Migratory Bird Disease Contingency Plan

MIGRATORY BIRD DISEASE CONTINGENCY PLAN Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge R. R. 2, Havana, Illinois MIGRATORY BIRD DISEASE CONTINGENCY PLAN APPROVAL Submitted by:_--'-"=1~~~~~9~~~~~~Project Leader\ Concurrence Approved by: lciMJW~Assistant Regional Director Wildlife Resources MIGRATORY BIRD DISEASE CONTINGENCY PLAN Introduction The Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge purchase was authorized by Executive Order 7524 on December 23, 1936. Originally a backwater area of the Illinois River providing habitat for migrating waterfowl and other migratory birds, the area was organized as a drainage dis trict shortly after 1900. The area was diked and drained for agri cultural purposes. The protecting levees were broken in six places and the pumping station was destroyed in October, 1926. The district was unable to repair the damage and ceased operation. The area re verted to natural conditions and was purchased by the federal govern ment for a waterfowl refuge. The original levees were repaired and two control structures were constructed by 1939. Located in Mason County along the Illinois River, this Central Illinois refuge contains almost 4,500 acres of land and water. Lake Chautauqua at 435 m.s.l. floods 3,400 acres. An additional 745 acres of seasonally flooded timber and bottomland is located outside the perimeter levee. Waterfowl use days vary due to population status, water controls, and weather. Duck use days range from 3 million to 11 million use days. Normally, 75 percent of the use days occur during the fall. Mallards comprise 80- 85 percent of the population during the fall. Peak fall figures range from 60,000 to 321,000 mallards. Goose use days vary from 222,000 to 876,000 use days. Again, the major use (72%) occurs during the October-December period. Canada goose fall populations peak at 2,000 to 7,500 birds. Snow-blue goose fall peaks range from 2,400 to 13,300 birds. See Exhibits 1 and 2. Disease Surveillance Surveillance will be accomplished by refuge staff during routine operations and during public use surveys. Surveillance will be increased when disease threatening conditions develop. Surveillance by vehicle will be limited to 8.6 miles of trails and township roads. The north dike and a section of the cross dike (1.7 and .4 mile respectively} require surveillance on foot. See Exhibit 3. Boat surveys are permitted only when water levels are above 434 m.s.l. The public has assisted in the past. Disease Response I. Logistical Considerations A. Personnel Sources 1. Local -Refuge staff is limited due to only a two-man station. The Illinois Natural History Survey has a laboratory on the refuge. A permanent staff of six people are assigned to the lab of which, five work for the Wildlife Section. Personnel available from Illinois Department of Conservation are limited to the Mason County Conservation Police Officer. 2. Other - FWS personnel located in Central Illinois would 1nclude WRA at Springfield and Mark Twain NWR personnel at Quincy, Illinois; Wapello, Iowa; Annada, Missouri; and Brussels, Illinois. B. Equipment 1. Vehicles There are four motor vehicles at the refuge: a sedan delivery, a half-ton pickup, a 3/4 ton J-10 Jeep (four wheel-drive) and an old military Jeep M-170 (four-wheel drive). 2. Heavy Equipment A D-4 Caterpillar 1952 model dozer is located at Chautauqua NWR. Pumping equipment includes a Waukesha portable diesel engine and a 16-inch 22~ foot Crisafulli pump. A wheel farm tractor is available for transporting the Crisafulli pump and poweting the unit. 3. Boats Boats available are a 16-foot Jon boat with a 15 h.p. out board motor, a 12-foot fiberglass boat with either a 9~ or 3 h.p. outboard motor, plus a fiberglass canoe. 4. Radios Radio communications system includes a base station, three mobile units, plus one portable radio. 5. Decontamination Units Portable hand-held sprayers available for decontamination operation of personnel protection gear. A 200-gallon fire pump and a 110-gallon fire pump are available for decon tamination of equipment and work area. 6. Scaring Devices Two LP gas exploders and LP tanks are stored at the refuge plus a 12-gauge single action shotgun and shell crackers; A supply of long-range rockets (15 mm) and two handguns with adapter for rockets complete the list of scare device~ available for moving migratory birds from disease areas. C. Supply Sources 1. Disinfectants and Chemicals Technical Industrial Products Corporation 9000 N. Pioneer Road Peoria, IL 309/692-6543 Valley Chemical and Solvents Corporation 904 South 2nd Pekin, IL 309/676-2104 She rex Chemica 1 Cor.many Route 24 Mapleton, IL 309/697-6220 Lanza, Inc. Route 24 Map 1eton, IL 309/697-5400 Elanco Products Company Division of Eli Lilly 4600 War Memorial Drive Peoria, IL 309/692-3070 2. Plastic Bags A supply of plastic trash bags are stored at the refuge headquarters. Additional supplies are available from local hardware stores in Havana. 3. Fuel for Carcass Burning Diesel fuel is available at the storage area at Chautauqua. Additional quantities are available from Buck Oil Company at Manito. 4. Field Clothes Refuge personnel have raingear, uniform coveralls and rubber gloves. Rubber hip and wader type boots are available for staff. Extra rubber boots are on hand for use. A box of white coveralls made of disposable material is stored at headquarters. 5. Plastic Trash Barrels, Tubs, Scrub Brushes Available from local hardware stores in Havana or Pekin, Illinois. 6. Scaring Devices Wildlife Assistance Office located in Springfield, Illinois has a supply of cracker shells and long-range 15 mm/short range rockets. If additional materials are needed, a call to Pocatello, Idaho and UPS services will have materials at the station in a short period of time. 7. Dry Ice and/or Liquid Nitrogen Liquid nitrogen is available at Illini Welding Supplies, Inc., 2100 North 8th, Pekin - Telephone 309/346-3164. Dry ice is available from Pekin Liquor Store, 312 Elizabeth, Pekin - Telephone 309/346-9375. D. Lodging for Temporary Personnel Assigned to Disease Control Operations The Red Lion Motor Lodge (Best Western) 40 units U.S. 136 East Telephone 309/543-4407 Sycamore Motor Lodge 22 units 271 E. Dearborn Telephone 309/543-4454 Havana, IL E. Food 1. On-Site Capabilities None 2. Off-Site Capabilities Havana has two restaurants and several fast-food places. The D & D Restaurant and Korner Kitchen on Main Street are opened at 6:00a.m. Several of the restaurants and fast-food places are opened until 8:00 p.m. F. Identification of Working Areas 1. Clean Areas a. Command Post Chautauqua Refuge headquarters would serve as a command post with one telephone line to office with an extention phone. b. 11 Press 11 and Briefing Room The shop section of the headquarters building could be used as a briefing room for the press. c. Parking Adequate parking is available with a visitor's parking lot in front of the office plus a large courtyard in back of the office. d. Eating Areas Picnic tables located at the headquarters site can be moved inside for temporary eating facilities. e. Staff Congregation and Rest Areas Headquarters site of Chautauqua Refuge to be used for staff congregation and rest area. f. Equipment and Supply Receipt North garage to be used for equipment and supply receipt. 2. Transition Areas a. Decontamination of Personnel No showers at headquarters but hosing facilities (indoor and outdoor) available at headquarters sites. b. Decontamination of Equipment Shop is equipped with floor drains permitting decontamina tion of equipment and containment of water or chemicals. 3. Contaminated Areas a. Carcass Disposal Incinerator to be constructed and located by storage area. Incinerator to be made of cement blocks with iron grill to elevate carcass above fire. b. Laboratory Investigations Section of north garage, presently used as a wood shop, can be used as a field laboratory set up for investigations. c. Animal Holding Five modified 11 0hio-type 11 duck traps size 3' x 3' x 6' can be used for holding of animals temporarily. II. Biological Considerations A. Species 1. See attached bird list for species occuring on refuge during the year - Exhibit 4. Two swans, three species of geese and twenty-four species of ducks use the refuge. An estimated seventy-five percent of the duck and goose use occurs during the period October- December. See Exhibit 1 concerning water fowl use days and peak fall waterfowl population by species. 2. Two endangered species have been reported on the refuge - the northern bald eagle and the American peregrine falcon. · The bald eagle winters on the refuge using the Melz Slough Area as a roose. The birds continue to use the refuge until as late as April. Sixty percent of the time the eagle pop ulation peaks during the first week of January. Sometimes the peak occurs during the first week of December to mid March. See Exhibit 5 for bald eagle use. B. Population Data 1.& Mallards comprise 80- 85 percent of the fall duck population. 2. Peaks range from 60,000 to 321,000. Canada goose populations during the fall vary from 2,000 to 7,000+. Snow-blue goose populations will peak from 2,400 to 13,300 during the fall migration. C. Animal Movement Patterns 1. Daily movement of waterfowl from Lake Chautauqua varies with farming operations in the vicinity of the refuge. During the month of November, the birds will cross the Illinois River to farmland in adjacent Fulton County (area between Norris Farms to Liverpool Area). Later in the season, the direction of movement is toward the southeast. 2.

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