Hi Danette
Do you know if Bluebird Lakes is a hotspot? If so we can ask Carl Lunblad to update the hotspot with ‘walk in access only’
Denise Hughes
Daily Archives: April 16, 2024
Blue Lakes Sewage Boise – Walk in only for birding
Hi Birders,
Wanted to pass on some access information for Blue Lakes Sewage ponds off of Gowen Road.
The area is open for birding but the access is only to be on foot. The dirt road that runs on the east side of the ponds looks to be open to driving but is not. They are fine with the area being birded from that dirt road but on foot only. You can park along the side of the paved road leading up to the dirt road that can be entered from the trailer court neighborhood. There are two posts (concrete?) you can walk between. Also, if there is ever an open chain-link gate at any of the ponds, it is not ok to go inside the chain-link.
If the next few people that visit could note the “walk-in access only” on their ebird checklist notes it would be helpful in spreading the word.
Thanks so much, and happy Spring migration.
Danette Henderson
Boise
Re: Proposed sand and gravel pits in Canyon County
I’m not a fan of growth or gravel quarries enroaching upon prime wildlife habitat, but from my own experience trying to have gravel delivered to my house, many of the quarries are tapped out because of the huge amount of development happening. 10 years ago I had a dump truck of gravel delivered to my house in the Boise foothills, it cost $80 for 10 yards delivered and it came from the Boise area. More recently I called to order another truckload, it was $375, and they were hauling it out of Middleton, telling me they were no longer providing gravel from the local pits. Every time I head west to the freeway, passing through Star and Middleton, another old farm or pasture has turned into a subdivision. 🙁
Re: Proposed sand and gravel pits in Canyon County
Thank you Louisa! Denise sent me an article about this, but I was unable to open it.
Cathy
Proposed sand and gravel pits in Canyon County
Three sand and gravel pits have been proposed in Canyon County along side the Boise River. The one near Parma has an active bald eagle nest. The one near Notus has a heron rookery readily visible from Highway 20/26. The one in Caldwell would abut Curtis Park, one of the very few nature parks in Canyon County. There are already several active sand and gravel pits in Canyon County in proximity or adjacent to the Boise River. A public hearing for the proposed pit adjacent to Curtis Park is April 18. The public hearing for the proposed pit near Parma has been rescheduled but no date has been set yet. The city of Notus recently gave preliminary approval for the proposed pit near them and a local resident is considering what the legal options are.
Both Golden Eagle Audubon and the Southwestern Idaho Birders Association (SIBA) wrote letters opposing the pit near Parma but we found out about the other two pits too late for that. Cheryl Huizinga, current president of SIBA, is preparing testimony on the proposed pit abutting Curtis Park in conjunction with a local resident. Several letters were sent to the County Planning and Zoning Commission opposing the proposed pit near Parma and local news is interested.
Given the number of sand and gravel pits already operating in Canyon County it makes one wonder why we need 3 more. It also shows the the birding community needs to pay attention to those public hearing notices posted near important areas for birds and other wildlife.