For years, this abandoned dam—built to divert flows into a long-decommissioned Colorado Parks and Wildlife fish hatchery—prevented trout in the main stem of the Big Thompson from reaching spawning habitat in the upper North Fork. Alpine Anglers got an Embrace-A-Stream grant from Trout Unlimited and teamed with Wildlands Restoration Volunteers, CPW, and private landowners to remove the dam.  

It's working. Recent sampling shows trout tagged below the old dam have now been found above it.