Birds & Science >

Saguache County
Size: 3,000 acres
Elevation: 7600 feet

Habitats:
Primary – mountain shrubland, wetlands
Secondary – shore/bank

Ownership:
State (CO Division of Wildlife)

Land Use:
Primary – waterfowl production, nature and wildlife conservation
Secondary – agriculture/livestock

IBA Criteria: 2, 4 (waterfowl, heronries, shorebirds, gulls/terns)

Site description

Location:
Russell Lakes State Wildlife Area is located near the town of Saguache in south-central Colorado.

Vegetative/natural features:
The site contains a wide variety of high elevation wetlands including shallow wet meadows, deeper water wetlands, bullrush, and cattails. High desert shrublands within the site contain greasewood and rabbitbrush communities. Some of the ponds at the site contain fish, which draw in such bird species as Osprey, mergansers, Cormorants, and gulls.

Ornithological Importance

This site provides habitat for a variety of waterbirds, as well as some upland species. It contains heronries, and provides migratory and breeding habitat for waterfowl and shorebirds.

Breeding species: Average # Maximum #

Snowy Egret 20 pairs 20 pairs

White-faced Ibis 50 50

Black-crowned Night Heron 20 20

Conservation/Management Issues

Serious threats:

• hydrologic changes (from the Closed Basin project).

Potential threats:

• grazing impact.

Management details:
The U.S. Forest Service arranged to pasture horses at the site during fall and winter (not during nesting season). Russell Lakes State Wildlife Area is a Colorado Watchable Wildlife site.