Barr Lake

C O L O R A D O P A R K S & W I L D L I F E Barr Lake State Park FACT SHEET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017 Who we are Barr Lake State Park is a premier bird watching location in the state, with over 371 bird species identified in the park. The park offers opportunities for hiking, flat-water boating (kayaking, canoeing and sailing) and a well-stocked fishery. During the May to October season, park visitors can enjoy the Eagle Express, a motorized, guided tour of the wildlife refuge at the park. Staff and volunteers provide a number of educational and interpretive presentations for school children and other groups. Visitors to the Barr Lake State Park spend over $1.8 million annually in local communities.1 • Premier bird watching location! Great horned owls, Swainson’s hawks, great blue herons, double-crested cormorants, snowy egrets and bald eagles are just a few of the species that nest around Barr Lake. • Channel catfish, smallmouth and largemouth bass, rainbow trout, walleye, bluegill, wiper and tiger muskie are all stocked by CPW. • A 10-hp limit on boat motors on the lake makes this an ideal spot for canoeing, kayaking and day sailing. • Staff and volunteers provide education programs for school groups and for the general public, including tours of the wildlife refuge on the Eagle Express from May through October. We also have a new golf cart, “Osprey,” that is ADA accessible. • Equestrians can enjoy almost nine miles of riding trails around the lake shore and our NEW equestrian play area. • We also have an archery range with a standing range from 10-100 yard targets and a 3-D walking range with 10 stations. • Adams County • Barr Milton Watershed Association • Wild Birds Unlimited • Bird Conservancy of the Rockies • Friends of Barr Lake • Ducks Unlimited • Barr Lake State Park Volunteers • Greater Brighton Chamber of Commerce • South Metro Pheasants Forever • City of Brighton • THF Realty • West Adams Conservation District • Farmers Reservoir and Irrigation Co. • Adams County Open Space • Historically, the park is home to flocks of waterfowl and other birds due to the presence of the reservoir and adjacent vegeta-tion. Housing and other developments now surround the park, further isolating natural access corridors for wildlife. • Increased urban development near the park and resulting run-off may degrade water quality in Barr Lake. • Concerns over the spread of aquatic nuisance species (ANS) requires continued inspection eff orts to protect of the quality of the Barr Lake ecosystem. • Funding reductions could seriously aff ect the programs and recreational opportunities off ered at Barr Lake. Our partners Challenges we face Volunteer activities • Volunteer activities include guided hikes, tours and programs, park maintenance, visitor information, pass sales, trail construction and vegetation management. Eagle Scouts also complete 10-15 projects each year. • There are four park host positions available year round. Park hosts perform a variety of jobs ranging from working in the nature center to park maintenance. • Friends of Barr Lake, a nonprofit group that partners with Barr Lake State Park through education, recreation and conservation, contributes $20,000+ per year and volunteer time. 1Source: Corona Research, Colorado State Parks Marketing Assessment, “Visitor Spending Analysis 2008-2009” (adjusted for inflation). COLORADO PARKS & WILDLIFE 6060 Broadway, Denver, CO 80216 (303) 297-1192 cpw.state.co.us VERDON TOMAJKO/CPW Top attractions 13401 Picadilly Road, Brighton, CO 80603 (303) 659-6005 • Email: barr.lake.nature.center@state.co.us Park Manager: Michelle Seubert As of June 30 , 2017 Manager’s Message In 2017, we completed our nature center renovation project. This was made possible through the support of many partners. With the nature center, Barr Lake strives to be a leader in environmental education. We hope to inspire people with our events and facilities to explore and enjoy the outdoors. Geography Region: Northeast County: Adams Year Acquired: 1975 Elevation: 5,100 ft Miles From Denver: 25 Employees Permanent: 3 Temporary: 8 Volunteers: 408 Volunteer Hours: 14,311 Trails Biking: 21 miles Hiking: 21.9 miles Horseback: 16.5 miles Cross Country Skiing/ Snowshoeing: 21.5 miles Total: 21.9 miles Annual Visitation 146,236 Acreage and Ownership Total Acres: 3,597 Roads Paved: 2 miles Facilities Archery Range Boat Ramp Group Picnic Area 60 Picnic Sites Nature Center Governmental US Cong Dist: 4th CO Senate: 25th CO House: 30th Recreation Archery Boating Fishing Geocaching Hunting Ice Fishing Ranger/Nature Programs Sailboarding Wildlife/Bird Viewing Walden Fort Collins Craig Hayden Steamboat Springs Sterling Estes Loveland Park Greeley Oak Creek Fort Brush Morgan Meeker Kremmling Wray Brighton Denver Golden Barr Lake Avon Vail Rifle Frisco Glenwood Springs Breckenridge Collbran Fruita Aspen Leadville Castle Rock Limon Burlington Fairplay Grand Junction Delta Paonia Hotchkiss Buena Vista Crawford Colorado Springs Kit Carson Cripple Creek Olathe Gunnison Montrose Salida Canon City Pueblo Ridgway Ouray Lamar La Junta Dove Creek Walsenburg Monte Vista Dolores Cortez Durango La Veta Springfield Pagosa Springs Trinidad VIC SCHENDEL/CPW Mancos Alamosa COLORADO PARKS & WILDLIFE 6060 Broadway, Denver, CO 80216 (303) 297-1192 cpw.state.co.us VERDON TOMAJKO/CPW Barr Lake State Park