Management Plan Update for
Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat Area
Initial Public Comment Period: October 23 – November 21, 2009
OPEN HOUSE
Monday, November 16,
5-7 p.m.
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church
7077 Harvest Road, Gunbarrel
We will be hosting a public open house on Monday, November 16 as part
of the initial public comment period on the future management of the
Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat Area. Interested people are
encouraged to stop by anytime to learn more about Walden Ponds, ask
questions of staff, and provide input on future management.
BCPOS is currently in the initial phase of the planning project,
gathering information on the site’s history, natural resources, and
visitor use and services and identifying major issues, concerns, and
desires.
Purpose of
Initial Public Comment Period:
- Identify and document the public’s interests, values, needs, and
concerns about management of Walden Ponds
- Identify the types of public activities and level of services
desired
- Gather any additional information about Walden Ponds from the
public
- Guide the planning process and subsequently help shape the
future management of Walden Ponds
This is where we need your input! BCPOS would like to hear from
you about your vision for the future management of Walden Ponds…What is
it that you would like to see or be able to do at Walden Ponds? What are
your concerns about current management and visitor use? What would you
like Walden Ponds to be in the coming years? Do you agree with BCPOS’s
draft vision for the site?
In particular, we would like to know:
- Your interests, values, needs, and concerns about management of
Walden Ponds
- What types of public activities and level of services you would
like to see at Walden Ponds
- Any additional information about the resources and visitor use
at Walden Ponds that you may be able to provide
Your comments will be included in the overall analysis of potential
management alternatives and will help the BCPOS planning team determine
the best future management direction for Walden Ponds.
To provide a written comment or for more information about the
planning process, contact the project planner, Ernst Strenge, at:
Mail: 5201 St. Vrain Road Longmont, CO 80503
E-mail:
waldenponds@bouldercounty.org
Phone: 303-678-6269
On-line:
Use the comment form
Initial public comments will be accepted between October 23 and
November 21, 2009.
Please note all public comments must be received in writing.
If you need assistance, please contact Ernst Strenge at 303-678-6269.
Boulder County Parks & Open Space (BCPOS) recently began a planning
process for an update to the
1982 Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat
Management Plan (8.4mb PDF). This update will take a critical look at the past and
current management and conditions at Walden Ponds, including reclamation activities, wildlife
habitat and utilization, plant communities, water resources, and visitor
use and services.
The analysis will include consideration of all
opportunities and constraints, what potentially could be done and what
are the limitations. From this analysis, BCPOS staff will develop
management recommendations, which will be reviewed by the public and the
Parks & Open Space Advisory Committee, and subsequently go to the Board
of County Commissioners for final approval.
BCPOS internal interdisciplinary team has met twice over the past few
months to begin planning for the Walden Ponds management plan update.
The team has begun identifying available and needed data, discussing
potential opportunities and constraints, and thinking through possible
future management alternatives. Following the first meeting, staff
developed the following draft vision for Walden Ponds, which the public
is encouraged to comment on (see below).
The purpose of the vision statement is
to provide a brief, but comprehensive, statement about the desired
future condition of Walden Ponds and what successful management would
look like, thereby providing the foundation upon which the site is
managed.
The vision for Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat Area is…
…a wildlife haven of ponds, wetlands, and uplands on former gravel
mines blanketed by native cottonwoods, willows, grasses, marsh species,
mud flats, and open water for a diversity of species…
…an easily accessible place on the plains of Boulder County where
people can witness and learn about the evolving landscape and natural
cycles …
…an open space with peaceful trails, exceptional wildlife viewing,
captivating interpretation, and accessible fishing.
Some of the current issues at Walden Ponds that staff has identified
to date include:
- No water rights are associated with Walden Ponds that would
allow BCPOS to keep the ponds filled.
- Water levels are primarily controlled by groundwater levels,
which fluctuate annually and seasonally.
- Fluctuating water levels
within ponds affect habitat, site aesthetics, and visitor
experience.
- Fluctuating water levels have both positive and negative effects
on wildlife.
- Individual ponds provide different uses and values and may need
to be managed separately for specific management objectives; for
example, some are managed for fishing and others for wildlife habitat.
- Water diversion and delivery system is not optimal and is in
need of repair.
- Facilities and parking lots are in need of upgrades and
improvements to better serve the public.
- Invasive species, including Russian olive and tamarisk, are
present on-site.
- Access to ponds for fishing and educational programs could be
improved and made safer.
- The trail system, including surface type and location, and the
boardwalk could be modified to better serve public and ensure
long-term sustainability.
- Additional clean-up and reclamation around some localized
disturbed areas (e.g. around former building sites) is needed.
These issues, as well as others identified by the public and staff,
will be reviewed and feasible solutions fleshed out during the
management planning process.
Following receipt of the initial public comments, BCPOS staff will
review all comments and incorporate this information into their analysis
of future management. In addition, staff will continue researching,
reviewing, and analyzing the available data and potential management
alternatives. This will lead to the preparation of a draft management
plan, scheduled for completion in spring 2010. The draft plan will be
made available for public review at that time. Following public review
of the draft plan, BCPOS will conduct a public hearing with the Parks &
Open Space Advisory Board, who will make a recommendation to the Board
of County Commissioners (BOCC) for either approval or disapproval of the
draft plan. The final plan will then go before the BOCC for final
approval and adoption.
The 99-acre Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat Area wasn’t always a
diverse, productive ecosystem, with trails, fishing ponds, and high
quality wildlife habitat. In fact, it wasn’t until the mid-1970s that
the area began to take shape as a wildlife refuge and public recreation
area.
At that time, then County Commissioner Walden (“Wally”) Toevs
spearheaded the idea of reclaiming the former Boulder County gravel
mines to wildlife habitat and as a place for the citizens of Boulder
County to fish and recreate. This newly created wildlife area was to be
managed by the Boulder County Road District and the fledgling Parks &
Open Space Department, with BCPOS later taking over full management of
the site.
The properties that comprise Walden Ponds were purchased by Boulder
County between 1958 and 1967. The original intent of the purchased land
was to excavate the gravel resources for use by the Road District.
Mining occurred on the eastern half of the property until the mid-1970s.
This area was subsequently reclaimed, thus creating the current Wally
Toevs Pond, Cottonwood Marsh, and Duck Pond. The public grand opening
for Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat Area was held on October 3, 1975. The
west half of the property wasn’t mined until the mid-1990s with
subsequent reclamation and creation of Bass Pond and Ricky Weiser
Wetland. Read the
Reclamation Project Report (3.8mb PDF) that was written in 1974.
Walden Ponds has a diversity of upland and aquatic habitats that have
been developing and evolving over the past 30 plus years. The mosaic of
wetlands, riparian vegetation, grasslands, mud flats, and open water
provides for numerous wildlife species, especially a large diversity of
water birds. The water levels within the groundwater-fed ponds fluctuate
seasonally and annually, thus providing an ever-changing environment
that provides for a variety of species and demonstrates the natural
hydrologic cycles of the Front Range of Colorado. Many of the ponds
provide fishing opportunities, including Wally Toevs Pond, which is
specifically designated for seniors (64 years and older) and individuals
with disabilities. Others activities enjoyed by visitors to Walden Ponds
include hiking, running, or biking on the approximately 2.6 miles of
trails, bird watching, nature study, picnicking, or just relaxing. The
Boulder County Naturalist Program is housed at Walden Ponds, and many
outreach programs are conducted at Walden Ponds.
The most recent
Boulder County Parks & Open Space Five-Year Visitor Study - 2005
(1.3MB PDF)
documented the types of visitor activities at Walden Ponds, as well as
the percent of visitors involved in each activity. These included:
- Hiking (37%)
- Viewing Wildlife (36%)
- Fishing (8%)
- Running (5%)
- Relaxing / Nothing (5%)
- Dog Walking (2%)
- Mountain Biking (2%)
- Family Gathering (2%)
- Other (4%)
For more information about Walden Ponds including current trails,
facilities, and visitor services, visit the current Walden Pond web page.
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