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October 15, 2004
Drought hurts waterfowl populationBy THE ASSOCIATED PRESS As a result, state wildlife biologists are predicting fewer waterfowl than last year, when about 48,000 were harvested in Nevada. ``We're not expecting a very great season in the state. It will probably not be quite as good as last year,'' said Norm Saake, a retired Nevada Department of Wildlife biologist who still conducts waterfowl surveys for the agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service More important, he said, is the potential for long-term damage if the drought continues another year. ``If we don't get a good winter, things will be in really sad shape,'' he said. Annual surveys in northern Nevada in May found capacity at less than 50 percent of normal. Heading into September, four of the state's wildlife management areas were completely dry - Franklin Lake in Elko County, Humboldt in Pershing County, Alkali Lake in Lyon County and Scripps in Washoe County, according to the Nevada Department of Wildlife's wetland habitat report for Oct. 6. All but Scripps have been dry now for five years, the department said. In addition, Fernley WMA is at 5 percent of its normal capacity and Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge in Lincoln County is at 10 percent normal capacity, The best water conditions were reported at the Mason Valley WMA in Lyon County, Kirch WMA in Nye County, Key Pittman WMA in Lincoln County, Carson Lake Cooperative WMA in Churchill County and the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Elko County, which has been stable for five years, wildlife officials said. All of those sites were estimated to have ``high'' duck density. Surface water at Kirch, up 30 percent from last year, was estimated to be at 90 percent of capacity, the same as Steptoe WMA in White Pine County, where duck density is ``moderate.'' Water capacity has improved to about 50 percent at Key Pittman WMA. It's about 70 percent at Ruby Lake NWR and Overton WMA in Clark County, where duck density also is ``moderate.'' Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge northeast of Fallon stood at 60 percent capacity and was filling, but water deliveries were scheduled to end in November and a number of units there are dry. Duck density is ``moderate.'' now |
