Staff Reports
Contributed Photo/Courtesy U.S. Forest Service – Coronado National Forest
Riggs Lake is now open to the public with the seasonal reopening of the upper portion of State Route 366 (Swift Trail). However, visitors are cautioned to take heed of barricades in the area placed by the Forest Service to protect a pair of nesting bald eagles.
The bald eagle became nearly extinct in the 1960s, but today, recovery programs have increased its numbers at about a 10 percent rate nationwide.
According to a social media post by the U.S. Forest Service — Coronado National Forest, the sensitive area encompasses 100 feet around the nesting tree near the dam. Alternative hiking trails are available to help visitors avoid the sensitive area.
The Forest Service also advises that the area is a no-drone fly zone. “Bald eagles are highly territorial and may react to drones as avian predators. For the safety of the bald eagles, their nesting attempt, and your drone, keep the drone grounded while the bald eagle habitats.”
The Forest Service advises the public to keep their distance and allow nature to thrive.
