Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Arizona Boating Closure Lifted After Bald Eagles Fledge

After another successful Bald Eagle nesting season on Lake Pleasant, near Phoenix, Bald Eagle fledglings will soon fly northward for the summer, prompting the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department to lift its boating closure June 15 on the Agua Fria River adjoining Lake Pleasant. 

The seasonal closure to vehicle, watercraft and foot traffic was enacted December 15 on the Lower Agua Fria arm that empties into Lake Pleasant to protect nesting Bald Eagles until nestlings fledge. “Arizona Game and Fish Department’s raptor program has been successful in continuing to grow Bald Eagle populations through the ongoing cooperation of our outdoor recreationists,” said Kenneth Jacobson, AZGFD Bald Eagle Management Program manager. “Bald eagles can be incredibly sensitive during the nesting season and even a few minutes of disturbance can lead to a nest failure. We thank our residents and visitors for respecting the closure and nesting sites, which helped to make this another successful nesting season.”

  For more information, contact Nathan Gonzalez at ngonzalez@azgfd.gov (623-236-7230).