Zylstra Lake Preserve

Zylstra Lake Preserve is a 285-acre tract in San Juan Valley. Long coveted because of its importance to the False Bay watershed, expansive fields and proximity to existing conserved farmlands, it also holds abundant wildlife and habitat areas. Zylstra Lake was purchased in 2015 in partnership with the San Juan Preservation Trust with funding from the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Coastal Wetlands Grant Program; a fund dedicated to protection, restoration, and enhancement of these globally imperiled habitats. It is now owned and managed by the Conservation Land Bank and protected forever by a conservation easement held by the Preservation Trust. The permanent conservation of the land and waters that make up Zylstra Lake Preserve presents amazing opportunities for the residents of San Juan County, human and non-human alike. The protected lake and stream are important features of the False Bay watershed, whose health directly affects the marine environment of False Bay. The rich soils found in the preserve’s rolling fields support local agricultural production. More than 100 individual bird species have been documented on the Preserve’s diverse water and upland habitats, making it an excellent destination for bird watching.