Grays Lake (Idaho)
Encyclopedia
Grays Lake is a wetland
in Idaho
, United States
. It lies in Bonneville County and Caribou County. Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge
was established in the area in 1965. Ranching (cattle, sheep, hay production) is the predominant use of surrounding lands.
of the Rocky Mountains
in southeast Idaho, and is at the western edge of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
. The valley lies about 30 miles north of Soda Springs, Idaho and about 70 miles southwest of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. At the heart of the valley is a large, 22,000 acres (89 km²) shallow montane marsh
, composed primarily of hardstem bulrush
and cattail with scattered small ponds. This wetland system provides important habitat for breeding sandhill crane
s, trumpeter swan
s, Franklin's gull
s, white-faced Ibis
, dabbling and diving duck
s, a variety of shore- and grassland birds, as well as habitat for molting and fall-staging waterfowl and cranes. The area is significant for its high density of breeding sandhill cranes and as a reintroduction site for trumpeter swans. The rich wet meadow
edges of the marsh provide foraging and nesting habitat for a diversity of water birds each year.
Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge encompasses much of the richest wetland habitat within the valley. It was established in 1965 to protect and restore habitat for waterfowl production, sandhill cranes, and other wildlife. In the 1970s and 1980s the refuge served as the focus of an effort to establish a second wild population of endangered whooping crane
s. Currently, the refuge's goals are to enhance natural ecosystem functions to support a diversity of water birds and other wildlife.
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
in Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It lies in Bonneville County and Caribou County. Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge has the largest hardstem bulrush marsh in North America. Located in a high mountain valley near Soda Springs in southeastern Idaho, the refuge and surrounding mountains offer incredible scenic vistas, wildflowers, and fall foliage displays. Lands adjacent to the ...
was established in the area in 1965. Ranching (cattle, sheep, hay production) is the predominant use of surrounding lands.
General
Grays Lake lies within the Caribou RangeCaribou Mountains (Idaho)
Caribou Mountains are a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in Idaho, United States.The mountains are in the Caribou National Forest in Bonneville and Caribou counties, near the Wyoming border....
of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
in southeast Idaho, and is at the western edge of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is one of the last remaining large, nearly intact ecosystems in the northern temperate zone of the Earth and is partly located in Yellowstone National Park. Conflict over management has been controversial, and the area is a flagship site among conservation groups...
. The valley lies about 30 miles north of Soda Springs, Idaho and about 70 miles southwest of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. At the heart of the valley is a large, 22,000 acres (89 km²) shallow montane marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
, composed primarily of hardstem bulrush
Bulrush
-Wetland plants:* Bolboschoenus, a genus in the sedge family * Cyperus, a genus in the sedge family * Scirpus, a genus in the sedge family * Schoenoplectus, a genus in the sedge family...
and cattail with scattered small ponds. This wetland system provides important habitat for breeding sandhill crane
Sandhill Crane
The Sandhill Crane is a large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird references habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills in the American Midwest...
s, trumpeter swan
Trumpeter Swan
The Trumpeter Swan, Cygnus buccinator, is the largest native North American bird, if measured in terms of weight and length, and is the largest living waterfowl species on earth. It is the North American counterpart of the European Whooper Swan.-Description:Males typically measure from and weigh...
s, Franklin's gull
Franklin's Gull
The Franklin's Gull is a small gull.-Description:It breeds in central provinces of Canada and adjacent states of the northern United States...
s, white-faced Ibis
White-faced Ibis
The White-faced Ibis is a wading bird in the ibis family Threskiornithidae.This species breeds colonially in marshes, usually nesting in bushes or low trees. Its breeding range extends from the western USA south through Mexico, as well as from southeastern Brazil and southeastern Bolivia south to...
, dabbling and diving duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
s, a variety of shore- and grassland birds, as well as habitat for molting and fall-staging waterfowl and cranes. The area is significant for its high density of breeding sandhill cranes and as a reintroduction site for trumpeter swans. The rich wet meadow
Wet meadow
A wet meadow is a semi-wetland meadow which is saturated with water throughout much of the year. Wet meadows may occur because of poor drainage or the receipt of large amounts of water from rain or melted snow. They may also occur in riparian zones....
edges of the marsh provide foraging and nesting habitat for a diversity of water birds each year.
Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge encompasses much of the richest wetland habitat within the valley. It was established in 1965 to protect and restore habitat for waterfowl production, sandhill cranes, and other wildlife. In the 1970s and 1980s the refuge served as the focus of an effort to establish a second wild population of endangered whooping crane
Whooping Crane
The whooping crane , the tallest North American bird, is an endangered crane species named for its whooping sound. Along with the Sandhill Crane, it is one of only two crane species found in North America. The whooping crane's lifespan is estimated to be 22 to 24 years in the wild...
s. Currently, the refuge's goals are to enhance natural ecosystem functions to support a diversity of water birds and other wildlife.
Data
- Marsh elevation 6386 ft (1,946 m).
- Caribou Mountain to northeast highest point within watershed (9803 ft (2,988 m)).
Climate
- Average annual precipitation 17 inches (432 mm).
- Average annual snowfall 115 inches (2,921 mm); average accumulations of 40-50 inches (102 - 127 cm).
- Daytime high temperatures average 68-75 °F (20-24 °C) in June and July.
- Hard frosts (<30 °F (<-1 °C) may occur in any month.
- Record high of 103 °F (39 °C) recorded in 1919 and record low of –62 °F on January 1, 1978.
Habitat and plant communities
- Transitional zone between Great Basin vegetation (south) and Rocky Mountain vegetation (north).
- Within approved refuge boundary, 60% palustrine emergent wetland, 20% wetland semi-wet meadow, 12% brush, grasslands, and grain fields, 5% shallow open water with submergents, and 3% aspen forest and willow thicket.
- Over 170 species of grasses, sedgeCyperaceaeCyperaceae are a family of monocotyledonous graminoid flowering plants known as sedges, which superficially resemble grasses or rushes. The family is large, with some 5,500 species described in about 109 genera. These species are widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group...
s and forbForbA forb is a herbaceous flowering plant that is not a graminoid . The term is used in biology and in vegetation ecology, especially in relation to grasslands and understory.-Etymology:...
s in wet meadows and marsh habitat, including 15 species of sedges. - 3 species of exotic, invasive plants.
- 7 species of trees and 17 species of shrubs
- No known threatened or endangered plant species.
Wildlife
- 128 recorded species of breeding birds present.
- Over 40 bird species nesting in the wet meadow and wetland habitats of the basin.
- 20 species of mammals.
- 4 species of amphibians.
- 6 species of reptiles.
- 2 species protected as "threatened or endangered" (peregrine falcon and trumpeter swan).
- Highest breeding density of sandhill cranes in North America - an important breeding area for Rocky Mountain Population of sandhill cranes.
- 700-800 cranes present in May; 1,000 or more cranes stage in the basin in September.
- Nesting colonies of Franklin's gulls and white-faced ibis.
Water
- Located within Willow Watershed, 651.45 mi² (1,686.5 km²) in size.
- Average water depth 11.5 feet (3.5 m) in spring; <0.5 ft (15 cm) in late July through September.
- Water sources from snowmelt and numerous springs; main inflow via Willow, Eagle, and Gravel Creeks on the east and south, and Crane Creek on the west.
- Original water outlet, Grays Lake Outlet, drains to the north into Snake River via Willow Creek.
- Clark's Cut, a man-made channel completed in 1924, drains into the Blackfoot Reservoir via Meadow creek.
- Water discharge controlled by the Bureau of Indian Affairs for use in Fort Hall Irrigation Project since the early 1920s.
- Drainage canals and drainage ditches were established during various periods (1920s, 1950s, 1960s).
Geology
- Meade Thrust Fault principle structure underlying basin.
- Cretaceous rocks underlie Willow, Eagle, and Bridge Creeks, predominantly sandstones and shales.
- Paleozoic and Triassic rocks underlie Gravel Creek basin, predominantly carbonates with Quaternary alluvium covering lowlands.
- Tertiary volcanics (mainly olivine basalts) underlie most western drainage.
- Bear Island olivine basalt.
Access and wildlife viewing
- Public road perimeter allows excellent bird viewing, particularly in May and early June when water levels are high.
- Viewing opportunities from Beavertail Point (south), refuge observation area (east), and north perimeter road.
- Access into marsh largely closed to the public to minimize disturbance of breeding sandhill cranes, trumpeter swans, and other waterbirds.
- Small Visitors Center at refuge headquarters; no other public facilities available.
- Access during fall waterfowl hunting on north half of basin.
Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge
- Established 1965 for production of migratory waterfowl and other waterbirds
- Total area within proposed refuge boundary 32825 acres (133 km²)
- Active research program for adaptive management of habitat and wildlife populations.
- Management of grasslands and wet meadow using prescribed fire, grazing, idling, haying, and rotation systems.
