Random Rambler: Lee Kay Ponds

The Lee Kay Ponds are a series of artificial, or at least greatly enhanced by the hand of man, ponds located in Salt Lake City. The ponds offer some great birding opportunities, over 221 bird species have been observed here. They are also surprising pretty considering they are next to a landfill.

Quick Details:

Length: We did a short 1.5 mile loop around the main pond. There appears to be a longer 2.5 mile loop around the entire mound to see all of the ponds. Might do that next time.
Trail Type: Loop.
Difficulty: DR3. Its completely flat, partially paved, part dirt roads.
Elevation Gain: NA
Restroom: No.
Dogs? There were no signs barring them, but I am not sure.
Other Info:

To Get Here:

Take the Mountain View Corridor to where it (currently) ends at California Avenue. Head west for 8/10ths of a mile, and turn left on the ONE WAY dirt road. Along this less than a half mile section of dirt road there are 4 small pull outs, and one larger paved pullout you can park at. If you want to do the shorter loop, any of these pull outs are fine, as this road is part of the loop.

Passing by Decker Lake along the way (Passenger Seat Photography (PSP).

The dirt road (PSP). There were a few rough spots but most cars should be fine.

The Trail:

First view of the main pond. I call it the main pond, because it has the parking pullouts and a lookout tower built next to it.

Panoramic.

Little islands.

Raised lookout tower with a ramp.

It’s a gazebo with benches haha.

But it does provide a nice view.

To the east.

Goose on a tiny island.

The pond again.

There are also a couple of picnic tables here if you want to make an afternoon of it here.

The pond from the east.

We had to pass through this locked gate, we assumed was to keep cars out as there were no signs prohibiting access.

Another smaller pond to the east.

The main pond to the west.

Again.

This part of the road is paved.

Skinny little peninsula.

What do we have here?

A submerged tree full or cormorants. I’ve only seen more cormorants in a tree along the Jordan River Parkway specifically near 90th South.

Keeping the telephoto lens in now as switching back in forth is a pain, and not conducive to observing wildlife.

The pond to the east again.

Caught one stretching out it’s wings. Cormorants are cool birds. They are kind of like is a pelican and a kingfisher had a baby. We saw tons of them last year, and well it appears this year will be more of the same.

The Kennecott Smelter Stack through some low hanging clouds. Hoping we don’t get rained on! You can see the smelter stack more closely from the Great Salt Lake State Park to the west of here.

The sun kind of looks like the moon through the thick clouds.

Cormorant coming in.

First time I have seen one do a water landing.

Here comes the mate, or friend I donno.

They are kind of unassuming on the water.

One of them diving.

Back to the ones in the tree.

Red-winged blackbird showing off the red wing.

Cormorant taking off.

The pair again.

I am pretty sure this is like, the best shot I have caught of a red-winged blackbird. Wow!

Calling.

Super handsome bird.

Cormorants again.

The pond again.

The south side of the pond has a very well maintained dirt road. We came across two cars on it, so it seems like it is accessible, but we did not have any luck locating where.

I noticed a cormorant airing out. They spread their wings like this to dry out.

Cormorant tree again.

A mix of cormorants and great blue herons. I didn’t know they were communal.

Incoming great blue heron.

Cormorants and herons again.

Again.

I count 5 cormorants and 4 great blue herons.

Here comes another heron to even things out.

The pond.

You know, now that I think about it, I don’t think I have seen a great blue heron in a tree before, let alone 5. I tend to see them on the ground or on nesting poles.

As they were flying overhead I thought they might be geese, but looking at my picture I am thinking American avocets.

The lookout tower.

Now I count 7 great blue herons and 5 cormorants. I am also pretty sure I am also looking at a few nests between both species, what a fun mixed colony. I wasn’t aware either species shared.

Cormorant stretching out.

Little islands.

You can see downtown from here.

American coot.

The dirt road again.

Back towards the cormorant and heron colony.

Big fluffy clouds above the mountains.

Another little peninsula.

You can see both colonies in this picture. Smaller one in the background to the right.

Digital crop to see the guy stretching out.

Another cormorant.

Canada goose.

More of them.

The Kennecott smelter stack again.

The landfill.

The we reached the road between the “main” pond and one to the west of it.

I was a little amused that the great blue herons had completely taken over this power pole, but I am now noticing there are no wires. So it looks like this was erected just for that purpose.

Little closer.

Cormorants and a pelican.

The western pond.

The “main” pond.

With puffy clouds.

Back to the one way road we came in on.

Crow.

Hunters and anglers provide the primary source of funding for wildlife management efforts through the purchase of hunting and fishing licenses.

The lookout.

Waterfowl tracks.

The back of the cormorant/heron colony.

American coots on an island.

Some wildlife you might see here. Let see from this list, today we saw: Pelican, American avocet, and Canada goose.

Great blue herons.

Another pair.

This is pretty close to the airport so we enjoyed watching the planes coming in and out.

Okay. If I am understanding this correctly, in 1981 these ponds were excavated and the soil was used to cap a landfill that is surrounded by these new ponds, which have proved to be a valuable resource to the local wildlife, and thus to us humans who enjoy the wildlife. This was through a partnership between Salt Lake County and the DWR. What a creative and beneficial solution to a gross problem people don’t like to think about.

Also, 2 million pounds of garbage are buried each day at the landfill to the north. Yikes.

Geese on the landfill.

The pond again.

Water towers to the south.

Fun lighting out west.

The lookout again.

Well, that was a short, but fairly fruitful adventure! Now we decided to wander around and see if we could figure out how to reach the road.

Big fluffy clouds to the east.

Another large landfill mound (PSP).

I noticed a red-tailed hawk soaring so we pulled over.

I managed to get a couple of decent shots!

More giant fluffy clouds (PSP).

I think this might be the same cormorant and pelican we saw earlier. Just now the pelican is napping.

The nesting tower again.

Closer.

Well, we did not find a way to access the back roads, looking at the map it looks like it might be on the other side, a little further south. But hey, we had a good day.