C O M M U N I T Y C O N S E RVATION PLAN f o r the Chaplin, Old Wives and Reed Lakes Important Bird A re a s July 2000 Josef K. Schmutz Community Conservation Planner Important Bird Areas Program Nature Saskatchewan c/o Centre for Studies in Agriculture, Law and the Environment (CSALE) 51 Campus Drive, University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A8 Tel. 306-966-2410 FAX 306-966-8894 E-mail: [email protected] i Table of Contents 4.1.5 Migrating shorebirds in general...3 0 Executive Summary . .1 4.1.6 Piping Plover. .3 1 Vision Statement . .2 4.1.7 Snowy Plover. .3 2 1. Intro d u c t i o n . .2 4.1.8 American Av o c e t . .. .3 3 1.1 Why protect birds . .2 4.1.9 Tundra Swan............. .3 4 1.2 Possible approaches to bird pro t e c t i o n 4 4.1.10 Canvasback............. .3 5 1.3 Existing conservation 4 . 1 . 11 Ducks................... .3 5 m e a s u re s . .. .4 4.1.12 American White Pelican.... .3 6 1.3.1 Federal and provincial acts. .4 4.1.13 Franklin's Gull......... .3 7 1.3.2 Canadian Biodiversity Strategy. .5 4.1.14 Burrowing Owl......... .3 8 1.3.3. Western Hemisphere Shore b i r d 4.2 Unusual birds................... .3 9 Reserve Network . .5 1.3.4 M i g r a t o ry Bird 5 O t h e r Elements of High Conservation S a n c t u a ry. .. .6 Va l u e . .4 0 1.3.5 N o rth American Bird Conservation I n i t i a t i v e . .6 6 Human Context Information........ .4 2 1.3.6 Prairie Canada Shore b i r d 6.1 Land ownership................ .4 2 Conservation Plan. .7 6.2 Historical land use............ .4 2 1.3.7 International Shorebird Survey.. .7 6.3 Current land use............... .4 4 1.3.8 N o rth American Wa t e r f o w l 6.3.1 Farming.................. .4 4 Management Plan.... .7 6.3.2 Ranching.................. .4 4 1.3.9 The Chaplin Heritage Marsh.. .8 6.3.3 Minerals extraction...... .4 5 1.3.10 Prairie Conservation A c t i o n 6.3.4 Oil and gas extraction... .4 5 P l a n . .. .8 6.3.5 Brine shrimp harvest.... .4 5 1 . 3 . 11 Community pasture s . .9 6.3.6 To u r i s m . .. .4 5 1 . 3 . 11.1 The Saskatchewan Pasture s 6.4 Conservation management P ro g r a m . .9 achieved at sites.............. .4 6 1 . 3 . 11.2 P F R A C o m m u n i t y 6.5 Stakeholders................... .4 6 P a s t u re s . .. .9 1.3.12 Wa t e r use and management in the 7 Opport u n i t i e s . .4 9 Wood River w a t e r s h e d . .9 7.1 Bird Tr a i l s .. .4 9 1.3.12.1 Wood River d i v e r s i o n. .11 7.2 Hunting and fishing........... .4 9 1.3.12.2 Reed Lake diversion . .11 7.3 Chaplin Lake Interpretive Centre . .5 0 1.3.12.3 Drinking water s u p p l i e s. .1 3 7.3 Saskatchewan Minerals....... .5 1 7.4 Range management............. .5 1 2 The IBA P ro g r a m . .1 5 7.5 Crown lands................... .5 1 2.1 IBA S a s k a t c h e w a n . .1 5 8. T h re a t s . .. .5 4 3 IBA Site Information................. .1 5 8.1 Shorebirds year- ro u n d . .. .5 4 3.1 Chaplin Lake................... .1 7 8.2 A Complex of large and small 3.2 Old Wives Lake................. .2 1 w e t l a n d s . .5 4 3.3 Reed Lake.. .2 3 8.3 Wa t e r l e v e l s. .5 5 3.4 The birds' food chain......... .2 3 8.4 Wa t e r quality and health...... .5 5 8.5 Botulism.... .5 6 4 IBA Species Information............ .2 5 8.6 Trampling by cattle............. .5 7 4.1 Natural history of IBA s p e c i e s . .. .2 7 8.7 Pre d a t i o n . .. .5 7 4.1.1 Semipalmated Sandpiper . .2 7 8.8 Exotic species.................. .5 7 4.1.2 Stilt Sandpiper. .. .2 8 8.9 A c c i d e n t s . .. .5 8 4.1.3 Sanderling................ .2 8 8.10 Disturbance.................... .5 8 4.1.4 Baird's Sandpiper. .. .2 9 i i 9. Conservation Goals and Objectives...... .5 8 A p p e n d i c e s . .6 7 9.1 Management goals............. .5 9 9.2 Infrastructure goals........... .5 9 Appendix 1. Names, affiliation, contact informa- 9.3 Educational goals............... .6 0 tion and general interests of individuals in con- 9.4 Research and information needs....... .6 0 nection with the Wood River Wa t e r s h e d I B A s . .. .6 7 10 Evaluating Success................. .6 1 Appendix 2. Information on the lead 11 A c k n o w l e d g m e n t s . .. .6 2 o rganizations of the IBA P r o g r a m . .6 9 12 Refere n c e s . .. .6 2 Appendix 3. Web sites dealing with shorebirds and wetlands............... .7 1 Appendix 4. Wildlife viewing code.... .7 2 Appendix 5. A holistic model for a community supported agriculture initiative as applied to Wood River restoration........... .7 3 i i i List of Figure s F i g u re 13. Species diversity estimates from F i g u re 1. Location of three Important Bird study plots in the Saskatchewan mixed grass Areas, Chaplin, Old Wives and Reed lakes, in ecoregion are compared with a standard the Wood River watershed of southwestern method in which range condition S a s k a t c h e w a n . .. .3 is assessed . .5 2 F i g u re 2. A schematic diagram to show the rela- tionships among bird conservation plans and s t r a t e g i e s . .. .6 F i g u re 3. Fifty-year water flow in Notukeu Creek. Flow was not recorded between 1923 List of Ta b l e s and 1956........... .1 0 Table 1. Physical and chemical characteristics of F i g u re 4. The distribution of water flow in Chaplin, Old Wives and Reed lakes in the Notukeu Creek throughout an average Wood River watershed of southern y e a r. .11 S a s k a t c h e w a n . .. .1 7 F i g u re 5. Northern segment of a water drainage Table 2. Notes taken by George Fairfield during area involving Reed Lake and Swift Current a field trip accompanying Bob Nero to Isle of C r e e k . ..