Founding
The following was relayed by H.V. "Bud" Peiffer to the Board of Directors in April 2007
"In the early 70's after the devastating flood of June 1965 Cripple Creek did not have adequate water storage as #1 and #2 reservoir washed out. Myself, along with the mayor and city council decided to rebuild #2. To accomplish this the City of Cripple Creek issued $100,000.00 in emergency water improvement bonds to be paid back over a 20-year period. I formed what was then known as the Tenderfoot Fishing Club in order to pay off the bonds. The City of Cripple Creek and the Tenderfoot fishing Club entered into an agreement to do just that. To sell memberships, sales of memberships were slow so along with the help of Tom Butler, we met with the CSPPA (Colorado Springs Police Protective Association) and they agreed to take over the lease with the City and changed the name to Timberline Fishing Club and the bonds were paid off early with great saving to the City of Cripple Creek." The rest is history.
It was a win, win situation for both parties. In the early years, Cripple Creek received much needed funds and was assured that their water supply would be protected. In return, the members received recreational opportunities. Who else but the Colorado Springs Police Department could better protect their water source?
The many responsibilities of the club included making improvements to the property. According to a number of original members this included contracting heavy equipment and blasting professionals. The club improved roads, made campgrounds, and other general improvements. The biggest responsibility of the club was to stock the lakes with catchable trout.
Middle Years
Lease Negotiations
In 2006 the Club was approached by the City of Cripple Creek regarding the upcoming lease negotiations. The City wanted to explore disbanding the Club and explore options to open up the reservoirs to the club but controlled by residents of the City. Recognizing the precarious situation of the club, the Board entered into negotiations with the then mayor, Ed Libby. After looking at what was involved both logistically and financially, the City decided they did not have the resources to go it alone.
With some back and forth, after decades of short term leases for the exclusive use of the property, the Club and Cripple Creek made drastic changes to the partnership.
In exchange for a ten year lease and a guaranteed annual lease payment amount to the City, the Club created three Board of Director positions to be filled by appointment of the City. A membership base for Cripple Creek residents was also created, with these slots to be filled at the discretion of the City Council and approval of the Board of Directors. Additionally, the City would take over maintenance and upkeep of the roads within the property. This lease was effective from June 1, 2008 through June 30, 2018.
Future Stability
A Lease for Today and Into the Future
On past occasions, the Club has hired an Aquaculture Extension Area Specialized Agent to survey both reservoirs. The reports noted that the reservoirs cannot sustain a viable wild trout population from one year to the next.
Thus, since 2006, the Club has spent a very large sum of money stocking catchable fish in both reservoirs. During the same time frame, the Club has made annual lease payments to the City of Cripple Creek. A large portion of the club's operating expense is the salary of the Club's Caretaker, who is an independent contractor.
It isn't cheap to run a fishing club, but the City of Cripple Creek and the Timberline Fishing Club have done a marvelous job of leveraging the reservoirs into a quality opportunity for Cripple Creek residents and members. Recognizing the benefit of this partnership between the City and the Club, both parties are interested in maintaining this long term partnership.
To that end, the City of Cripple Creek and the Timberline Fishing Club signed a new lease in the summer of 2016. This new agreement extends the current lease to the end of the 2018 fishing season and started a new ten year lease period starting with the 2019 fishing season. This will provide a unique and enjoyable fishing experience through 2028.
The Club has been privileged and we are extremely grateful to the City of Cripple Creek for the opportunity to provide such an experience to the City and our members.
credit to Tom Thieme for this article