saturday event on March 7th with Alpha Kapa Alpha sorority, OdySea Aquarium, Southwest Wildlife Conservation, Elk Foundation and Arizona Game and Fish Department. We had approximately 60 people attend. It was a great morning, with great camaraderie and lots of trash removed from the area. Thanks to all that made this event such a success.

• We held a second Salt River Saturday event on March 21st.

• We hosted a table at the AZ Fly Shop’s 4th Annual Spring Fling on March 21st. It was a very warm day, despite the heat the event was well attended and everyone seemed to have a great time!

• We jointly hosted a table with Desert Fly Casters Club and Arizona Flycasters Club, with fly-casting teaching demonstrations at the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Outdoor Expo.

Some of our upcoming activities include:

• We’ll be holding a Salt River Saturday event, this Saturday, April 4, 2025 at the Blue Point day use area. Please join us for coffee, dougnuts, and to clean up.

• On April 7th at 7:00 we will having a Special Membership Presentation. Nate Rees, TU's Arizona Lead and Alec Young, TU's Engagement Manager, will giving an presentation on TU's current stream restoration work across Arizona. More information and a link to register for the presentation can be found later in this newsletter.

• The 17^th Annual Native and Wild Trout Conference, will be held on April 23rd. More information and a link for registration is found later in the newsletter. Registration closes Tuesday, April 10th. We hope to see you there. 

• Our 2026 Fish Camp will be held June 22 - 28. We are starting to receive registrations for this year's Camp. We have room for 24 campers and spots are filling up quickly. More information and a link for registration is found later in the newsletter.

We encourage you to join us for these many activities. Volunteer by completing our volunteer sign-up here.



Should you have questions about these projects, please don’t hesitate to contact me.  I can be reached at president@zanegreytu.org.

Tom Goodwin

Chapter President

Conservation

Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP) Update

Jim Strogen

           AZTU has members on the GCDAMP’s Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG) and Technical Work Group (TWG) representing recreational fishing interests on the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam. Our members over the past decade or so have consistently advocated for mitigation strategies to protect the health of the river and the Lees Ferry Trout Fishery. The AMWG and TWG provide recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior who makes final decisions on actions impacting Lake Powell, Glen Canyon Dam and the Colorado River.

           The drastically decreasing water levels in Lake Powell and the infrastructure at Glen Canyon Dam, which was not designed for these extremely low lake levels, are severely impacting the rainbow trout fishery in the Lees Ferry Reach and the health of the protected native fish populations in the Colorado River.

           Lake Powell water levels have continued to decline over the past several years to the point that the lake is currently only about 24% full. Glen Canyon Dam was completed in 1963. During much of the past sixty years, the lake level was near full and the water releases through the power generating penstocks delivered cold water to the river below because the penstocks were situated deep in the lake where water temperatures were quite cold.

           These cold water releases from Lake Powell provided great conditions for the Lees Ferry Trout Fishery. It also provided a protective barrier in the upstream section of the river below Glen Canyon Dam against invasive warm water predatory fish that might pass through the dam by inhibiting their ability to establish in the river; thus protecting native fish in the Little Colorado River, other tributaries, and the mainstream of the Colorado River farther downstream from Lees Ferry.

           In 2022 and 2023, summer temperatures at lower lake elevations (1/3 full or less full) meant that releases from the penstocks, now much closer to the surface, resulted in much warmer water being passed through the dam to the river. This also put many more warm water fish residing in the lake within range of the penstocks to pass through the dam.

           If these warm water fish are able to establish below Glen Canyon Dam, it poses a threat to protected native fish downstream as well as to young rainbow trout. The main predator of concern with these warmer water temperatures is smallmouth bass.

           In 2024 a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement was completed that allowed dam operations to deliver flows through the bypass tubes in Glen Canyon Dam when river temperatures exceed 60 degrees, which is the lower spawning temperature threshold for smallmouth bass. The bypass tubes are 120 feet deeper than the penstock releases, and water at that depth is much colder. Combining the now warmer, power generating penstock releases with the colder, non-generating bypass releases delivered a cool-mix flow that kept the water temperature in the river all the way to the protected humpback chub stronghold on the Little Colorado River (river mile 61) at 60 degrees.

           These cool-mix flows have shown to be successful in keeping smallmouth bass numbers on the river extremely low, with no indication of spawning occurring. They have also provided critical relief to the rainbow trout fishery. The 60 degree temperature along with increased dissolved oxygen levels from the use of the bypass tubes has been a tremendous benefit to the rainbow trout in the river who have been struggling with condition, recruitment, and overall numbers for the past several years.

           The 2024 cool-mix flows cost approximately $18 million dollars to power customers because no power was generated through the water diverted through the bypass tubes. In 2025 the cool mix flows were again utilized, but the 60 degree temperature was only maintained down to river mile 30, and the cooler water delivery through the bypass tubes was manipulated to avoid peak power need times. This resulted in much less cost to power customers (about $7 million dollars). These flows were also successful in inhibiting smallmouth bass establishment in the river.

           Very poor snowpack continues to plague the watershed and the lake is projected to get even shallower. The use of the bypass tubes will have to increase substantially in order to provide 60 degree water to the river because at the shallower lake levels even the bypass tubes are delivering somewhat warmer water. It is estimated that the bypass tubes will need to run about 70% of the time and probably cost around $40 million dollars to power customers in 2026.

           The release temperatures from the Glen Canyon Dam penstocks into the river is expected to be about 77 degrees in August/ September of this year, which would be lethal to the trout fishery.

           Fortunately, at this point the plan is to continue with the cool mix flows, and maintain the 60 degree river temperature below Glen Canyon Dam for another year. With reduced snowpack the worry for the future is that upstream dams may reach a point where they too are limited in what they can release to help conditions on Lake Powell.

Salt River Saturday Clean Up April 4th

Put on your conservationist’s hat and help clean up the area around the Salt River. All clean-up materials will be provided. Join us at the Blue Point day use area. Additional overflow parking is directly across the street at the Pebble Beach Recreation Site. The event is free, but the purchase of a Tonto NF day pass is recommended. Hope you can make plans to attend!

Club Meetings

Arizona Flycasters Club (AFC) is holding its monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 14th at 6pm.peaker is month is Steve Berry, on fishing Sedona and Oak Creek.

Desert Fly Casters Club (DFC) DFC's monthly meeting is April 8th 6:30pm. This month's speaker is Gentry Smith who will talk about fishing small streams in Arizona. They meet at the Elks Lodge in Chandler.

You're Invited! Special Member Presentation!

Your Membership at Work

April 7th 7:00 pm Arizona Time, via Zoom.

Join us for an inside look at TU’s current stream restoration work across Arizona. We’ll walk through active projects — the objectives, the progress, and the real impact your membership is having on Arizona’s waterways.

There will be an open Q&A after the 30–40 min presentation! Register here to receive Zoom link.

AZTU Fish Camp

Registration is now open to youth 13-18 years old who want to spend a week in cabins among the tall pines and streams above Payson, AZ June 22-28. This camp is a hands-on immersive educational adventure offered by the Arizona Council of Trout Unlimited. Participants will learn the skills necessary to select and tie the proper fly, plenty of fly-casting practice, and fishing. In addition, campers will get their feet wet learning entomology, watersheds, stream health, trout biology, conservation practices, and being stewards of their environment. Instructors learn from experienced anglers, biologists, and conservationists. Campers will cultivate a lifelong love of fishing, conservation, and the outdoors.  Campers return with newfound knowledge, confidence, cooperation, and leadership skills.

More information and registration at  https://az-tu.org/fish-camp/ 

Casting for Used Fly Lines!

If you have any gently used 4,5,or 6 wt floating or sinking line just sitting around taking up space, we can use it. Your donation will help to replace the well-worn fly lines for the rods used at AZTU Fish Camp this summer. What a great way to recast your line for a good cause. Please indicate wt number, floating or sinking.  

Send by May 11 to:

Arthur Greenway

AZTU Fish Camp Director

12380 N. 129^th ST

Scottsdale, AZ 85259

And, if you need to renew your TU membership you can do it here easily.

This link should take you directly to the renewal page.

Another year has gone by and it’s time for the 17th Annual Native and Wild Trout Conference to be held on April 23^rd from 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM at the AZGFD headquarters.

Last year, more than 110 individuals from over 25 agencies and organizations attended to learn about many wide-ranging topics from a variety of presenters. 

Don’t miss this highly informative networking event to hear the latest on native and wild trout restoration activities in Arizona and New Mexico.

Registration by April 10th and topics can be found at registration. 

If interested in helping, contact Alec Young or Jim Walker to volunteer. 

March Meeting Summary

The AZ Council of Trout Unlimited Public Policy Committee (AZ TU PPC) held its normal monthly meeting on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at 7:00 pm. Our guest speaker was Jim Strogen with Trout Unlimited who provided an update on Lake Powell and the rainbow trout fishery at Lees Ferry. Jim is the TU representative that participates in the Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG)-Glen Canyon Dam meetings. He stated that Lake Powell is currently about 25% of its capacity which is an elevation of 3,532 feet. Power production at the dam will cease if the water level drops to 3,490 feet. He also stated that the water temperature coming through the dam in the August/September time frame could approach 77 degrees which is very bad for rainbow trout. The members of AMWG have been discussing, for years, ways to lower the water temperature coming through the dam, but all options are very expensive and time consuming. Besides the water temperature issue, there are also issues with dissolved oxygen levels in the water, the lack of nutrients passing through the dam, and invasive fish species passing through the dam. Until the drought in the entire West ceases and the Lake Powell water level increases, the rainbow trout fishery at Lees Ferry is likely to continue to decline.

Legislative Update

The state legislature is deep in its regular 2026 session and the lawmakers have been and currenty working on over 2,000 bills. Members of the PPC attended the Western Rivers Day at the Capitol last Wednesday, March 25, 2026, which was sponsored by Audubon Southwest. TU was engaging and educating certain legislators about why AZ TU objects to public land sales, to the rescission of the Roadless Rule by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and to stream restoration projects in AZ. AZ TU is supportive of HB 2197 regarding Not camping within one-fourth of a mile from a natural water hole or a man-made watering facility if the camping denies access to wildlife or domestic stock. AZ TU is following HB 2162 regarding membership on the AZ Game & Fish Commission Board, HB 2147 regarding landowner hunting permits, and SB 1068 regarding Arizona State Legislature and Governor approval of private land transfers to the federal government. AZ TU is also following HB 2758 regarding groundwater that is discussed below.

In June 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced its intention to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule. The rescission notice was posted on August 27, 2025, in the Federal Register. Without the Roadless Rule, 45 million acres of National Forest land across the country, impacting fish and wildlife habitat, will be open to harmful development! The Forest Service has nearly $11 billion of deferred maintenance currently on 370,000 miles of roads in our National Forests; do we really need additional roads? TU National is now encouraging all state Councils and chapters to start a mailing campaign from TU members to congressmen and congresswomen to stop the discontinuance of the Roadless Rule.

The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) reported in a recent newsletter that in December 2025, the Modernizing Access to our Public Water Act was signed into law by the President. The TRCP stated that the "MAPWATERS Act is A Big Win for public access".

The National Office of Trout Unlimited has created a new TU Advocacy Champions online community group. If you are interested in receiving the periodic emails from the Advocacy Champions, please email Doug Agee at doug.agee@tu.org and request to be put on the email list.

Groundwater Management in Rural Arizona

Tom Osterday - Past Chair AZ TU PPC

The Rural Water Working Group hosted our annual Lobbying Day at the Capitol on March 11th. We met with 21 Representatives and Senators to advocate for legislation that will protect groundwater in rural Arizona and opposing legislation intended to make it harder to enable rural communities to manage their groundwater.

There are a number of bills currently moving through the legislature that threaten rural groundwater. One of particular concern is HB 2758. This bill authorizes McMullen Valley Basin water to be transported to Phoenix, Tucson or Pinal to benefit the private equity firm, Water Asset Management (WAM). WAM has purchased thousands of acres, not to farm them, but to sell the water associated with the land. While this transfer is a concern, the bigger concern is that this could become the new standard for taking water from rural communities to support growth in metro areas. At the writing of this newsletter, this bill has passed the House and passed the Natural Resources Committee in the Senate and is awaiting a floor vote in the Senate.



Upcoming Public Policy Events

The next regular scheduled AZ TU PPC monthly meeting will be held on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 7:00 pm. We plan on having a guest speaker for our May 2026 meeting who will provide an update on the 2026 AZ Legislative Session. There will NOT be an April 2026 PPC meeting so that the PPC members have the opportunity to attend the Native & Wild Trout Conference at the AZGFD headquarters at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility on Thursday, April 23, 2026.

The AZ TU Public Policy Committee hosts a virtual meeting on the second Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm until 8:00 pm. If you are interested, please contact Ron Stearns at PublicPolicyChair@az-tu.org.



Please come out and join us for some coffee, camaraderie and clean up! Bring your fishing rod too, you don't want to pass up a chance for some great fishing, do you?

The Arizona Council consolidated the Arizona Trout Unlimited chapters. Effective January 1, 2025, much of eastern and southern Arizona, Kingman and Navajo County east and south including White Mountains: Show Low, Greer, etc., is becoming a part of the Old Pueblo Chapter based in Tucson.

The Mogollon Rim, and areas west of Kingman, including Flagstaff, Lees Ferry and the Colorado River down to Yuma become part of the "new" Zane Grey Chapter based in Phoenix. The below map will give you some idea of the new alignments. The Green areas are the new Zane Grey Chapter, while the Blue areas are the Old Pueblo Chapter's new alignment. The non colored areas are National parks, Military reservations, or other government areas, do not have postal delivery Zip code, and few if any residents.

The Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife Conservation (AZSFWC) license plate fund is derived from the sale of wildlife conservation license plates and member organizations as well as non-member organizations are eligible to apply for those funds. 

The Arizona TU Council and Chapters have received funds over the past thirteen years to support the Annual Native and Wild Trout Conferences, Fish Camp, Trout in the Classroom program and various conservation projects.

The next time your registration comes up for renewal, choose the conservation license plate option at registration to show your support for conservation and our projects. 

Social Media: 

Check out our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/zanegreytu Check out the Instagram page for

Arizona of Trout Unlimited: @Trout_Unlimited_Arizona

If you're more traditional, try signing up for the private Facebook group: Arizona Women of Trout Unlimited.

Below is a list of fishing organizations in Arizona. Feel free to join, explore, visit their websites or attend a meeting to find out more information:

Make sure to follow our Instagram @Trout_Unlimited_Arizona