CD 



§ COLORADO 



< 



O General description: Wetland types present in Colorado include: cottonwood- 



pd willow flood-plain stands along the South Platte and Arkansas rivers in the 



Q Great Plains; Sarcobatus stands and related desert and semi-desert types in the 



San Luis Valley, where a high water table is supported by artesian springs; some 

 as yet undammed portions of the Gunnison Basin; and beaver meadows and 

 swampy ground around lakes in the montane, subalpine, and alpine regions. In 

 the first three categories about 500,000 acres have been inventoried (Hopper 

 1968:1-88). 



Status of the wetlands: Recreational activities such as boating and water skiing, 

 manipulation of water levels for irrigation, and hunting pressures are having an 

 adverse impact upon the wildlife. 



Sources of data: An inventory of the wetlands of Colorado has been published 

 (Hopper 1968) and provides data on two areas. Only one other specific site has 

 been suggested by personnel of the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife. 



Recommendations: The Russell Lakes Area would seem to hold the greatest 

 potential as a Natural Landmark. The Riverside Reservoir is obviously 

 disturbed, although there may be some sufficiently typical periodically flooded 

 marshes to warrant designation. An investigation of the wetlands along the river 

 bottoms and around mountain lakes is certainly needed. The Salt Works ad- 

 jacent to Salt Creek, 15 miles south of Fairplay in Park County (Antero 7.5 

 Quadrangle) would seem to have primary interest from an historic point of view. 

 No data were submitted on the associated vegetation. 



Literature cited 



Hopper, R. M. 1968. Wetlands of Colorado. An inventory and evaluation study of 

 wetlands for waterfowl hunting. Colorado Fish and Game Parks Dept. 

 Migrating Bird Investigations. Project W-88-R, Federal Aid in Wildlife 

 Restoration Tech. Publ. No. 22. 



Wetlands reported for Colorado Habitat type 



CO 1. Riverside Reservoir F-3-M, F-4-M, F-5-M 



CO 2. *Russell Lakes F-3-M, F-4-M, F-2-M 



