Blanca Wetlands

Background | Criteria | Northwest Colorado | Northeast Colorado
Southwest Colorado | Southeast Colorado

Blanca Wetlands
Alamosa County

Size: ~5,000 acres

Elevation: 7500 - 7600 feet

Habitats: Primary – wetlands

Secondary – open water, lowland riparian, shore/bank

Ownership: Federal (Bureau of Land Management)

Land Use: Primary – nature and wildlife conservation, hunting/fishing

Secondary – agriculture/livestock, undeveloped

IBA Criteria: 1, 2, 3, 4 (waterfowl, shorebirds, gulls, terns, raptors, landbirds)

Site description

Location: The Blanca Wetlands site is located in the San Luis Valley, near the town of Alamosa in south-central Colorado.

Vegetative/natural features: The site includes wells, dikes, islands, ponds, and wet meadows. It includes typical wetland features including deep and shallow water, cattails, and bullrushes. Additional habitat includes high desert shrubland containing greasewood and rabbitbrush communities.

Ornithological Importance

This site is one of the few remaining breeding areas for Snowy Plovers in Colorado. It also serves as an important migratory and breeding area for wetland birds. Other species known to use, or have used, the site include: Peregrine Falcon, Wilson’s Phalarope, Clark’s and Western Grebe, Redhead, American Avocet, and White Ibis.

Breeding species:	Average #	Maximum #
Snowy Plovers	25-34

Wintering species:	Average #	Maximum #
Bald Eagle

Conservation/Management Issues

Serious threats:
1. habitat conversion;
2. development.

Potential threats:
1. livestock grazing (threat to nesting bird habitat);
2. hydrologic changes.

Efforts to address threats:
To protect nesting waterfowl, shorebirds, and other wildlife, the wetlands are closed to the public, with the exception of the watchable wildlife area, from February 15 to July 15.

Management details:
The Bureau of Land Management’s primary goals for this site are to maintain and improve wetlands for waterfowl, as well as to emphasize warmwater fisheries and watchable wildlife values. Blanca Wetlands is a Colorado Watchable Wildlife site.