Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge Kenmare, North Dakota
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U. S. Department of the Interior U . S. Fish and Wildlife Service N ationaJ. Wildlife Refuge System Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge Kenmare, North Dakota Calendar Year 1999 REVIEW AND APPROVALS DES LACS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Kenmare, North Dakota ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1999 ·hiJ)j ~ uh:VO; Refuge Operations Project Leader Date Specialist / " 2. )....0-- ~Appr;.; Date ,, TABLE OF CONTENTS IN"TRODUCTION . 1 ,, A. HIGHLIGHTS . 2 I ,, B. CLTh1ATIC CONDITIONS . 3 ! C. LAND ACQUISITION . 5 r, 2. Easements . 5 i D. PLANNIN"G . 5 ,., 2. Management Plan . 5 4. Compliance with Environmental and Cultural Resource Mandates . 5 5. Research and Investigations . 6 6. Other .............................................. 9 E. ADMINISTRATION ....................................... 12 1. Personnel ........................................... 12 2. Youth Program ....................................... 14 3. Other Manpower Programs ................................ 15 4. Volunteer Program ..................................... 15 5. Funding ............................................ 16 6. Safety ............................................. 19 M 7. Technical Assistance . 19 8. Other .............................................. 19 ,., a. Training and Meetings ............................... 21 b. Asbestos ....................................... 23 F. HABITAT MANAGEMENT .................................. 23 1. General . 23 2. Wetlands ........................................... 24 4. Croplands ........................................... 29 5. Grasslands . 30 7. Grazing ............................................ 36 8. Haying ............................................ 37 9. Fire Management ...................................... 37 r, a. 1999 Prescribed burns .............................. 38 b. 1999 Wildfires ................................... 42 10. Pest Control ........................................ 42 11. Water Rights ........................................ 44 1 ,., G. WILDLIFE ... : ......................................... 45 1. Wildlife Diversity ...................................... 45 n 2. Endangered and/or Threatened Species ........................ 46 3. Waterfowl .......................................... 46 r, a. Geese ......................................... 47 i b. Ducks ........................................ 47 c. Swans ........................................ 47 ,, 4. Marsh and Water Birds .................................. 47 5. Shorebirds. Gulls. Terns. and Allied Species ..................... 48 6. Raptors ............................................ 48 ,., 7. Other Migratory Birds ................................... 48 ' 8. Game Mammals ....................................... 49 10. Other Resident Wildlife ................................. 49 16. Marking and Banding .................................. 49 17. Disease Prevention and Control ............................ 50 n H. PUBLIC USE ............................................ 51 1. General ............................................ 51 2. Outdoor Classrooms - Students ............................. 52 5. Interpretive Tour Routes ................................. 53 6. Interpretive Exhibits/Demonstrations .......................... 53 8. Hunting ............................................ 53 10. Trapping ........................................... 54 11. Wildlife Observation ................................... 54 r, 14. Picnicking .......................................... 54 16. Other Non-Wildlife Oriented Recreation ....................... 55 17. Law Enforcement ..................................... 55 I. EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES ............................... 57 1. New Construction ...................................... 57 r, 2. Rehabilitation ....................................... , 59 3. Major Maintenance ..................................... 63 4. Equipment Utilization and Replacement ........................ 66 5. Communication Systems ................................. 68 6. Computer Systems ..................................... 69 8. Other .............................................. 69 J. OTHER ITEMS ........................................... 70 M 1. Cooperative Programs ................................... 70 3. Items of Interest ....................................... 70 4. Credits ............................................. 71 11 n ,, INTRODUCTION "Des Lacs" is french, meaning "of the lakes." Early trappers originally called the area "Riviere des Lacs," literally, "River of the Lakes," which aptly described its prominent r, features. Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge is a 28-mile long river valley with three natural I lakes. The distinctive physiography was created by glacial meltwater cutting through a vast ground moraine known as the Drift Plain. The refuge is in Burke and Ward counties in ,, northwestern North Dakota, about 50 miles northwest of Minot and 90 miles east of Montana; it borders Saskatchewan to the north. Upland topography changes from the gently rolling Drift Plain to steep slopes that descend 50-125 feet to the river. The slopes are ,, interrupted with numerous wooded draws and coulees, which have intermittent streams that drain hundreds of square miles of adjacent Drift Plain. The refuge was established in 1935, amidst the "dust bowl era." Construction of dikes and water control structures, beginning with work by the Civilian Conservation Corps, created more permanent, large pools and several smaller marshes in a region historically known for r, high numbers of nesting waterfowl. Hence, primary objectives of the refuge are waterfowl production and protection, and enhancement of migratory bird habitat. An additional objective is to restore and maintain prairie vegetation. r, Water management on the refuge is complicated by the flat topography of the valley. The original, natural lakes formed when natural dams were created by glacial outwash at the M mouths of several large coulees draining the Drift Plain. When water levels are high, water travels south toward the Souris River. Much of Des Lacs refuge water comes from adjacent r, coulees, however, not from upstream sources in Canada. If coulee water flows are low to the north, water can flow north. Water builds very little "head" going either direction, making water manipulation more difficult than at other riverine refuges. r, Des Lacs NWR's 19,544 acres include 13,600 acres of upland grass and grass-shrub communities, 230 acres of wooded draws and coulees, 5,014 acres of open water, and 700 ,, acres of marsh. Grass and grass-shrub slopes are native sod dominated by western snowberry shrub, wheatgrasses and needlegrasses, grama, bluestem, and native forbs, but are invaded by exotics especially Kentucky bluegrass, smooth brome, and leafy spurge. Prairie on level ,., Drift is similar though generally more degraded by exotic invasion. Green ash and American elm dominate woodlands, and chokecherry, juneberry, and sapling trees encroach into prairie at the woodland edge. Other upland communities include quaking aspen clumps, remnant r, farm shelterbelts, and old crop fields seeded in tame grass-legume ("dense nesting") cover. Conspicuous vertebrate fauna of open prairies and woodland margins include northern harrier, sharp-tailed grouse, mourning dove, eastern kingbird, gray catbird, yellow warbler, house wren, western meadowlark, song, clay-colored, and savannah sparrows, white-tailed deer, meadow vole, and deer mouse. Common wetland fauna during summer include western and eared grebes, white pelican, Canada goose, mallard, gadwall, blue-winged teal, ruddy, sora, Wilson's phalarope, Franklin's gull, black tern, yellow-headed and red-winged blackbirds, and muskrat. r 1 r r' A. IDGHLIGHTS New domestic water well drilled and cased. Fencing contract to remove and replace 17 miles of flood damaged fence was completed. New shingles installed on CCC picnic shelter at r Tasker's Coulee. New HQ road widening and paving project was completed replacing old rough gravel road. Flea beetle collecting on refuge sites was excellent this year. Over 3 million collected and distributed. Dike 4a/4 repairs completed, damaged from 1997 flood flows. n. n ,., 2 r r B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS Table 1 shows the 1999 weather conditions measured at Des Lacs NWR headquarters r weather station. TABLE 1. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS ON DES LACS NWR IN 1999 r MEASURED AT KENMARE, ND. r MONTH TEMPERATURES PRECIPITATION inches) .,, IDGH LOW SNOW MOISTURE AVERAGE I I I I MOISTURE r JANUARY 41 -27 22.70 2.68 0.47 FEBRUARY 44 -9 8.30 0.66 0.49 r MARCH 59 1 11.25 1.17 0.62 APRIL 72 18 3.00 0.44 1.64 MAY 87 32 7.89 2.44 JUNE 84 42 2.01 3.83 JULY 95 45 3.84 2.32 AUGUST 90 43 2.97 2.02 SEPTEMBER 84 22 2.14 2.06 OCTOBER 75 15 0.75 0.22 0.85 NOVEMBER 74 12 0.00 0.51 DECEMBER 51 -17 2.50 0.93 0.47 r TOTAL 48.50 24.95 17.72 r Temperatures were slightly below normal for January and very snowy, as we received precipitation totaling 2.68" on 13 days with 22.70" of snow. Temperatures began moderating in mid-February and snow cover at the end of the month was spotty with hilltops bare and r coulees full of snow. More snow was received in March, but with normal temperatures the snow slowly melted and only coulees and north facing slopes held snow by the end of the month. April turned dry but with normal temperatures and average high and low r temperatures of 55° F and 32° F. Only 0.44" of precipitation on two days with 3.0" of snow was received and all snow cover was gone by the end of April. n 3 r May ended talks of