Western Outdoor Times - Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!

The Arizona Game and Fish Department and its partners of the Southwestern Bald Eagle Management Committee have lifted the closure put into place annually to help bald eagles during the breeding season at Lake Pleasant.

The closure was removed at noon on April 1 because the bald eagles in the area failed to produce young and will not breed this late in the spring.

Most other previously announced closures remain in effect because bald eagle breeding activities are still continuing in those areas. The public should contact the local land management agency to ensure the area they are visiting is open for recreational use.

Eagle Area Closure Buoy

Each year, land and wildlife management agencies close bald eagle breeding areas for part of the year, beginning in December, to help the birds successfully breed. Outdoor recreationists are asked to help protect these important breeding areas by honoring the closures.

Bald eagles are particularly sensitive to human disturbance during the breeding season and public cooperation with the closures is an important part of helping to conserve the species. Human activity near active bald eagle nests can cause a breeding pair to leave its eggs uncovered, leading to a failed breeding attempt. Human presence can also cause a young bird to prematurely try to fly and fall out of the nest.

For more information on bald eagle closures statewide, visit http://www.azgfd.gov/baldeagle or http://www.swbemc.org.