RUBY LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Ruby Valley, Nevada
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RUBY LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Ruby Valley, Nevada ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1982 U. S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service RUBY LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Ruby Valley, Nevada ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1982 U. S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuge System TABLE OF CONTENTS A. HIGHLIGHTS B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS C. LAND ACQUISITION 1. Fee Title Nothing to report 2. Easements Nothing to report 3. Other Nothing to report D. PLANNING 1. Master Plan 3 2. Management Plan 3 3. Public Participation 4 4. Compliance with Environmental Mandates Nothing to report 5. Research and Investigations 4 E. ADMINISTRATION 1. Personnel 7 2. Youth Programs 8 3. Other Manpower Programs Nothing to report 4. Volunteer Program 8 5. Funding. 9 6. Safety 10 7. Technical Assistance 11 8. Other Items Nothing to report F. HABITAT MANAGEMENT 1. General Nothing to report 2. Wetlands 12 3. Forests Nothing to report 4. Croplands Nothing to report 5. Grasslands 14 6. Other Habitats Nothing to report 7. Grazing 18 8. Haying 23 9. Fire Management 23 10. Pest Control 26 11. Water Rights Nothing to report 12. Wilderness and Special Areas 29 13. WPA Easement Monitoring Nothing to report G. WILDLIFE 1. Wildlife Diversity 30 2. Endangered and/or Threatened Species 30 3. Waterfowl 30 4. Marsh and Water Birds 35 5. Shorebirds, Gulls, Terns and Allied Species 37 6. Raptors 37 7. Other Migratory Birds 38 8. Game Mammals 38 9. Marine Mammals Nothing to report 10. Other Resident Wildlife 40 11. Fisheries Resources 40 12. Wildlife Propagation and Stocking Nothing to report 13. Surplus Animal Disposal Nothing to report 14. Scientific Collections 40 15. Animal Control 41 16. Marking and Banding 42 17. Disease Prevention and Control 42 N. PUBLIC USE 1. General 43 2. Outdoor Classrooms - Students .43 3. Outdoor Classrooms - Teachers Nothing to,report 4. Interpretive Foot Trails Nothing to report 5. Interpretive Tour Routes Nothing to report 6. Interpretive Exhibits/Demonstrations Nothing to report 7. Other Interpretive Programs 44 8. Hunting 44 9. Fishing 45 10. Trapping 47 11. Wildlife Observation 48 12. Other Wildlife Oriented Recreaton Nothing to report 13. Camping . Nothing to report 14. Picnicking Nothing to report 15. Off-Road Vehicling Nothing to report 16. Other Non-Wildlife Oriented Recreation Nothing to report 17. Law Enforcement • 50 18. Cooperationg Associations Nothing to report 19. Concessions Nothing to report I. EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES 1. New Construction 51 2. Rehabilitation 53 3. Major Maintenance 57 4. Equipment Utilization and Replacement 57 5. Communications Systems Nothing to report 6. Energy Conservation 60 7. Other Nothing to report J. OTHER ITEMS 1. Cooperative Programs 61 2. Items of Interest Nothing to report 3. Credits 61 K. FEEDBACK McQueary Marsh Bouffard Cameron Johnson 1. Forrest W. Cameron Refuge Manager GS-11/5 EOD 06/03/79 2. Stephen H. Bouffard Biologist GS-9/4 EOD 06/27/77 3. David N. Johnson Assistant Manager GS-9/1 EOD 01/01/80 4. Thomas M. Bowser Mai ntenance-Mechani c WG-9/1 EOD 12/03/78 LW0P 02/20/82 5. Monica S. McQueary Secretary (PPT) GS-5/4 Reappointed 03/07/82 6. Suzanne D. Haskins Clerk Typist (TPT) GS-3/1 EOD 12-30-80 Resg 01/09/82 7. Howland L. Marsh Carpenter (Temp) WG-9/1 EOD 10/17/82 8. Ronald C. Cole Biological Aid (Temp) GS-5/1 EOD 03/21/82 Term 09/30/82 9. Kenneth A. Dzinbal Biological Tech (Temp) GS-5/1 EOD 02/05/82 10. Linda A. Bailey Volunteer EOD 09/07/82 Resg 12/17/82 11. Marlee Frazier YACC-Biologist EOD 03/10/81 Term 03/26/82 12. Marguerite Gould YACC-Biologist EOD 09/09/81 Term 03/26/82 Volunteer EOD 05/10/82 Resg 05/28/82 13. Perry Koontz YACC-Biologist EOD 01/12/81 Term 03/26/82 Review and Approval A f tL h u Submitted by Date gional Office Review Date A. HIGHLIGHTS Precipitation was well above normal in 1982 (section B). Fire management plan and South Sump Strategy Paper both completed in 1982 (section D2). Drying cycle of drawdown completed for water Unit 10 (section F2). Monitoring program initiated for Habitat Management Plan (section F5). Grassland unit II used as a relief area for unit I after controversy (section F7). Prescribed burning program initiated (section F9). Confirmed sighting of peregrine falcon during Christmas Bird Count (section G2). Radio transmitters placed on 15 black-crowned night herons to monitor pesticide contamination problems (section G4). Fishing limits reduced for bass to encourage recovery of fisheries (section Gil, H9}. Hunting area boundaries changed to decrease harvest of canvas- backs and redheads while increasing upland species (section H8) New fence!ine completed along northwest boundary (section 12). Quarters 8 rehabilitated (section 12). Koehring dragline transferred to Lahontan NFH in exchange for a Bay City dragline from Stillwater NWR (section 14). 2 B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS Temperatures were somewhat cooler than normal all year. The marsh opened about mid-March which was about normal and froze by mid-November, about 1 week earlier than normal. Precipitation for 1982 was well above normal even without the addition of April data. The refuge copy of the April data was misplaced while the copies sent to the National Weather Service were lost in the mail. The precipitation in September was unusually high. The snowpack during the 81-82 winter in the mountains was above normal and the snowfall on the valley floor was also above normal. The snow persisted longer than normal and windy conditions caused severe drifting. In January and February the roads were often impassable even with 4-wheel drive and chains. The deep snow severely affected wildlife, but provided a good water supply for the summer. The snowpack for the 1982-83 winter looks like it may be above average also. We may have a good water year in 1983. Table 1. Comparision of 1982 weather conditions, with, average conditions at Ruby Lake NWR. Temp 0 F Days Days Precip. (inches) Avg. min. Avg. max. 1 30° F - 0° F Month 82 normala 82 normal3 82 normal3 82 normala 82 normal3 Jan 1.32 1.24 12.2 14.8 36.6 39.9 29 29 5 5 Feb 1.03 1.23 18.7 18.9 41.9 43.2 22 26 2 2 Mar 2.93 1.07 24.8 22.7 46.6 48.2 26 27 0 1 Aprb 1.16 29.9 56.8 20 0 May 0.85 1.30 36.6 37.8 67.1 67.4 7 7 0 0 Jun 0.41 1.00 42.8 44.5 75.3 76.7 0 0 0 0 Jul 0.87 0.54 50.6 51.6 78.7 87.3 0 0 0 0 Aug 0.49 0.66 52.1 49.3 79.7 85.5 0 0 0 0 Sep 4.98 0.48 32.4 39.9 63.8 77.0 5 5 0 0 Oct 1.52 0.69 32.1 30.7 57.8 65.6 16 19 0 0 Nov 1.36 1.22 23.1 22.3 46.2 49.8 28 25 0 1 Dec 0.91 1.59 15.8 14.9 39.4 40.5 30 29 3 4 Totalb 16,67 12,23 164 188 10 13 a. Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 1978 Climate of Ruby Lake, Nevada. NOAA. 4pp. Based on data from 1951-73. b. April data lost. Totals for 1982 exclude April data. 3 D. PLANNING 1. Master Plan Refuge Manager Cameron continued to serve on the Region One Master Plan Evaluation Team. Evaluation efforts concentrated on the evaluation of the finalized Grays Lake Master Plan. The team assessed the Plan's value as a management tool by reviewing the final document in early July and then by evaluating it again while at Grays Lake with refuge staff on 14 and 15 July. The final report was completed in December. General impressions of the team were that this pilot project was very expensive, that Grays Lake was probably not a good station choice, and that full scale Master Planning had a place on more complex refuges. Refuges could profit from Master Plans but plans could be simplified as needed to sometimes contain only approved objectives and basic guidance. Then the refuge could continue directly into implementable management plans. Please read the final evaluation if you get a chance. 2. Management Plans a. Fire Management Plan After the Prescribed Burning Workshop at Malheur NWR in November 1981, we all began dreading the planning requirements necessary prior to implementing a prescribed buring program. Biologist Bouffard sorted through some very hazy directions to come up with the final Fire Management Plan and the more specific Annual Burning Plan. It was reviewed by BIFC and the Regional Office and finally approved in April 1982. This may be the first plan in the Region to be approved in the new Refuge Manual format. The supplemental Annual Burning Plan has proven to be a useful field document in the spring and fall burns in 1982. b. Strategy Paper - Drawdown of the South Sump This strategy paper was a joint Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)/ Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) effort at drafting a formal plan for drawdown of the 7,000 acre South Sump. Since the South Sump is the only refuge area open to boating and since that area also hosts the majority of our 75,000 annual fishing visits, the action would not be without controversy.