{"id":593787,"date":"2026-04-19T14:34:26","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T14:34:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/593787\/"},"modified":"2026-04-19T14:34:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T14:34:26","slug":"warm-dry-winter-likely-to-alter-wildlife-patterns-in-southwest-colorado","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/593787\/","title":{"rendered":"Warm, dry winter likely to alter wildlife patterns in Southwest Colorado"},"content":{"rendered":"

Less forage leads to stress, increased predation, lower survival rates and more human-animal interactions<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A bear in a tree pants as the hot afternoon sun beats down on it last summer as it looks for a little more shade in the backyard of a Durango home. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Durango recorded above-average temperatures this winter, with record highs in December and February and much of January temperatures in the high 40s and low 50s, according to National Weather Service data<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For wildlife, an unusually warm and dry season can have far-reaching impacts.<\/p>\n

Jamin Grigg, a senior wildlife biologist for Colorado Parks and Wildlife\u2019s southwest region, said this season ranks among the worst winter conditions he has seen his more than 20-year career.<\/p>\n

\u201cWeather-wise, I would say this is the most severe non-winter \u2013 just total non-winter \u2013 that I\u2019ve ever observed, both in terms of warm temperatures and lack of snowpack,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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Deer rest in the shade on a sunny day in Durango. Low moisture and above-average temperatures this winter can change spring runoff, reservoir levels and habitat quality, which affects wildlife behavior and overall health. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Unusually warm, dry conditions spur early wildlife activity<\/p>\n

Grigg said CPW has already observed some impacts.<\/p>\n

Bears are emerging from hibernation early, deer and elk are migrating sooner, and shrubs and trees are budding early \u2013 which increases the risk of a late freeze damaging plant growth.<\/p>\n

Low snowpack and drought have reduced forage conditions across the landscape, he said.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Patrick Healy, a fish culturist with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, checks the water temperature and conditions of Lake Nighthorse before stocking 168,000 Kokanee salmon on March 25. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Durango has seen several extended dry periods since December, National Weather Service Meteorologist Gillian Felton told the Herald. <\/p>\n

Those dry spells include a 22\u2011day stretch from Dec.\u202f4 to 25, 13 days from Jan.\u202f10 to 22, 19 days from Jan. \u202f24 to Feb.\u202f19 and another period from Feb. 21 to April 1.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Durango achieved record-high temperatures this winter in both December and February, and sat in the high 40s and low 50s across much of January, according to National Weather Service data. This data set comes from a meter situated on the Fort Lewis College campus. (Screenshot from National Weather Service)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Low precipitation and extended drought can reduce habitat carrying capacity \u2013 the number of animals an area can support \u2013 for species like deer, bears and elk, Grigg said. A lack of moisture can leave wildlife \u2013 especially juveniles \u2013 in poor physical condition, making them more vulnerable and reducing survival rates, he said.<\/p>\n

Persistent drought can deplete soil moisture and forage, which can lead to multiyear impacts on animals\u2019 body condition, habitat quality and population health.<\/p>\n

Reduced plant life means less food for bears and other animals, forcing them into smaller areas with better soil moisture and vegetation. That, in turn, increases competition and predation risk, Grigg said.<\/p>\n

Drought years can also increase human-wildlife conflicts, he said. Residents should be prepared as Durango enters its spring and summer months.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we stay in this warmer system through the summer, what we\u2019re going to see is a lot of wildlife populations that are going to be stressed for natural food availability,\u201d he said. \u201cSo I would \u2026 urge residents to potentially anticipate a higher\u2011than\u2011average number of bears in and around town \u2013 in and around residential areas \u2013 bears that are stressed and looking for human food sources.\u201d<\/p>\n

Deer and elk are also more likely to congregate on private lands and pastures if forage in the wild remains poor through the summer, he said.<\/p>\n

Durango and surrounding areas have a fairly high density of mountain lions, Grigg said, and if deer move closer to town, mountain lions are likely to follow, because deer are a primary food source.<\/p>\n

CPW has not yet seen increased predation on pets or livestock, but officials are monitoring the situation, he said.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Kade Jackson, aquatic biologist with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, looks over the Kokanee salmon that were just stocked in Lake Nighthorse on March 25. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Impacts on aquatic wildlife<\/p>\n

CPW aquatic biologist Kade Jackson said he hadn\u2019t observed any major impacts on aquatic wildlife in the Animas River as of March, but flows and temperatures are being monitored daily.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we\u2019re still anticipating is a less-than-great spring runoff,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Weaker spring runoff can leave stream gravels uncleansed, Jackson said, which can harm spawning habitat for trout and other native fish and reduce survival of eggs in the gravel.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Colorado Parks and Wildlife stock 168,000 Kokanee salmon, each about 1.9 inches in length, into Lake Nighthorse on March 25. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Water temperatures may rise earlier than normal, Jackson said, and combined with low flows, can stress fish \u2013 especially trout and Kokanee.<\/p>\n

Lower water levels and higher temperatures associated with drought can reduce available habitat for Kokanee and cause an oxythermal squeeze \u2013 when warm surface temperatures and depleted oxygen levels compress the thermocline \u2013 which can increase stress, predation and competition for food.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t quite see this in (Lake) Nighthorse, but McPhee and Vallecito (reservoirs) it is a concern,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Voluntary noon-to-midnight fishing closures on Sundays may be implemented earlier than usual this season to reduce stress on fish, he said.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Colorado Parks and Wildlife stock 168,000 Kokanee salmon, each about 1.9 inches in length, into Lake Nighthorse on March 25. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Anglers may want to seek higher-elevation streams and high-mountain lakes this summer for their fishing, which are often less impacted by warm-water conditions, or choose to visit nearby reservoirs that support warm-water and non-native species like smallmouth bass, northern pike, largemouth bass and bluegill, he said.<\/p>\n

Wildfires and wildlife<\/p>\n

Durango Fire Protection District Chief Randy Black said in February the upcoming wildfire season is expected to be especially severe<\/a>, which Grigg said could impact local wildlife.<\/p>\n

While wildfires can have beneficial impacts, such as improving soil nutrients and increasing forage production after recovery, they can also negatively affect wildlife, he said.<\/p>\n

Large wildfires can reduce forage and habitat, increase sediment runoff, lead to landslides and mudslides, and cause other hazards that stress wildlife and reduce survivability, he said.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead<\/p>\n

CPW is taking a \u201cwait and see\u201d approach to spring and summer precipitation, Grigg said. But there\u2019s an expectation that warm and dry winter weather could become a new norm.<\/p>\n

\u201cBased on what all of the climate models are predicting and have been predicting for decades, we\u2019re expecting this to become more of a normal pattern, which is pretty concerning on different levels,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Prolonged dry and warm winters can change spring runoff, reservoir levels and habitat quality.<\/p>\n

Grigg said CPW will likely have to focus more on managing reduced habitat capacity and dealing with human-to-animal and animal-to-animal conflicts.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A deer walks past Animas High School on the Fort Lewis College campus March 27. (Elizabeth Pond\/Durango Herald)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It can take several years to recover from seasons like this one, Grigg said \u2013 even if following winters are colder and wetter.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat most people don\u2019t totally understand is the longer-term impacts that these drought years have in terms of soil moisture and forage conditions (and) production, potentially for a number of years to come,\u201d he said. \u201cIt impacts body condition and overall health of animals as they head into next winter.\u201d<\/p>\n

epond@durangoherald.com<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Colorado Parks and Wildlife stock 168,000 Kokanee salmon, each about 1.9 inches in length, into Lake Nighthorse on March 25. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/p>\n

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