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<br />I <br /> <br />succeeded beyond expectation in this portion of Colorado. Projects in the southeast involve the <br />restoration of wetlands, additional of water control capacity to existing wetlands. and creation of <br />new wetlands. Livestock grazing plans and/or control has been a component of nearly all these <br />projects, As throughout the State, project type varies widely in relation to topography, water <br />availability, and biological needs and constraints. Projects in western Las Animas and Huerfano <br />counties are oflen the creation of shallow impoundments or the addition of water control capacity <br />to existing wetland areas, The photograph below shows an existing wetland area that will be <br />expanded by the reconstruction of a breached dam. <br /> <br />- <br />II <br />@II <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />o <br /> <br />4 <br /> <br />I) <br />1I <br />n <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />n <br />I <br />U <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />ft <br />I <br />I <br /> <br /> <br />Figure 5: Davis Ranch Wetland Project near Trinidad. <br />Colorado <br /> <br />Eastern Las Animas County. Baca. Prowers. Bent and Otero counties are within the Playa Lakes <br />region of Colorado and restoration of these wetland basins is a principal goal. Most playa lakes in <br />Colorado have heen altered by cultivation or the construction of water concentration pits. <br />Because of the seasonal nature of playa lakes, it is often possible to farm through them in most <br />years, In those years when rainfall is adequate to fill the basin a crop loss is accepted, On grazing <br />land. the use of water concentration pits allows for longer retention of rainfall for livestock in <br />deep. steep sided pits. The importance of playa lakes to migrating birds is otten overlooked by <br />landowners because of the long periods (years) between rainfall events that liII the basins. It is <br />this intermittent !looding however which makes playa lakes so productive for waterfowl and <br />shorebirds when water is present. The Partners tor Wildlife program worked on two playa lakes <br />this year. One project involved the backtilling ofa water concentration pit to restore the playa's <br />hydrology, The following photograph shows this playa lake shortly atter restoration and a rainfall <br />significant enough to spread water across the 60-acre basin. The landowner has developed an <br />alternate water source for his livestock and no longer needed the pit. This entire project was done <br /> <br />- <br />