Boulder plans prescribed burn at Teller Lake No. 5

The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) recently announcedseveral planned prescribed fire projects in the coming weeks.

These prescribed fires, also known as controlled burns, are intended to help improve open space agricultural properties and irrigation ditches and waterways utilized by farmers and ranchers in the area. The burns are used to remove vegetation from irrigation infrastructure where the vegetation competes for water, as well as to help control plant growth and invasive weed species.

In the near future, the OSMP has outlined plansto conduct a prescribed burn at Teller Lake No. 5. This small lake is located near the Teller Farms and White Rocks Trailhead at 95th Street and Valmont Road.

Anticipated to take place sometime between now and March 25, the burn will specifically target cattails around Teller Lake. According to the City of Boulder website, dense stands of cattails can increase water loss from ditches and reservoirs, reduce storage capacity, and slow water delivery.

Broadleaf cattail, or Typha latifolia, is native to all 50 states with the exception of Hawaii. As an aquatic or semi aquatic perennial, these easily recognizable and hardy plants are often found in wetlands along the banks of ponds, rivers, or creeks as they grow best at moist or wet sites.

Though cattails provide important cover for waterfowl, songbirds, and other wildlife species and also help protect against bank erosion, these wetland plants grow in thick stands and can proliferate quickly, not an ideal combination if they decide to take up residence in an irrigation ditch or along an open shoreline.

Another added benefit of reducing the cattails the burn will improve the habitat for the northern leopard frog– a species Colorado Parks and Wildlife has designated a "species of greatest conservation need." These small green or brown frogs which have large oval or round spots - like a leopard - breed from mid-March through June in shallow, quiet areas of permanent water. Thick stands of cattails can reduce their breeding habitat around ponds like Teller Lake.

After the devastating 2020 Calwood Fire, which impacted both private residential properties and public open space lands, burning over 10,000 acres, and a winter that has seen scant snowfall, residents might be apprehensive about prescribed or controlled burns in their vicinity.

According to its planning page, the City of Boulder only conducts burns when weather and vegetation conditions are acceptable to ensure the safety of the public and minimize the potential impacts of smoke. Additionally, fire lines have been mowed in the cattails around Teller Lake to act as a fire break, and to provide additional insurance that the fire will remain under control.

The prescribed burn at Teller Lake will be supervised by the Boulder Fire-Rescue wildland firefighters. The public should expect the Teller Farm North Trailhead and sections of the East Boulder - Teller Farm and East Boulder – White Rocks trails near Valmont Road to be closed while the burn is in progress, or approximately from 9 a.m to 3 p.m.

The City of Boulder noted that if conditions permit, it may also conduct prescribed burns in forest and grassland areas through the year in addition to these prescribed agricultural burns in order to help reduce wildfire risks for neighborhoods and to improve ecosystem health and wildlife habitats.

For more information on upcoming planned burns in Boulder County, visit plannedburns.org