Birds & Science >
Colorado IBAs
Barr Lake State Park
http://parks.state.co.us/default.asp?parkID=67&action=park
Adams County
Size: 2,600 acres
Elevation: 5200 feet
Habitats:
Primary – open water
Secondary – grassland, shore/bank
Ownership:
State (CO State Parks)
Private (Farmers Reservoir & Irrigation Company, Henrylyn Irrigation District)
Land Use:
Primary – water supply
Secondary – nature and wildlife conservation, hunting/fishing, recreation/tourism
IBA Criteria: 1, 4 (waterfowl, heronries), 5
Site description
Location:
Barr Lake State Park is located 22 miles north of the city of Denver, bordered on the west by Interstate 76 and on the east by Piccadilly Road.
Vegetative/natural features:
The 1,900-acre Barr Lake is bordered by a thin ring of mostly cottonwood trees and marshes. Grasslands constitute the majority of the site’s remaining 700 acres.
Historical features:
Located in the northwest corner of the site is a Swiss-style stone building, built in 1889, which was recently placed on the State Historic Register.
Ornithological Importance
The park’s bird checklist currently totals 346 species. The site contains a large heronry, and is a major stopover site for numerous species during migration.
Breeding species:
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Average #
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Maximum #
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Great Blue Heron
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20 pairs
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30 pairs
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Black-crowned Night Heron
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40 pairs
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50 pairs
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Bald eagle
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1 pair
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1 pair
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Bullock’s Oriole
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~60 pairs
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~60 pairs
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Western Wood Pewee
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~30 pairs
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~30 pairs
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Yellow Warbler
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~40 pairs
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~40 pairs
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Migrant species:
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Average #
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Maximum #
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Mallard
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25,000 (fall)
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Swainson’s Hawk
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300 (fall)
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800 (fall)
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Sandhill Crane
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4,000 (fall)
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4,300 (fall)
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Franklin’s Gull
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1,000’s (fall)
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Wilson’s Warbler
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1,000’s (fall)
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Wintering species:
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Average #
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Maximum #
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Bald Eagle
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7-10
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12
|
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Research and educational activities:
Ornithologists have studied Barr Lake since prior to 1900. Colorado Bird Observatory (CBO) has operated a fall bird banding station at this site since 1989. Seasonal bird banding totals average 2,200 individuals of 65 species. CBO runs the banding program primarily as an educational effort to expose school children to concepts of bird biology and conservation. The state park operates a nature center that provides educational materials and displays on the park’s fauna and flora.
Conservation/Management Issues
Minor threats:
1. pollution;
2. disturbance to migrating and over-wintering waterfowl from fishing and recreational motorboat use;
3. hydrologic changes.
Efforts to address threats:
The southern half of the lake is a designated wildlife sanctuary, where neither fishing nor motorboat use is allowed. In addition, regulations permit only boats of 10 or lower horsepower anywhere on the lake. The threat of hydrologic change is lessened by the fact that, as a result of irrigation practices, water levels do not go low enough to affect waterfowl.
Management details:
Farmers Reservoir & Irrigation Company owns and operates Barr Lake, while Henrylyn Irrigation District owns and operates the Denver-Hudson Canal that runs along the eastern edge of the lake. Barr Lake State Park holds perpetual easements with both companies. The site is a Colorado Watchable Wildlife site.
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