BRANCH OF WILDLIFS REFUGES NARRATIVE REPORTS MRo SALTER MISS BAUl MRo GRIFFITH Operations im niyyiyr HE^DUMONT-^ Land Management MR® ACKERKNECOT DR® KORLET Habitat Improvement MR® KUBICHEK _______ MR® STILES Stenographers REFUGE isfcuem. PERIOD J^JLzQfR 19SS TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Page I. GENERAL 1 A. Weather Conditions 1 B# Water Conditions 1 C. Fires 1 II. WILDLIFE 1 A. Migratory Birds 1 B. Upland Game Birds 2 C. Big Game Animals 3 D. Fur Animals, Predators, Rodents and other Mammals 3 E. Predaceous Birds 3 E. Fish 3 III REFUGE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE 3 A. Physical Development 3 B. Plantings 3 C. Collections 4 D. Receipts of Seed and Nursery Stock 4 IV ECONOMIC USE OF THE REFUGE V. 4 A. Grazing 4 B. Haying 4 C. Fur Harvest 4 D. Timber Removal 4 E. Other Uses 4 VI PUBLIC RELATIONS 4 A. Recreational Use 4 B. Refuge Visitors 4 C. Refuge Participation 5 D. Hunting 5 E. Fishing 5 F. Violations 5 VTI OTHER ITEMS 5 A, Items of Interest 5 B. Photographs Kirwin Wildlife Kanagement Area Narrative Report January, February, March, April I GENERAL Weather Conditions. The weather record^, as compiled by the Kirwin office of the Bureau of Reclamation, follow. Month Snowfall Precipitation Max. Temp. Min. Temp. Jan. 7.25" 55 4 Feb. 8.00" .70 51 -8 March 2.00" .16 77 2 April - .10 92 27 Total precipitation for the period - 1.58". Maximum temperature 92. Minimum temperature -8. The 61 year precipitation averages are: January, 039"; February, 0.68"; March, 0.98"; April, 2.32". The precipitation for the period is 2,79" below normal. Very dry conditions exist as of the end of the period. Water Conditions. As of April 26, the water storage in the Kirwin Reservoir was 462 acre feet. This amounts to a surface area of 145 acres. Most of the storage however is contained in the channels of the Soloman River and Bow Creek. The final closure of the diversion channel through the dam em­ bankment began in February. It is estimated that this closure will be completed sometime in July, The outlet works intake structure is provided with a low level 4lx4, sluice gate through which release of water can be made during the period of filling the dead storage pool. Releases from the reservoir were made almost immediately after closure as the sill elevation of the temporary bypass is at elevation 1670.01, or about 5' above the river bed level. The fifteen 5lx5, sluice gates in the spillway structure will be left open until the dam embankment is completed. The sills of these gates are at elevation 1720.0'. Flood water will be stored up to this elevation. The elevation of the water storage in the reservoir stands at 1678.3' as of the 26th of April. It will be held at or near this elevation until the closure is complete. Fires, None II WILDLIFE Migratory Birds. 1. Population and Behavior. a. Waterfowl, Other Waterblrds & Shorebirds. On February 9 mixed flock of 85 mallards and pintails were noted at the west 2 end of the Soloman arm of the refuge. As no waterfowl wintered in the vicinit;/- of the refuge it is believed these birds were from the wintering population at Harlan County Reservoir, approximately 25 miles north. The estimated January waterfowl concentration at the Harlan County Reservoir was 35,000 mallards, 1,000 mergansers (no species given), a few pintails, green- winged teal, gadwall, goldeneye and 5S to 100 Canada geese. The first migrants noted were 2 large flights of approx­ imately 500 mixed mallards and pintails each, observed on the Management Area on March 2. The first blue-winged teal noted this spring were in a mixed flight with mallards, pintails seen on March 4. Green-winged teal appeared about the same time, March 7. Baldpates and gadwall made their appearance shortly after and the divers, canvasbacks, redheads and ring-necked ducks appeared around the 20th of the month, staying with us until the end of the month. As of the end of the period, only a few gadwall, aallards, and shovellers remained. On the 3rd of March 50 Canada geese were observed feeding for a short time in com stubble on Unit 6. These were the only geese observed this period. Sandhill cranes were first observed on March 4. Twenty-two of these birds were seen feeding in com stubble in Unit 3. The last flight of cranes was noted on April 17. A small number of coots have been noted on the refuge throughout the winter and were present at the close of the period, b. Mourning Doves. A few mourning doves remained on the area throughout the winter. The migrants began arriving about the 1st of April and the first cooing was heard on the 6th of April. 2. Food and Cover. a. Waterfowl, Other Waterbirds and Shorebirds. Green wheat and barley was available but was not utilized. Some com left in the fields was utilized by waterfowl and sandhill cranes. b. Mourning Doves. Adequate feed was available for the limited number of doves present this period, 3. Botulism. No known losses in this area. 4. Lead Poisening. No known losses in this area. Upland Game B irds. 1. Population and Behavior. a. Ring-necked Pheasant. No losses were attributed to adverse weather conditions as this has been a mild winter. Nesting started about the first of April and young were noted the last few days in the month. b. Bob-white Quail. No winter loss due to adverse weather. The quail have paired off but no nesting activity has been noted. 2. Food and Cover. The snowfall this year has not stayed on the ground long enough nor was it heavy enough to impart any, parti­ cular hardship on the birds as far as food and cover was con­ cerned. Food and Cover have not been a problem this period. Lack of moisture this soring may prove a decimating factor in this year's hatch of both pheasants and quail, 3. Disease. No known losses. C. Big Game Animals. No notes for the period. D. Fur Animals, Predators, Rodents and other Mammals. Racoons, skunks, opposums, jack and cottontail rabbits have been observed during the period. Mink and muskrats are known to be present but have not been observed b^ refuge personnel. Prairie dogs are prev­ alent and will require some control. E. Predaceous Birds. Great horned owls, Swainsons and Red-tailed hawks are common and Marsh and Sparrow hawks abundant. Crows have been common through the latter half of the period and a few magpies have been present. F. Fish. No notes for the period. Ill ! REFUGE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE A. Physical Development. 1. Boundary fencing, ij miles. 2. One grain bin erected. 3. Boundary posting, approximately 27 miles. 4. Wareyard constructed. 5. Approximately 6 miles of telephone line removed. 6. Approximately 9 miles of fence removed. 7. Excavation work at the headquarters site completed. The following farming equipment vras received during the period. Grain drill, disc harrow, spike-tooth harrow, and Minneapolis Moline UB tractor. B. Plantings. 1, Aquatic and Marsh Plants. None 2. Trees and shrubs. None 3. Upland herbaceous plants. None 4. Cultivated Crops. The Economic Use plan for the Management Area has been approved and 12 cooperative agreements were issued. Much of the spring plowing was completed bv the cooperat- ors in preparation for planting spring crops and for summer fallowing for wheat. The wheat and barley planted last fall is in dire need of 4 moisture. Some wheat and barlev less than a foot above ground, is heading out. C. Collfections. 1, Seed or other Propagules. None, f 2, Specimens. None D, Receipts of Seed and Nursery Stock. Four thousand pounds of Buffalo alfalfa and 420 pounds of alta fescue seed were received in January, Nine hundred pounds of Siberian millet seed was purchased locally. This millet was grown on refuge lands and produced a very heavy seed crop. Two hundred pounds of Birdfoot Trefoil and 250 pounds of Ladino clover were received during the period. All seed received appeared to be in good condition and is stored in one of the refuge grain bins. IV ECONOMIC USE OF THE REFUGE A. Grazing. None B. Haying. None C. Fur Harvest. None D. Timber Removal. None E. Other Uses. None VI PUBLIC RELATIONS A, Recreational Use. The Recreational Development Plan has been approved but no funds have alloted this fiscal year for this type of development. Little or no recreational use was made of the Management Area this period other than small amount of fishing in April. B, Refuge Visitors. Date Name Purpose 2/9/55 Gorman Larson, Missouri River Basin Courtesy Call Studies, Grand Island, Neb. 2/9/55 Arthur Hale, Fishery Biologist, River Courtesy Call Basin Studies, Grand Island Neb. 2/15/55 Dean Schacterle, U.S. Bureau of Recla­ Courtesy Call mation, Agronomist, McCook, Neb. 2/17/55 Roy Schonover, Kansas Fish and Game Courtesy Call Fisheries Biologist, Pratt, Kansas 2/17/55 Arthur Hale, Fishery Biologist, River Courtesy Call B asin Studies, Grand Island, Neb. 3/3/55 Roy Keefer, Kansas Fish and Game Warden Courtesy Call 5 Refuge Participation. The Refuge Manager gave talks concerning the refuge program to the following service clubs. Phillips- burg Rotary, January 11; Smith Center Lions Club, January 13; and Stockton Rotary Club, April 12. Items concerning different phases of the refuge program were given to the local newspapers and items concerning general wildlife conservation we e given to the Kirwin School paper. Hunting. None.