Lake Koshkonong Wetland Association: Press Release
Greater Lake Koshkonong to be Recognized as Important Bird Area
August 31, 2006
Contact: Yoyi Steele, IBA Coordinator, 608-661-9847; Penny Shackelford, Lake Koshkonong Wetlands Association, 608-868-3654
The Lake Koshkonong Wetlands Association (LKWA) will host a ceremony recognizing Greater Lake Koshkonong in southwest Jefferson County and northern Rock County as a Wisconsin Important Bird Area (IBA) on Saturday, September 16. This IBA includes the lake and surrounding wetland habitats, as well as associated habitats at Rose Lake and Red Cedar Lake State Natural Area. A dedication ceremony and educational program will be held on the north shore of Lake Koshkonong, adjacent to the Carcajou Hunt Club. The celebration will begin at 11:00 am.
LKWA is a nonprofit group with a diverse membership of naturalists, hunters, anglers, bird lovers and others dedicated to protecting the wetlands, natural communities, and wildlife of Lake Koshkonong and the Rock River. Many of the members own property along the lake. Recognizing the significance of these wetland habitats for birds LKWA nominated the area as an Important Bird Area in late 2004.
An Important Bird Area (IBA) is a site that provides critical habitat for one or more species of bird during any stage of its lifecycle. This includes areas for breeding, wintering, and migration. The IBA program uses strict, science-based criteria to identify these areas of natural significance for birds, and employs voluntary, collaborative means to help ensure that they remain important for the birds that use them. The Wisconsin IBA program already has recognized 42 other sites throughout the state as official IBAs, including Horicon Marsh, the Baraboo Hills, Richard Bong State Recreation Area, and the Apostle Islands.
"The Lake Koshkonong area has been known as an outstanding place for birds for well over a century," said Yoyi Steele, Wisconsin Important Bird Areas coordinator. "Early Wisconsin ornithologists such as Ned Hollister and Thure Kumlein documented a great diversity of birds using the area in the mid-1880s. While many of the habitats they explored have been lost since that time, the site continues to support large numbers of birds and several species of conservation concern. The lake is a major staging area for migratory waterfowl and the emergent marshes and floodplain forests surrounding the lake host significant breeding populations of Black Tern, Acadian Flycatcher, Cerulean Warbler, and Prothonotary Warbler, among others."
LKWA was instrumental in documenting bird use of these habitats. "We knew we needed recent data to support our IBA nomination," explained Penny Shackelford, LKWA Secretary. "So we got ourselves organized, collaborated with expert ornithologists, birders, DNR property managers, and private landowners around the lake, and conducted bird surveys of the lake and surrounding habitats in the spring and summer of 2005." The data collected by the group show that tens of thousands of ducks use the lake during spring migration. Surveyors also found a number of high priority species breeding in associated wetlands and floodplain forests, including a large colony of Black Terns as well as Least Bitterns, Blue-winged Teal, and Yellow-headed Blackbirds in the marshes, and Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Willow Flycatchers, Acadian Flycatchers, Veery, Cerulean Warblers, and Prothonotary Warblers in the floodplain forests.
"It was on the strength of these data that the IBA Technical Committee approved this nomination in late 2005," said Steele. "LKWA has done a phenomenal job organizing and conducting these surveys. This truly was an outstanding citizen monitoring effort."
"We hope to have representatives of all the groups that helped out with the bird surveys at the dedication ceremony," said Shackelford. "We’ve invited county and town officials. The public is also welcome." The ceremony will feature several speakers, including representatives of LKWA, the IBA program, and Friends of Rose Lake. Refreshments will be served and visitors will be invited to tour nearby lakeside habitats.
The dedication will be held at W8724 White Crow Road on the northern shore of Lake Koshkonong where County Highway A ends at the lake. Take Highway 106 west from Fort Atkinson for about 5-6 miles. Turn left (south) on County Highway A and take it to the end (about 2 miles). There will be signs for parking and to direct visitors to the dedication.
Contact: Yoyi Steele, IBA Coordinator, 608-661-9847; Penny Shackelford, Lake Koshkonong Wetlands Association, 608-868-3654
For more information about the IBA program visit: http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/iba
For more information about LKWA, visit: http://www.koshwetlands.org