Man-Made Fish Ladder Installed On Poudre River

My mom said "you have to come see this crazy thing they installed to help the fish get over the dam." My parents live in Laporte and they love spending time at Watson Lake and the Poudre that runs near it. This area sits just south of Morning Fresh Dairy and just east of a beautiful red cliff hill, near Bellvue. It's a true hidden gem. However, the new fish ladder that has been installed is creating some buzz.

This "ladder" is full of rocks that have been cut in half and placed with precision so that fish may flop their way up the escalator side of the river. Before this installation, you could stand at the dam and watch the fish tirelessly try to jump up and over, with zero success. My mom says the neighbors all want to know why the "$850,000 ladder was necessary?"

North Forty News ran a story in January that quoted Rob Graves, owner of Morning Fresh Dairy and the surrounding land saying “the Poudre River has been an integral part of our family farm for over 100 years. We would like to be part of the solution for fish passage along the Poudre River, starting at Watson Lake. We would like to find additional community partners and reconnect the river from Fort Collins all the way up through the Poudre Canyon.” This fish ladder and the vision behind it, is a collaboration between the Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Morning Fresh Dairy, Northern Water and noosa yoghurt.