Waterfowl and Wetlands report for 2001

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Wetlands Provide Mixed Results in 2001
by Steve McCadams
www.stevemccadams.com

Depending on which part of the Prairie Pothole Region that you visited this spring, 2001 was either the best of times
or the worst of times for breeding waterfowl.

Across western Saskatchewan, Alberta, and much of eastern Montana, drought conditions persisted throughout the breeding season, limiting the abundance of wetland habitat for waterfowl pairs and broods.

In especially dry regions, moisture levels were so low during the planting season that clouds of blowing topsoil, reminiscent of the Dust Bowl days, shrouded the prairie sky. Not surprisingly, breeding waterfowl populations on the western prairies plummeted, with many species declining to the lowest levels in a decade.

In contrast, unusually wet spring weather prevailed across
southeastern Saskatchewan, Manitoba, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota. Habitat conditions were good to excellent in these areas, and duck populations remained at high levels. Farther north, waterfowl held their
own in Alaska and the Yukon Territory, but declined sharply in the western boreal forest of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

In the eastern survey area, waterfowl numbers were similar to last year.

To learn more about this year's breeding duck population and what it means for the fall flight, join senior writer Matt Young in the September/October issue of Ducks Unlimited magazine for a Ducks Unlimited special "Waterfowl Forecast."

Steve McCadams
is a professional hunting and fishing guide here in the Paris Landing area and host of The Outdoor Channel's television series IN-PURSUIT.

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