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Arapaho National Recreation Area ANRA News Serving Colorado’s Great Lakes Region 2016 Edition USDA Forest Service Volume 16 Exploring the islands of the ANRA Doreen Sumerlin the wide flat ranch land at the Shadow ospreys, great blue herons, Canada geese Wildlife Biologist Mountain valley bottom were inundated and, occasionally, bald eagles. The islands Massive glaciers once tumbled out of the with water, only the tops of these ancient also create terrestrial stepping stones or mountains near Grand Lake, carving vast moraines peaked through the water’s rest stops for deer, elk, moose and black valleys. As these glaciers receded, they left surface, creating a series of distinctive bears swimming across the lake. behind piles of rock and debris called islands. Shadow Mountain Reservoir’s islands moraines. Today islands on both Shadow Mountain host a diversity of other wildlife species, When the Colorado-Big Thompson Reservoir and Lake Granby provide including river otters (year-round), Project was completed in the 1950s, and critical, protected nesting habitat for (Continued on page 3) If you know a story about the original naming of these islands, please share your story with ANRA Manager Dan Matthews ([email protected]). Page 2 ANRA News BIRD WATCH Ten things to do in the ANRA Take a hike: There are and photograph ospreys, 1 a variety of hiking eagles, deer, elk, moose, and opportunities including other species flying over or Monarch and Junco trailhead walking through the ANRA. with hikes leading into the Have a picnic: The Indian Peaks Wilderness. ANRA has eight Other hikes follow along our 8 developed picnic areas. Enjoy shorelines. your meal with a view of the The largest heron Rent a boat: There are water and mountains! species in North three marinas on Lake 2 Green Ridge Boat Launch Watch birds: Islands, America, great blue Granby and one on Shadow herons nest in a lakes. In the winter, sign up deltas and shoreline Mountain Reservoir where 9 heronry (clusters of for the 3 Lakes Ice Fishing habitat attract an awesome 5-20 nests) on Harvey you can rent boats and tour Tournament, based in the array of bird species, includ- Island on Lake the lakes. Granby. Herons ANRA: granbychamber.com. ing some rare sightings of return to their nest Volunteer: Get your common loons, trumpeter Try hunting: Go big year after year but 3 annual pass by swans, American bittern and game hunting in the fall often choose new volunteering for four hours 5 even a flock of sanderlings. mates each year. in the ANRA backcountry. of clean up during the Work They locate their food Pull a paddle: Your Pass Off day in May. Go camping: There are by sight and swallow Launch a canoe or it whole, preferring Or you can contact us about six campgrounds and 10 6 kayak from the Hilltop ramp small fish, crayfish, other volunteer opportunities numerous dispersed small rodents and near Grand Lake, or from such as fixing trails or campsites in the ANRA. amphibians. any of the non-motorized staffing our trailhead cabins. Photograph wildlife: ramps on Willow Creek Go fish: Try your skill 7 Take advantage of the Reservoir, Meadow Creek 4 fishing in our rivers and many opportunities to view Reservoir and Monarch Lake. Initiative encourages kids to #GetOutdoors By John Simmons DID YOU KNOW? “Because no matter who you are, no matter Lead Interpreter where you live, our parks, our monuments, The Forest Service uses a The 4th Grade Pass is part of the Every Kid our lands, our waters – these places are portion of your fees to in a Park program, an effort to introduce maintain the 30 miles of your birthright as Americans.” trail in the ANRA. The America’s youth to the outdoors. The pass is — President Barack Obama ANRA is your basecamp given to every fourth grader who obtains a to 465 miles of trail on the paper voucher from the Every Kid in a Park By offering this opportunity to our local Sulphur Ranger District. In school children, we help increase the chance 2015, the Forest Service web site: everykidinapark.gov. that they will enjoy and learn to appreciate the and our partners, including Every 4th grader has the opportunity to pick Headwaters Trails Alliance, public lands and the plants and animals that up this pass at the Sulphur Ranger District completed maintenance live on them. They will build their knowledge work on almost 200 miles office in Granby, the Kawuneeche visitor and understanding of the world around them, of trail. Some 2,700 center in Rocky Mountain National Park, the downed trees were and hopefully as a result, they will become BLM office in Kremmling, and at many other cleared from trails and good stewards of public and private lands in four miles of new trail was federal land management offices in the the future. constructed. country. 2016 Edition Page 3 RAMPING UP In the winter of 2014/ 2015 the docks at Green Ridge boat ramp were damaged by shifting ice. Repairs were conducted in the spring of 2015 and those docks were used throughout the summer and fall. The ANRA was able to secure $24,000 in a grant from its regional office. The money from that grant came from fees paid by Forest users, including the ANRA fee. The new docks were delivered in late summer and will be installed in the spring of 2016. This Shadow Mountain Reservoir's islands are numbered 1-8 and are the high points of a glacial terminal moraine project is a great example extending above the surface of the lake. of how fees help maintain and improve the ANRA. Islands The best way to explore the Shadow Mountain Islands is by kayak or canoe so you can navi- (Continued from page 1) gate the shallow channels between the islands. OSPREY TOUR beavers, mink, belted kingfishers, American Day use is allowed on the islands except for white pelicans, common mergansers and the osprey closure zones that can be identified western grebes. In addition, many duck species by signs and buoys posted around the nests. can be seen swimming, flying or perching Most of the islands on Shadow Mountain during the breeding season. Reservoir are so small that the osprey closures During the height of the mountain pine beetle take up the majority of the island. The epidemic, biologists worried that all the large exception is Island 7. Although it has Love osprey viewing? The pines on the islands would die and fall down, occasional nests, it is large enough ANRA now has a self- leaving ospreys, herons and other species to accommodate some picnicking. guided tour for driving, biking, kayaking and without the nesting structure needed for Many people enjoy motoring to the Lake canoeing. The tour can be summer breeding. In response, the Forest printed by going to Granby islands for fishing or a picnic. www.fs.usda.gov/goto/arp/ Service contracted tree spraying to protect Overnight camping is not allowed on any of OspreyTour or by using your some of the large, green pines on islands, the Lake Granby or Shadow Mountain which are so critical for nesting. The benefits smartphone Reservoir islands. QR code app. of these efforts are visible today. Interested in the future of trails? Headwaters Trails Alliance is working on a The Grand County Wilderness community Master Trails Plan. Interested in helping maintain trails in Grand Group staffs the Monarch Lake Trailhead Cabin on Fridays, County? Headwaters Trails Alliance also runs the Adopt-A-Trail program Saturdays and Sundays in the through which you can volunteer to work on trails. Please see their website for summer, answering visitors’ more information on the community trails plan and for information on volunteer trail questions. Learn more about volunteering at GCWG.org maintenance opportunities at headwaterstrails.org. WORK YOUR Serving Colorado’s Great Lakes Region Page 4 PASS OFF ANRA fleet keeps busy on the water By Dan Matthews ANRA Manager As you travel on the Three Lakes in the sum- mer you are likely to see boats from different federal, state and local agencies. In early May, the U.S. Forest Service launches our pontoon Volunteers can earn a boat in order to place 60 navigational buoys on free ANRA Annual Pass Shadow Mountain Reservoir that warn the by helping collect trash public about hazards such as hidden rocks, no and debris along shore- wake and no motorized use areas as well as lines, boat launches and define the protection zones for nesting ospreys. picnic areas each spring. Besides conducting safety and security patrols, The Weed Harvester removes aquatic weeds on Shadow Participants meet at our Boston Whaler is used on Shadow Mountain Reservoir. Sunset Boat Ramp or Mountain Reservoir and Grand Lake to assist Green Ridge Boat Ramp Grand County Water Information Network in Our most unusual looking boat is the Weed at 8 a.m. on the third Sat- collecting water clarity samples from mid-May Harvester. This metal boat uses paddle wheels urday of each May. Clean- through mid-October. to move around Shadow Mountain Reservoir up typically lasts until as it collects aquatic weeds from around docks noon. Dress for weather When Lake Granby thaws we use our pontoon and those floating on the lake’s surface. changes and bring work boat and Sea Ark to install the public boat gloves, water, and boots docks and no wake buoys at the Sunset and Other agencies also have boats on these lakes. for walking on uneven Stillwater boat ramps. Those boats will place 40 The statewide Colorado Parks and Wildlife ground.

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