ANRA News Serving Colorado’S Great Lakes Region

Arapaho National Recreation Area

ANRA News Serving Colorado’s Great Lakes Region

2013 Edition USDA Forest Service Volume 13 Welcome to Lake Granby marks Colorado birthplace for Kokanee

the ANRA By Jon Ewert

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Thank you for your inter- est in the Arapaho Na- If you’ve ever hiked on the trails tional Recreation Area in the area of Shadow Mountain (ANRA). Dam, you may have noticed a small cinder-block house Your fees allow us immediately below the dam. This to care is the “spawn shack” where for this Colorado Parks and Wildlife special crews have collected kokanee recreation salmon eggs every fall for area, from Dan decades. maintain- Matthews ANRA manager Biologists use seine nets to collect female Kokonee salmon below ing bath- Shadow Mountain Dam. Photo Courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife. rooms and picking up Kokanee, which are the land- litter, to repairing signs, locked form of sockeye salmon, Unlike natural lakes, reservoirs large quantities of zooplankton cutting hazard trees and were first brought to Colorado such as Granby lack a produc- – microscopic animals which live emptying dumpsters. when they were introduced to tive “littoral zone” – the shallow and feed in the open water. The fees also enable us to Lake Granby shortly after it was areas which support rooted Kokanee are an ideal sport fish operate our lake manage- built in 1951. The first kokanee vegetation and provide most of in this situation because they ment program, which stocked in Granby originated the productivity which anchors are open-water filter feeders places and moves the from Flathead Lake in Montana. the food web. Because water that make their living directly hazard buoys as neces- While these fish are not native to supply reservoirs fluctuate so from consuming zooplankton, sary throughout the year. the state, they are an ideal spe- widely, a stable littoral zone yet are vulnerable to common This program also main- tains the boat launches cies for Colorado’s highly fluctu- never becomes established. methods of recreational angling. and docks, removes float- ating coldwater reservoirs. Instead, our reservoirs produce (Continued on page 3) ing debris, conducts safe- ty and security patrols by boat and removes aquatic ARP Foundation raises funds for Point Park improvements weeds from Shadow Mountain Reservoir. By Lindsey Middendorf picnicking, and providing some of the county’s In 2012, the ANRA used ARP Foundation Program Coordinator only handicap accessible fishing. fees to help plant 270 The Arapaho Roosevelt Pawnee Foundation (ARP trees at Cutthroat Bay Foundation) has had a successful year raising funds In 2009, all of the mature trees in the park were Campground on National Public Lands Day and to for the improvement of Point Park in the Arapaho removed after being devastated by the mountain improve signage across National Recreation Area in the Town of Grand pine beetle epidemic. After the tree removal, the the recreation area. Lake. Point Park is a heavily-used recreation area community and Town of Grand Lake invested located on the shores of Grand Lake and dear to time and money in the improvement of the park Thank for your support and enjoy your journeys the hearts of the Grand Lake community. It is a through a successful community tree-planting into Colorado’s Great popular area enjoyed by both locals and tourists effort in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service. Lakes Region! due to its proximity to town and beautiful natural setting, offering access to fishing, walking, and (Continued on page 2) Dan Matthews Page 2 ANRA News Sulphur’s Adventure Backpack Program expands in 2012

Young explorers can take their outings to a new level through Sulphur Ranger District’s Adventure Backpack Program. The program is designed to provide children ages 2-12 with the tools to follow their A raft of 60 eared grebes was seen float- curiosity and discover nature. ing on Lake Granby during 2012 spring Each backpack includes maps, migration. The eared grebe is one of four nature guides, a storybook, a grebe species that sketch pad and pencils, a make Colorado home. collection box to store nature’s little treasures, a small net for An entry from the shared Adventure Backpack sketchbook. catching bugs and other Did you know? curiosities, binoculars, a ruler, whatever catches their and the Sulphur Ranger District The Arapaho a compass and a thermometer. curiosity as they spend the day Office in Granby. Roosevelt Pawnee with their family in the Arapaho Foundation is a 501c3 National Forest and Arapaho Grand County Wilderness organization “This was the best thing I have National Recreation Area. Group joined the program as a established to help done so far in Colorado.” partner this year, providing support projects on -Adventure Backpack Use of the backpacks is free, funding to upgrading equipment the Arapaho and Program Participant parents are only required to and restock packs. Roosevelt National leave their contact information Forests and Pawnee when checking out the packs. Sponsorship and pack adoption National Grassland. There are no booklets to fill In its second season, more than opportunities are available. For more information out, no questions to answer 130 families checked out one of To find out more about the please visit: and no scavenger hunts to 12 backpacks from visitors’ Adventure Backpack Program www.arp-foundation.org. complete. Children are centers in Winter Park, and backpack pickup locations,

encouraged to investigate Meadow Creek, Monarch Lake contact 970-887-4100.

Point Park rectors member Dan Nolan, helping improve the park. (Continued from page 1) along with Grand Lake commu- Remaining funds will be used To complete the improvement nity member Barbara Leutwiler, towards repaving the walkway of the park, the U.S. Forest embarked on a successful com- in order to make the entire Service requested funds from munity fundraising effort that park wheelchair accessible and the ARP Foundation to repave raised the remaining $10,700 in improve accessibility for the the deteriorated walkway and funds from individual donors general public. purchase benches and inter- and the Town of Grand Lake. The AA Bar Barn is pretive signs. The ARP Using funds collected through available for special occasions. The Barn is Foundation committed to A portion of these funds have the ANRA fee program, the located on Green raising funds for the comple- been used to purchase 10 U.S. Forest Service will pay for Ridge and borders the tion of the park improvement benches with recognition construction supplies, inter- Colorado River. This in 2013. plaques that will be placed pretive planning and design, beautiful location can be rented during the throughout the park. Another and coordination of the sign summer on a day-use In 2012, the ARP Foundation portion of the funds will be and bench installation, which only basis for $100 per raised a total of $24,100 for used to purchase interpretive will be completed with volun- day. For more infor- mation and reserva- the park, including $13,400 in signs that will tell the story of teer help when the walkway is tions call 970-887- grants from the foundation. the park’s history and thank the repaved in the early summer 4100. ARP Foundation Board of Di- community for their efforts in of 2013. Page 3 2013 Edition Kokanee spawn shack, and transport kokanee eggs needed for the (Continued from page 1) them to the Glenwood Springs entire state. In 1983 Granby set At the same time, the kokanee state fish hatchery. After an all-time record in producing in Granby provide the forage approximately six months in the 16 million eggs. base to support a trophy lake hatchery, the 1.5 inch kokanee trout fishery. These trout can fry are stocked back into the The 2012 spawn season was a grow in excess of 30 pounds Colorado River at the same relatively poor year. Just over and are the top-level predator location. From there, they work 900,000 eggs were collected. in the lake. Granby has their way downriver into Lake Colorado Parks and Wildlife The ANRA has been historically produced multiple Granby where they grow into Fisheries Biologist Jon Ewert is cooperating with the state records of this species. adults and complete their life optimistic that this represents a Colorado Parks and Wildlife to prevent Lake trout would not grow to cycle. One million kokanee are low point in the current cycle Aquatic Nuisance this size in Granby without the stocked every June. and 2013 will see an uptick in Species from being kokanee forage base. kokanee numbers. spread or introduced into Lake Granby and In order for the Granby kokan- Shadow Mountain Res- Kokanee do not reproduce ee population to sustain itself, a The spawn operation takes place ervoir. For the fourth successfully in our waters. They minimum of approximately Mondays and Thursdays, typically year in a row, surveys to detect the presence migrate out of Lake Granby 2,000 mature females need to beginning in the first week of of quagga and zebra every fall, up the Colorado return to the spawn shack eve- November and concluding during mussels in these lakes River to attempt to spawn, and ry year, a 0.2 percent return the first week of December. The came up negative. This are stopped by Shadow Moun- rate of the stocked fish. public is always welcome, and the cooperative effort will continue in 2013. tain dam. During this spawning spawned fish are given away to migration, crews collect fish as Historically, there have been the public at the end of each they arrive, manually spawn the times in which Granby has sin- spawn day to people with a fish and fertilize the eggs at the glehandedly provided all the current fishing license. Fun Facts Kokanee turn reddish in color and males develop Hazard tree mitigation continues along roads and trails a “hook jaw” during the fall spawning season. Like their cousins the In 2013, the U.S. Forest Service 4100. Updates also are available salmon, kokanee die will improve public safety by cut- online at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/ after spawning. ting dead and dying trees along arp/sulphurupdates and through several high priority roads in the Twitter at www.twitter.com/ ANRA: Arapaho Bay Road (CR usfsarp. 6), which serves numerous campgrounds and trails in the In 2012, crews completed hazard ANRA; and Meadow Creek Road, tree work along Doe Creek (CR 84), which services the Junco Trail, Doe Creek East and por- Lake Cabin and several trailheads. tions of Doe Creek West. Haz- Anticipate delays of up to 30 ard tree removal was also com- minutes in both directions while pleted on Arapaho Pass Trail and this work is underway. Cascade Creek Trail to the Indi- an Peaks Wilderness Boundary. On National Public Hazard tree work is occurring year-round across Lands Day 2012, volun- teers planted 270 seed- the Sulphur Ranger District over the next few There are other trails that crews have not been lings at Cutthroat Bay years and some roads and trails may be temporari- able to work on, including the Knight Ridge Trail, Campground, an area ly closed when work is in which experienced significant wind throw and has that was impacted by the mountain pine progress. To avoid disappointment, be sure to thousands of trees laying across or hanging over beetle, and picked up “Know Before You Go.” the trail. These trails are signed as “not currently trash along the shore of maintained.” Lake Granby. Mark The best way to get the most current information your calendars to participate in the next is to sign up for email updates at Even on trails where work has occurred, trees can NPLD on Saturday, [email protected] or call the information fall without warning. Use caution, particularly in Sept. 28, 2013. hotline during regular business hours at 970-887- dense stands of dead trees and on windy days. W ORK YOUR Serving Colorado’s Great Lakes Region PASS OFF

What: Help collect trash along the ANRA shoreline, boat launch and picnic areas.

When: 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 18, 2013

Where: Meet at the Green Ridge or Sunset boat ramps.

Why: Earn a free ANRA annual pass for each adult volunteer.

Call 970-887-4100 for more information or visit our website: www.fs.usda.gov/arp.

Monarch Lake Day for fifth graders is one of several education days hosted for local school children in the ANRA each year. Point Park is also the site of a multi-agency education day for second grad- ers.

U.S. Forest Service Sulphur Ranger District Adopt a nest or fishing line collection station Arapaho National Forest PO Box 10 9 Ten Mile Drive Following a very difficult nesting season in 2011, Despite installation of monofilament collection Granby, CO 80446 ospreys enjoyed a long summer season, starting stations in many locations around the ANRA, Phone: 970-887-4100 Fax: 970-887-4102 with an early spring ice-off on the lakes. Seven one chick was lost to entanglement in fishing line

Visitor Center Hours new osprey nests were found this year along within its nest just south of the dike near Qui- Winter: Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.– 5 p.m. Lake Granby and Shadow Mountain Lake and nette Point. Mountain Parks Electric Inc. employ- Closed Holidays Summer: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.- 6 p.m. also within the Town of Grand Lake for a total ees cleared all fishing line from the nest during Open Sat.-Sun. and Holidays of 50 active nests. Of those, 32 nests were fall 2012 to prevent future entanglements. from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. successful, fledging 64 chicks. One bald eagle

GO GREEN: Sign up for the nest was active this summer, fledging two chicks. “We are indebted to the many volunteers, E-edition of next year’s neighbors and visitors who call to report osprey newsletter. Send your full The great blue heron rookery on Lake Granby activities, new nests, and to report injured name and email address to continued to be active this year with 17 nests, birds,” said U.S. Forest Service Wildlife Biologist [email protected] with and a new rookery was discovered in the Doreen Sumerlin. “We also greatly appreciate the subject line ANRA News. Fraser Valley. our partners: Colorado Parks and Wildlife, The USDA prohibits discrimination in all Mountain Parks Electric, Inc. and Western Area its programs and activities on the basis of With Mountain Parks Electric, Inc. and Western Power Administration.” race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age disability, political beliefs, sexual Area Power Administration, the U.S. Forest orientation or marital and family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all Service was able to install three new nest Volunteers can adopt osprey nests; observing programs.) Persons with disabilities who platforms designed to move nesting ospreys and recording observations and letting us know require alternate means for communica- tion of program information (Braille, away from dangerous structures: one near if they see problems. If you are interested in large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202 Grand Elk Marina on a transmission line adopting an osprey nest from April/May through -720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a structure, one along the Arapaho Bay Road on a September to help the district keep track of complaint of discrimination, write USDA Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room distribution line structure, and one at the Farr what’s going on, or if you would like to adopt 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Inde- pendence Ave. SW Washington DC Pumping Plant where ospreys built a nest in the one of the monofilament collection bins, call 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice lattice-work of the electrical substation. Brock McCormick at 970-887-4108. and TDD). USDA is an equal opportuni- ty employer.