Pure Trout

Greenback. Sort of.

I visited the Front Range last year. During that trip I became enamored with a popular lake that was home to Greenback Cutthroat trout. Well, not so much. It appears that there's only one place you can find pure strain Greenbacks, in a sliver of water along the flanks of Pike's Peak called Bear Creek.

Bear Creek contains what has been verified through genetic testing as the last known place where pure strain Greenback Cutthroats live. The population is estimated at 750 fish. That's a slim population. And when you see how small the stream is, that portion of your brain where catastrophes and natural disasters live becomes very active.

State and local conservation groups, including The Greenbacks, are rallying to put in place protections for this critical resource.

They're trying to raise $10,000 to fund work to protect the drainage.

If you can spare $10, $20, or more, head over to their site. They've got a video that explains the effort and the drainage. Donating gives you access to some great swag from Fishpond, Vedavoo and others along with the satisfaction of helping to protect this important resource.