Birds & Science >
Colorado IBAs
Chatfield State Park
http://parks.state.co.us/default.asp?parkID=78&action=park
Douglas and Jefferson Counties
Size: 5,600 acres
Elevation: 5300 - 5500 feet
Habitats:
Primary – grassland, open water, lowland riparian
Secondary – shore/bank, wetlands
Ownership:
Federal (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
State (CO State Parks)
Land Use:
Primary – fishing, recreation/tourism, flood control
Secondary – nature and wildlife conservation, research
IBA Criteria: 1, 3, 4 (waterfowl, heronries, landbirds), 5
Site description
Location:
Chatfield State Park is located in the lower foothills of the Front Range on the southwestern edge of the city of Denver.
Vegetative/natural features:
The site includes riparian woods and marshes, grasslands, and a 1,500 surface-acre reservoir at the confluence of Plum Creek and the South Platte River. Uplands are dominated by mixed prairie communities of short- and midgrasses. The reservoir shoreline, and the South Platte River and Plum Creek floodplains, support large wetland, riparian, and aquatic communities. The South Platte River flows for 3-4 miles through the site through cottonwood/boxelder woodlands, and includes several gravel pit ponds with cattail marshes along its flood plain.
Ornithological Importance
Monitors have recorded 345 bird species at the park. A rookery at the mouth of Plum Creek supports Double-crested Cormorants and Great Blue Herons. The site hosts the largest population in Colorado of breeding American Redstarts and Least Flycatchers. It serves as a swallow staging and feeding area during spring migration. The reservoir attracts large numbers of waterfowl 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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55 pairs
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150 pairs
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Osprey
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1 pair
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Swainson’s Hawk
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1
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American Dipper
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1
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Western Wood-Pewee
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100 pairs
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Gray Catbird
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50
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Lark Sparrow
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10
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Migrant species:
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Average #
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Maximum #
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Peregrine Falcon
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(spring, fall)
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Western Grebe
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Clark’s Grebe
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Redhead
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Wilson’s Phalarope
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American Avocet
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Common Poorwill
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Lewis’s Woodpecker
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Virginia’s Warbler
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MacGillivray’s Warbler
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Western Tanager
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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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5-10
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Northern Harrier
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Prairie Falcon
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Research and educational activities:
Audubon Society of Greater Denver has a long-term lease on a site in the park for a Nature Center, which is now in the planning stages.
Conservation/Management Issues
Serious threats:
- introduced plants (knapweed, Canada thistle, leafy spurge);
- pollution run-off from adjacent development.
Minor threats:
- introduced animals (dogs off-leash).
Potential threats:
- recreational use impact on riparian corridors;
- development of bike and horse paths.
Efforts to address threats:
The parks department has initiated biological controls to address the knapweed that has taken over vast tracts of grassland at the site.
Management details:
The site is leased by Colorado State Parks from the Army Corps of Engineers, which owns the dam, intake structure, and spillway. The site is part of the Chatfield Basin Conservation Network, and is a Colorado Watchable Wildlife site.
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