NARRATIVE REPORT FOR

APRIL 1938

fin h*1 T A B LK OF £ONTENTS

INTRODUCTION Page i

PERSONNEL Page 2

WEATHER AND WATER CONDITIONS Page 3 to 4 inc.

WILDLIFE REPORT Page 5 to b inc.

REFUGE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE Page 9 to 11 inc. INTRODUCTION

NARRATIVK REPORT FOR MONTH OF APRIJL, JLVW

VAUblNTlNE LAKES REFUGE

VALENTINE, NEBRASKA

The Narrative Report for the Month of April for the Valentine

Laices Refuge is divided into the following partst

HVEATHER AND WATER CONDITIONS FOR APRIL, 193d

Weather Water Conditions

WILDLIFE REPORT

Cinnamon Teal Duck Flight Duck Nests Long-billed Curlew Sandhill cranes Predator and Rodent Control Arrivals for April, 1938

REFUGE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE

Marsh Lake Overnight Cabin and Earn Pony Lake Headquarters Hide House at Headquarters Erecting Toilets at Dads Lake Truck Trails Pothole Development Nurseries Food and Cover Planting Landscaping Razing Undesirable Structures Page 2

PERSOflWiiL

VALKNTIWE MIGRATORY WATERFOWL REFUGE

*•»

WARD M, SHARP Assistant. Refuge Manager

MILFORD K« TEURBER Assistant Cieric-Stenographer

JACK R. BOULT BlGHOUSE Labor-Patrolman

*•* Page 3

WEATHER AND WATER CONDITIONS FOR APRIL, 193®

VALENTINE LAKES REFUGE

APRIL, 1938

Weather

April was a month of high precipitation; however, the

days on which rain or snow fell were eight in all. On April

Fifth to Seventh, sleet and snow fell. About eight inches

of snow fell on the Si^cth. a high wind blocked all roads

that same day. Warm weather followed which made the newly

fallen snow disappear in a few days. CCC Crews spent the two

following days opening blocked trails leading to town and work

projects.

The Act of God really happened on April 26th, when thun­

der showers yielded 2.47 inches between 3O0 and 7:3° p.m.

An additional 1.20 inches fell during that night and the fol­

lowing day. A total of 3*67 inches fell within the twenty-four

hour period between 3*3° p*m. , and the same hour of the afternoon, * A grand total of ^.33 inches fell

during the Month of April. According to the U. S. Weather Bureau

Records for Valentine, precipitation fell in excess of five

inches in 1892. Precipitation exceeded four inches only in 1900,

1920, 1930 and 1935. It can be seen that we are very fortunate

indeed for April»s moisture.

Water Conditions

Water levels changed for higher marks during April. Page 4

No actual figures can be given since no water gauges were set.

Those set in *36 on Hackberry, Dewey, and Middle Marsh Lakes are yet above the present water levels. It is quite a contrast over February as several lakes that were dry at that time now have three or more feet of water in them. Sweetwater Valley

Marsh has water for a distance of one and one-half miles. It was dry last year. Its level is almost up to the 193^ mark for the same time in April. The heavy rain on April 26 and 27 partially filled the potholes in the meadows adjacent ot the , lakes. Potholes in the valley west of Dads Lake cover about fifteen acres. Potholes are also to be found in Long, Pelican,

Watts, and Marsh Lake Valleys from the heavy rains of late April•

Water from Gordon Creek diversion entered Hackberry Lake

Friday afternoon at 3J30 of , 1938. This is the first time water has run down this ditch since 1936• Fifty-two acre feet is estimated to be flowing into Hackberry Lake daily from this source. The estimated raise of the lakes of the refuge for the Month of April is about ten inches. The water levels at the close of April are yet lower than at the same time in

1936. There is still hopes that May and June will be seasonable. Page 5

WILDLIFE REPORT FOR APRIL, 1938

VALENTINE LAKES REFUGE

APRIL, 1938

Cinnamon Teal

A pair of Cinnamon Teal were observed on Hackberry Lake on , 1938. This is the first appearance of this species on the Valentine Lakes Refuge since its establishment.

These birds were not observed after the above date. They were in all probability accidental migrants.

Duck Flight

The April flight was not ihe high as it has been in 1936

and 1937* The flight high for this year was in March. The

mild weather that has prevailed during the entire spring made

it possible for the ducks to get north about two weeks earlier

than during the past two years.

The major flight wave of Pintails and Mallards had passed the sandhills country before April. The Shoveler flight reached

its peak on April 18th, after which the numbers declined. The w/ ^ ^ \ Redhead—Canvasback—Scaup population had shown a decrease by

April 20, indicating that the majority had moved northward between the 12th and 20th of the month.

At the close of April, the refuge had an excellent pop­ ulation of ducks. /The following species were present: — Mallards,

Blue-winged Teal, Redheads, Shovelers, Gadwall, pintails, Baldpate, y y / ^ Lesser Scaup, Canvasback, Green-winged Teal, Ruddy Ducks and

Buffleheads^ More Pintails remained at the close of April y than any other year to date. Redheads at the close of April

were more abundant than previous years at the same time# They

are more or less common on all of our lakes# Canvasback at

the close of the month were most numerous on Pony, Center and

Marsh Lakes Valleys. Blue-winged Teal are quite plentiful#

A large ahoveier migration was noted, approximately 20,000 were

on the refuge on April lb, 193b* Ruddy ducks are not any more

abundant than a year ago# Lesser Scaup were common at the

close of April,

Duck Nests

One Mallard and one Pintails nest was found during the

month# Lach began nesting about the l^th of April# This is

our earliest record for a Pintail# Two Shoveler nests were found during late April, the first on April 29, 1938#

Long-billed Curlew

The Long-billed Curlew arrived in early April. Their

numbers do not show an increase# In fact, I am inclined to

believe that there actually is a decline over last spring^

population# We will not be able to ascertain much about the

Curlew population until after the young are out# They are quiet and evasive during the nesting season.

Sandhill Cranes i/ Sandhill Cranes passed north over the refuge during the Pag© 7

first half of April in large numbers* One thousand passed over at midday on , and three hundred again on the i5th of

April. Numerous o^her flocicspassed over from time uo time*

An estimation of ti,000 birds in all would be conservative*

No records are at hand of their ever stopping during this

spring^ migration northward.

Predator and Rodent Control

Work on pocket Gopher control during April covered two

and a half sections of land lying between Hackberry and Watts

Lake and also all lands north of Watts Lake* un© and one-half

sections of land lying between Whitewater and Dewey Lakes were

also covered during April for Pocicet Gopners and nangaroo Rats.

32i> pounds of poisoned wheat were used in treating the aoov©

areas* W© wish to stao© ohat Pocket Gopaex* poisoning consists

of digging into the burrow, placing the poisoned grain and

then replugging to ©xciud© the light as well as the dry sand.

The rodent control men of the bureau at the Cheyenne Uffice

say that one man can cover about forty acres in one day pro­

viding conditions are ideal* Page 8

ARRIVALS FOR APRIL,

Species Arrival » Departure Remarks t

^ Sandhill Crane 4-4-38 * Migrant : yLong -billed Curiae 4-3-3^ » Resident : ^Mourning Love 4-9-38 1 . Resident : v^ea-oaileu Iia«k 4-9-38 ! Migrant

/Sparrow Hawk; 4-10-38 : Migrant

ySwainsons hawjc 4-15-38 Resident

/prairie Falcon 4-15-38 Migrant

Pinrple Crackle 4-15-38 First noticeable numbers vl^uddy Luck 4-15-38 Resident

Yellowhead Blackbirds 4-19-38 Resident

^Blue-winged Teal (Females) 4-19-38 Resident

^/cinnamon Teal 4-23-38 Rare Migrant

t^ Foresters Tern 4-26-36 Resident

Brewer^ Blackbirds 4-26-38 Migrant

^Red Backed Sandpiper 4-26-38 Migrant

piping Plover 4-26-38 Migrant

x/Least Sandpiper 4-26-38 Migrant

Black Capped Night Heron 4-27-38 Resident

Myrtle Warbler 4-27-38 Migrant

/Long-billed Dowitcher 4-29-38 Migrant

/Upland Plover 4-29-38 Resident

w o Page 5>

REFUGE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE

VALENTINE LANES REFUGE

APRIL, 1938

The following is a summary of accomplishments on CCC

Projects during the Month of April. For a more detailed report of CCC Activities, see reports and narrative submitted by

Mr. Doeling.

Marsh Lake Overnight Cabin and Barn

Work consisted of siding porch add painting first coats on interior and outside of overnight cabin. Work on the barn consisted of puttying the windows and painting second coat.

The doors were also installed on the barn.

Pony Lake Headquarters

a. — Equipment and Storage Supply House Work carried on consisted of putting in trusses and foundation and bracing inside of this building.

b. — Pony Lake Residence Work on excavating the basement at Pony Lake was underway during a part of the Month of April. Other work at pony Lake Headquarters site consisted of work on the chicken house and skinning and seed house.

Hide House at Headquarters

The concrete foundation for this building was run dur­ ing the month. Building was blocked up for moving on foundation.

Erecting Toilets at Dads Lake

Construction work on toilets was carried on throughout the month at Dads -^ake Resort. Work on the public toilets at the camp ground was underway during the month. Page JLO

Truck Trails Claying of the stretch of trail leading from Pelican to

Long Lake Valleys was completed during the Month of April.

A few cross drains were also installed during the Month on the clayed roads completed to date. However, more drains must be installed. pothole Bevelopment

Work on pothole excavation was carried on in the meadow west of Pony Lake and also in the valley at the west end of

Middle Marsh Valley. Rains in late April made this work im­

practical for Continental wagon Scrapers. About five excava­ tions were worked on. nurseries Considerable work was done in the nursery at Whitewater

Lake during the month. Flumes leading to the nursery from the

lake were completed, cedars. Pines, Chinese Elm, and hardwood

cuttings were planted into the nursery during the month. Cedars

and Pines for the Crescent Lake and LaCreek Refuges were also

planted out in the nursery during April.

Food and Cover Planting

Many thousands of nursery-grown planting out stock

were planted to permanent locations during the Month of April.

Fifteen thousand Eastern Red Cedars were also planted during

the month.

Landscaping

The black dirt was hauled for the garden east of the Page

refuge headquarters buildings. Filling and leveling about the

Pony Lake Headquarters buildings was jr actically completed dur­

ing the Month of April.

Razing Undesirable Structures

Work on salvaging buildings was carried out at the following places« — Two cabins east of the refuge headquarters were taken down. Several of the buildings at the Aewman Place were razed during the month. Work was underway during the latter

part of the month at salvaging the Dewey Lake Gun Club Residence.

This work should be completed and the grounds cleaned up during the Month of May* Redheads and Scaup on the water. liacicberry Lake auring late April /• \

Ducks feeding at feed station on Hackberry Lake during the snow and blizzard in early April

Snow drifts north of administration building on April b, 1^38