
CENTRAL FLYWAY 
COLORADO 
Weather and Water Cond<tions 
Water conditions at the beginning of the season were fair to 
good in all areas of the State except the eastern plains. There, it was 
still dry, a hold-over from the previous fall and winter. Snow-~-pack in 
the high mountains was far above normal, giving a good potential for water 
later in the season when run-off began. In April and May, abnormal 
amounts of precipitation were recorded over most of the State, causing 
flooding and setting Lack the season as much as two weeks in some areas. 
In most areas, marshes and pot holes contained water that had been dry 
for many years. Much of this came, however, after major duck flights 
had passed through, consequently, it had little effect on the size of the 
breeding population. 
At the present time, water levels are still far above normal 
in lakes and streams inaliareas. It is believed that water conditions are 
the best that this writer has ever observed for this time of the year, offer- 
ing excellent conditions for waterfowl.. : 
Breeding Population Indices 
Examination of the duck breeding-pair estimates by area 
(see following table), revealed that the 1957 counts were down nine per- 
cent from 1956, up eight percent from 1955, and about the same as 1954, 
Summary of Colorado Breeding Ground Conditions 

Total Estimated Breeding Pairs 



Area 4952. +1953. +~ #21954 1955 1956 1957 
SSS er ta ee nee ot 
| | DUCKS 
San Luis Valley = 6744 7504 6576 4828 
North Park - 5676. 3808 2881 3844 3411 
South Platte Valley “ - 2188 1072 1803 1657 
Cache la Poudre 
Vailey — 1029 1619 1320 1164 1518 2800 
Yampa Valley 1790 1500 1540 2260 4126 3356 
Brown's Park. i 291 372 217 48 15 208 
White River Plateau! 580 480 ' : = > 
South Park = = 431 195 145 - - 
Total - . _1601]2 15074 17882 16260 

61 Continued -- 
