Southern End of the Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail
Will Be Closed Until July 1, 2011
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Ahlstrom Nonwovens LLC have announced that the southern end of the popular Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail will remain closed until July 1, 2011, to protect a pair of nesting bald eagles.
“Although bald eagle numbers are increasing in the state, the birds are still a state threatened species,” said Dan Esty, Commissioner of the DEP. “Disturbance can cause the adult eagles to abandon their nest, causing the eggs or chicks to die.” Once in decline due to the effects of pesticides, nesting bald eagles returned to Connecticut in 1993, after an absence of almost 50 years. Twenty-two bald eagle pairs were documented in the state in 2010, and 18 of those pairs made nests. Six of the 18 nests failed, and the 12 successful bald eagle pairs fledged 23 chicks.
The DEP Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail is formed from a historic towpath built to bypass the Enfield rapids in the Connecticut River. The rapids provide a shallow area that is perfect for the bald eagles to find their preferred food of fish. It is not a surprise, then, that the eagles chose a nest site near a feeding area.
The DEP and Ahlstrom will only keep the trail closed until the young eagles have reached flying stage, which is anticipated to be July 1, 2011. If the nest fails or the young can fly before July 1, the trail will be opened earlier. During the closure, visitors can still walk or bike the trail from the northern section for about two miles until they come to a gate and are instructed to turn around. The southern end of the trail will remain closed.
Bald eagles are protected during the nesting season by Connecticut General Statute 26-93 and are protected on the federal level by the Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940 and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. The DEP Wildlife Division has published a fact sheet on bald eagles, which is available on the DEP Web site at www.ct.gov/dep/wildlife.
Will Be Closed Until July 1, 2011
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Ahlstrom Nonwovens LLC have announced that the southern end of the popular Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail will remain closed until July 1, 2011, to protect a pair of nesting bald eagles.
“Although bald eagle numbers are increasing in the state, the birds are still a state threatened species,” said Dan Esty, Commissioner of the DEP. “Disturbance can cause the adult eagles to abandon their nest, causing the eggs or chicks to die.” Once in decline due to the effects of pesticides, nesting bald eagles returned to Connecticut in 1993, after an absence of almost 50 years. Twenty-two bald eagle pairs were documented in the state in 2010, and 18 of those pairs made nests. Six of the 18 nests failed, and the 12 successful bald eagle pairs fledged 23 chicks.
The DEP Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail is formed from a historic towpath built to bypass the Enfield rapids in the Connecticut River. The rapids provide a shallow area that is perfect for the bald eagles to find their preferred food of fish. It is not a surprise, then, that the eagles chose a nest site near a feeding area.
The DEP and Ahlstrom will only keep the trail closed until the young eagles have reached flying stage, which is anticipated to be July 1, 2011. If the nest fails or the young can fly before July 1, the trail will be opened earlier. During the closure, visitors can still walk or bike the trail from the northern section for about two miles until they come to a gate and are instructed to turn around. The southern end of the trail will remain closed.
Bald eagles are protected during the nesting season by Connecticut General Statute 26-93 and are protected on the federal level by the Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940 and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. The DEP Wildlife Division has published a fact sheet on bald eagles, which is available on the DEP Web site at www.ct.gov/dep/wildlife.