Piping Plover and Least Tern update
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Duane Nelson
Jul 4, 2015, 9:31:25 PM7/4/15
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Birders,
I know there is a lot of interest in the nesting status of Piping Plovers and Least Terns in Colorado this year. Water continues to rise in Southeast Colorado Reservoirs, and flood warnings persist at vulnerable sites along the Arkansas River east of Pueblo, especially at Avondale in Pueblo County, and between La Junta and Las Animas. The Arkansas River has flowed dike-to-dike in Las Animas for two months now. As a result, we are experiencing rising water at multiple locations, almost unprecedented in their intensity and duration. For example, the elevation of John Martin Reservoir stood at 4,111 feet of elevation on May 7th (45,000 acre-feet of storage). Today, the elevation is nearing 4,149 feet, with 304,000 acre-feet of water in storage. Put in perspective, we have received the equivalent of six years of winter storage water over a period of 8 weeks, an amount that is not far from the average runoff of the entire San Juan Mountains in an average year. The water level has risen 38 vertical feet. No amount of work could save the Piping Plover nests there this year. Water is still rising. John Martin Reservoir now extends west to Ft. Lyon. The corner at Bent County Roads JJ and 16 was closed today as it is now underwater. Road JJ at Vans Grove is underwater, as is JJ just west of Road 19. Adobe Creek Reservoir is full, Horse Creek Reservoir is nearly full, Neenoshe Reservoir is receiving water, Upper Queens Reservoir is high, and Lower Queens has a sizeable pool. This is like the good old days of the late 1990's and early 2000's.
Many of you heard my presentation on the Status of Piping Plovers and Least Terns at the CFO Convention in Salida in early June. I highlighted the impact of this year's flooding in my program, and tried to put an optimistic spin on the possible impact of flooding on our birds I concluded with three predictions:
1. Flooding would reset everything. Since our historic drought began in 2002, vegetation has encroached on historic nest sites, rodents and predators have impacted nesting, and our strategy has been coping with habitat loss due to drought. Now, we need to re-calibrate everything as lakes fill, but habitat is almost non-existent in July of 2015. Without rising water, Least Terns were likely gone as a nesting species in Colorado, after a 45 year run of successful nesting.
2. Suitable nesting habitat will exist in 2016, providing we deal with salt cedar trees and other vegetation on islands in southeast Colorado this year.
3. Maintaining a nesting culture of Piping Plovers and Least Terns in 2015 is our most important objective for the remainder of 2015, so that the local nesting culture continues past this year. This is our most important immediate management task.
I can report a little bit of good news today. Four pairs of Piping Plovers originating at John Martin Reservoir earlier in the year found habitat for nesting on private property in Kiowa County. Two landowners allowed me unconditional access to their land bordering playas. I have found four Piping Plover nests since birds were driven away from their Colorado nesting stronghold of John Martin Reservoir. Today, the first Piping Plover nest of 2015 hatched. I observed 3 hatch-day young, a sight that seemed improbable just a few weeks ago. The fourth egg might have hatched by now. Exclosure cages are working to keep coyotes from depredating eggs so far, and there is a reasonable chance we might actually have a break-even year after facing what has seemed to be impossible odds.
I hope birders respect private property and the welfare of these birds in this exceptionally tough year. If you absolutely, positively have to see these birds, let me know, and I'll help you. A better idea: wait 'til next year.
Respectfully,
Duane Nelson
Las Animas, Bent County, CO
I know there is a lot of interest in the nesting status of Piping Plovers and Least Terns in Colorado this year. Water continues to rise in Southeast Colorado Reservoirs, and flood warnings persist at vulnerable sites along the Arkansas River east of Pueblo, especially at Avondale in Pueblo County, and between La Junta and Las Animas. The Arkansas River has flowed dike-to-dike in Las Animas for two months now. As a result, we are experiencing rising water at multiple locations, almost unprecedented in their intensity and duration. For example, the elevation of John Martin Reservoir stood at 4,111 feet of elevation on May 7th (45,000 acre-feet of storage). Today, the elevation is nearing 4,149 feet, with 304,000 acre-feet of water in storage. Put in perspective, we have received the equivalent of six years of winter storage water over a period of 8 weeks, an amount that is not far from the average runoff of the entire San Juan Mountains in an average year. The water level has risen 38 vertical feet. No amount of work could save the Piping Plover nests there this year. Water is still rising. John Martin Reservoir now extends west to Ft. Lyon. The corner at Bent County Roads JJ and 16 was closed today as it is now underwater. Road JJ at Vans Grove is underwater, as is JJ just west of Road 19. Adobe Creek Reservoir is full, Horse Creek Reservoir is nearly full, Neenoshe Reservoir is receiving water, Upper Queens Reservoir is high, and Lower Queens has a sizeable pool. This is like the good old days of the late 1990's and early 2000's.
Many of you heard my presentation on the Status of Piping Plovers and Least Terns at the CFO Convention in Salida in early June. I highlighted the impact of this year's flooding in my program, and tried to put an optimistic spin on the possible impact of flooding on our birds I concluded with three predictions:
1. Flooding would reset everything. Since our historic drought began in 2002, vegetation has encroached on historic nest sites, rodents and predators have impacted nesting, and our strategy has been coping with habitat loss due to drought. Now, we need to re-calibrate everything as lakes fill, but habitat is almost non-existent in July of 2015. Without rising water, Least Terns were likely gone as a nesting species in Colorado, after a 45 year run of successful nesting.
2. Suitable nesting habitat will exist in 2016, providing we deal with salt cedar trees and other vegetation on islands in southeast Colorado this year.
3. Maintaining a nesting culture of Piping Plovers and Least Terns in 2015 is our most important objective for the remainder of 2015, so that the local nesting culture continues past this year. This is our most important immediate management task.
I can report a little bit of good news today. Four pairs of Piping Plovers originating at John Martin Reservoir earlier in the year found habitat for nesting on private property in Kiowa County. Two landowners allowed me unconditional access to their land bordering playas. I have found four Piping Plover nests since birds were driven away from their Colorado nesting stronghold of John Martin Reservoir. Today, the first Piping Plover nest of 2015 hatched. I observed 3 hatch-day young, a sight that seemed improbable just a few weeks ago. The fourth egg might have hatched by now. Exclosure cages are working to keep coyotes from depredating eggs so far, and there is a reasonable chance we might actually have a break-even year after facing what has seemed to be impossible odds.
I hope birders respect private property and the welfare of these birds in this exceptionally tough year. If you absolutely, positively have to see these birds, let me know, and I'll help you. A better idea: wait 'til next year.
Respectfully,
Duane Nelson
Las Animas, Bent County, CO
Aaron
Jul 4, 2015, 10:16:56 PM7/4/15
to dnel...@centurytel.net, cob...@googlegroups.com
Thank you
Duane
Sent from my iPhone
Sent from my iPhone
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