Temporary Closure of the Parika Lake and Baker Gulch Area

The USDA Forest Service is temporarily closing the area around Parika Lake and Baker Gulch in Grand County from July 31 to Aug. 4, as Colorado Parks and Wildlife assists the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest with non-native fish removal in the area. The trailhead for this lake is located within Rocky Mountain National Park.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is conducting this operation as part of the Poudre Headwaters Project, an effort to reintroduce greenback cutthroat trout to the headwaters of the Cache la Poudre River in Larimer County. The Grand Ditch, located in Grand County, acts as a connection for fish populations in tributaries upstream of the project area. The removal of non-native species in Parika Lake and Baker Gulch is a vital step in the preparation for the reintroduction of greenback cutthroat trout. The greenback cutthroat trout is Colorado's State Fish and is listed as "Threatened" under the Endangered Species Act.

Parika Lake and Baker Gulch are both located in the Never Summer Wilderness. The lake has historically been stocked with brook trout, which outcompete the native greenback and present an enormous threat to the viability of the eventual population of the greenback in the Poudre Headwaters Project. Sterile, non-reproducing brook trout will later be reintroduced to maintain the recreational opportunity at the lake. Unable to reproduce, the sterile brook trout do not present a threat to the greenback in long-term population dynamics. This removal is done using rotenone, an Environmental Protection Agency-approved organic compound used for decades to control fish populations.

As part of the reintroduction project, the Sulphur Ranger District is temporarily closing the area around Parika Lake and a portion of Baker Gulch for public health and safety during the non-native fish removal activities. The closure includes a quarter-mile buffer around Parika Lake and Baker Gulch and segments of Forest System Trails 29 and 29.1 that fall within the buffer area (see map).

Subsequent phases of treatment in the Poudre Headwaters Project will establish approximately 37 miles of stream and 300 acres of lake habitats for greenback cutthroat trout. More information about the Poudre Headwaters Project can be found here. 

 Based on the closure map, it appears that the trail to Baker Pass will remain open.



Jeff
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