Cave Lake (Care Lake), Coeur d'Alene WMA

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Grebe Survey Summary

  • Max Adults: 100
  • Year: 2007
  • Most Recent Adults: presence
  • Year: mid-2010s?
  • Survey Type: Shore; Boat; Air
  • Most Common Threats Reported: Water fluctuation (too low and too high); lack of/poor nesting habitat; human/development/boat disturbance
Lake name:
Cave Lake (Care Lake), Coeur d'Alene WMA
Location:
Idaho
Latitude:
47.4663271
Longitude:
-116.6077497
Surface area (km2):
3
Basin type:
natural
Management agency:
Idaho Department of Fish and Game; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Region associations:
Coeur d'Alene WMA; Coeur d'Alene River; Coeur d'Alene Lake; Bitteroot Mountains
Designations:
Wildlife Management Area
Comments:
A small lake west of Coeur d'Alene Lake connected by the Coeur d'Alene River. It is within the boundary of Seattle City Light Hydroelectric Project study area for the Regional Recreation Analysis of Kootenai County, Idaho. Mining in the 1800s may have left high lead levels in surrounding soils of the Coeur d'Alene River area.

Surveys (6)

Survey Citation:
Idaho Department of Fish and Game. 2017. Idaho State Wildlife Action Plan, 2015. Boise (ID): Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Grant No.: F14AF01068 Amendment #1. Available from: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/. Sponsored by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program.

  • Time period
    N/A
  • Source
    SWAP
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    Y
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 1 to 100 presence "per year"
Most Recent Adults 1 to 100 presence "per year"
Max Nests 1 to 100 80 "per year"
Most Recent Nests 1 to 100 20-80 "per year"
Max Chicks N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Chicks N/A N/A N/A

Comments:

Part of Coeur d'Alene WMA, Bitteroot Mountains.

Survey Citation:
Cavitt, J. F., S. L. Jones, N. M. Wilson, J. S Dieni, T. S. Zimmerman, R. H. Doster, and W. H. Howe. 2014. Atlas of breeding colonial waterbirds in the interior western United States. Research Report, U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver, Colorado.

  • Time period
    25 May 1994
  • Source
    Summary
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 1 to 100 2 1994
Most Recent Adults 1 to 100 2 1994
Max Nests 1 to 100 1 1994
Most Recent Nests 1 to 100 1 1994
Max Chicks N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Chicks N/A N/A N/A

Comments:

Trost is observor but this is not in Trost paper. One nest is doubled to estimate # of breeding grebes though unclear how it's known as Clark's. Unknown survey type. Conducted as part of Western Colonial Waterbird Survey (WCWS), a breeding survey of 18 species from May to July 2009 to 2011, resulting in this Atlas.

Survey Citation:
Cavitt, J. F., S. L. Jones, N. M. Wilson, J. S Dieni, T. S. Zimmerman, R. H. Doster, and W. H. Howe. 2014. Atlas of breeding colonial waterbirds in the interior western United States. Research Report, U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver, Colorado.

  • Type
    shore
  • Time period
    26 May 2007, 19 July 2007
  • Source
    Summary
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 1 to 100 100 2007
Most Recent Adults 1 to 100 32 2007
Max Nests 1 to 100 50 2007
Most Recent Nests 1 to 100 16 2007
Max Chicks N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Chicks N/A N/A N/A

Comments:

Trost is observor for May 26 survey, the only direct count of breeding birds in this set of surveys. June 1 through June 20 and June 28 through July 19 surveys are by Weinandt/Pfaff. June 23 survey is by Hugo. Except for May 26 survey, the rest are nest counts doubled to estimate # of breeding grebes though unclear how they're determined to be Clark's. Conducted as part of Western Colonial Waterbird Survey (WCWS), a breeding survey of 18 species from May to July 2009 to 2011, resulting in this Atlas.

Survey Citation:
Trost. C.H. 1994. Status and distribution of colonial nesting waterbirds in northern Idaho and selected species in southern Idaho. 31 pp.

  • Type
    shore; boat; air
  • Time period
    26 May 1994
  • Source
    Report
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    Y
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 1 to 100 17 1994
Most Recent Adults 1 to 100 17 1994
Max Nests 1 to 100 10 1994
Most Recent Nests 1 to 100 10 1994
Max Chicks N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Chicks N/A N/A N/A

Comments:

Cave Lake is in upper reaches of Coeur D'Alene River. Only WEGR found in northern Idaho. Source is this study. "Many in pairs on south end of the lake, in reeds."

Survey Citation:
Moulton, C. pers. comm. 2021 email.

  • Time period
    N/A
  • Source
    Personal communication (email)
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N/A
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Adults N/A N/A N/A
Max Nests see comments see comments see comments
Most Recent Nests see comments see comments see comments
Max Chicks see comments see comments see comments
Most Recent Chicks see comments see comments see comments

Comments:

This entry to capture Colleen Moulton's (IDFG) comments on which breeding lakes might still be active. "Here’s a list of those that I know have had breeding birds in recent years: American Falls Reservoir, Blackfoot Reservoir, Cave Lake, CJ Strike Reservoir, Island Park Reservoir, Lake Pend Oreille, Market Lake WMA, Mud Lake WMA. These are all fairly small colonies (although Mud Lake used to be sizeable). There may be others, but I’m less familiar with/have less documentation of them."

Survey Citation:
Coeur d’Alene Basin Restoration Plan and Environmental Impact Statement. 2018. U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of the Interior, Coeur d’Alene Tribe, State of Idaho. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

  • Time period
    mid-2010s?
  • Source
    Report
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 1 to 100 presence mid-2010?
Most Recent Adults 1 to 100 presence mid-2010?
Max Nests 1 to 100 presence mid-2010?
Most Recent Nests 1 to 100 presence mid-2010?
Max Chicks 1 to 100 presence mid-2010?
Most Recent Chicks 1 to 100 presence mid-2010?

Comments:

General statement that Western grebes nested in Cave Lake and other Planning Area lakes in "recent years" with no details. Estimated here as mid-2010s due to publication year of 2018. Also acknowledges water level manipulations that maintain deeper water may benefit grebes in general, no grebe species named.

Sources of Information