US-UT-Matheson+Wetlands+Preserve


 * =Birding in Utah=

Grand County
=Matheson Wetlands Preserve=

The Nature Conservancy
934 West Kane Creek Boulevard Moab, UT 84532 Matheson Wetlands Preserve website Matheson Wetlands Preserve (Discover Moab) webpage

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Matheson Wetlands Preserve -- Hwy 191 Overlook
Coordinates: 38.595868, -109.572635 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Matheson Wetlands Preserve -- Main Pond & Boardwalk
Coordinates: 38.5778294, -109.5750618 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Tips for birding Matheson Wetland Preserve
From Wasatch Audubon Society The Scott M. Matheson Preserve, or Matheson Wetlands, is an 875- acre wetland area and offers excellent birding on the outskirts of Moab. More than 225 species of birds have been recorded on the preserve. Walking the trails and boardwalks from the south side of the wetland is recommended. Two trailheads provide the major access points to the wetlands. The south trailhead can be reached from Kane Creek Road which junctions with US-191 on the south side of Moab. Access on the east side of the marsh is from the trailhead and parking area at the west end of 400N in Moab. The water levels are variable in the area, therefore, sometimes only the boardwalks will be above water and at other times the area appears dry. From Wasatch Audubon Society

About Matheson Wetland Preserve
The Scott M. Matheson Wetlands Preserve is an oasis in the desert - a stark contrast to the surrounding redrock cliffs and arid desert. To this lush oasis flock over 200 species of birds, amphibians, including the northern leopard frog, and aquatic mammals such as the beaver, muskrat, and elusive river otter.

This preserve is located in Moab, Utah along the banks of the Colorado River. Historically the area was, and still often is, referred to as the Moab Sloughs.

A well-defined, handicapped-accessible, mile-long loop trail exists in the southern portion of the preserve. A boardwalk, made from recycled train trestles, spans the trail’s wet areas and leads to a wildlife viewing blind. Additionally, there is a wetlands teaching circle and map station where several brochures are available including bird and wildlife lists.

The rarity of the wetland ecosystem in an arid environment, the area’s diversity that attracts a wide variety of wildlife species and the utilization of the wetlands by migratory birds, were the main reasons The Nature Conservancy became involved with the Moab Sloughs.

The Nature Conservancy and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources purchased the wetlands starting in 1990, with the agreement that The Nature Conservancy would manage the preserve. Though many people visit the preserve to bird watch, others come to enjoy the sounds and sights of nature. School groups also visit the preserve to study wetlands and the creatures that inhabit these wetlands. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has conducted a mist-netting program to analyze bird usage in the preserve. Other studies have looked at population trends of northern leopard frogs, waterfowl, and breeding birds. From Matheson Wetlands Preserve website



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media type="custom" key="29032689" || L2108537	US	US-UT	US-UT-019	38.595868	-109.572635	Matheson Wetlands Preserve -- Hwy 191 Overlook L689299	US	US-UT	US-UT-019	38.5778294	-109.5750618	Matheson Wetlands Preserve -- Main Pond & Boardwalk