Research – Ecosystems & Habitats:

Survey and Assessment of Playas in Eastern Colorado  

Playas, a numerous but elusive wetland type in our region, fill only periodically from heavy rainfall. These shallow, round temporary lagoons support great biodiversity as an essential component of the Shortgrass Prairie ecosystem. The wet-dry cycles of playas produce high abundances of insects and annual plants that provide nutritious seeds, especially important to migrating waterfowl and shorebirds in our region that stop over on playas to rest and refuel during their long journeys between wintering and breeding grounds. These shallow, seasonal wetlands also provide other important societal wetland functions, including capture of surface runoff, flood attenuation, and aquifer recharge. Threats to playas include pressure from growing urban development and agricultural uses that lead to increased sedimentation rates, pit excavation, road construction, feedlot runoff, overgrazing, and deliberate filling.

We have been studying playa wetlands in eastern Colorado since 2004, to improve understanding of the locations and conditions of these important wetlands. Our overall goal is to enhance the conservation of playa habitat on the Shortgrass prairie for the future. Our research provides vital information for designing strategic conservation efforts at the landscape scale as well as for informing the specific prescriptions of future habitat enhancement projects. Our research approach combines field data for bird use and playa condition with digital maps of playa locations in a Geographic Information System (GIS).

We have created and verified a GIS map indicating the locations of approximately 7800 playas in eastern Colorado. Through our study, we have compiled information on the plant life, bird use, and general ecological characteristics of over 1100 playas, creating the only dataset of its kind (see report). We found playas are not randomly distributed in eastern Colorado and playas are larger and more numerous in certain counties. We are creating maps to summarize what we have learned about the conditions of playas in Colorado – where they average to be larger sizes, occur in higher densities on the landscape, are primarily located in farmland or prairie, etc. In addition, we are relating bird use to the characteristics of playas, to learn what features are most important in comprising high-quality migratory bird habitat. These analyses will be completed and posted online by the end of 2008.

In addition to this research, Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory also directly conserves playa habitats through on-the-ground habitat improvements. We work with private landowners (more than 80% of eastern Colorado is in private ownership) through Prairie Partners, which offers voluntary, incentive-based programs to enhance and restore playas for future generations. These are win-win situations for wildlife as well as agricultural producers. Private landowners are interested in conservation programs for playas for a variety of reasons, including the recreational opportunities (hunting and wildlife viewing), aquifer recharge benefits, and because playas can be problematic for farming and ranching. Conservation programs may entail grazing management and alternate water development or retirement and buffering the playa from farming and usually entail cost-share agreements and/or rental payments.

Related Projects

In a related project, Floristic Quality and Wildlife Habitat Assessment, we investigate how bird use, plant composition, and human disturbance relate within playa wetlands of eastern Colorado (cick here for the report). We are also conducting a Biological Inventory and Buffer Evaluation of Nebraska’s Southwest Playas.

More about Playas

Playas are shallow, depressional wetlands of the Great Plains that fill periodically from heavy rainfall and associated runoff (Smith 2003). Over 60,000 occur throughout northern Texas, western Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and eastern New Mexico and Colorado (Playa Lakes Joint Venture 2008). Playa wetlands provide important ecological and societal functions (Haukos and Smith 1994), including flood abatement, recharge to the Ogallala aquifer (Zartman 1994, Wood 2000), water for livestock (Ostercamp and Wood 1987), support for biodiversity (Bolen et al. 1989), critical shorebird migration stopover habitat (Skagen and Knopf 1993; Davis and Smith 1998), and winter and migration habitat for waterfowl (Nelson et al. 1983). Playas are threatened by development pressures and agricultural uses that have led to increased sedimentation rates, pit excavation, road construction, feedlot runoff, urban development, overgrazing, and deliberate filling (Haukos and Smith 2003). Finally, because these clay-lined wetlands occur in closed watersheds, they are considered geographically isolated and not currently protected under the Clean Water Act (Haukos and Smith 2003).

To learn more about playas go to www.pljv.org. 

Surveying a playa in native prairie, Colorado


Playa in shortgrass prairie, Colorado


Playa in farmland in Phillips County, Colorado


Playa bisected by the road, Colorado


American Avocet, a common migrant on Colorado playas. Photo by Tony Leukering


Long-billed Curlew, a species of conservation concern, that uses playas. Photo by Tony Leukering


The rich seed source provided by playa wetlands