MEDICINE LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE NORTHEASTERN MONTANA SETLANDS DISTRICT LAMESTEER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Medicine Lake, Montana ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1989 U. S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM ' MEDICINE LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE LAMESTEER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE NORTHEAST MONTANA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Medicine Lake, Montana ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT CALENDER YEAR 1989 U. S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM REVIEWS AND APPROVALS MEDICINE LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Medicine Lake, Montana ( ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1989 3)/WiP Refuge Manager Date Ssociate Manager DateH' Regional Office Approval Date This narrative report is dedicated to the memory of Carl S. Kampen. Carl died in February 1989. I can think of no greater tribute than the following words written by one of his daughters. Dad's hands? It has to be Dad's hands. Even before I was conscious of them they cradled me, perhaps gingerly. Thinking a small baby might break. Those big gentle workworn hands. Their safe warm clasp held mine, yet urged me on, "Don't be afraid. You can do it." Free to roam....explore. Free to dream a child's dreams. Through the years, I know they pulled me back from dangers And reluctantly meted out necessary discipline. Those hands could be stern. Why is it I don't remember much of that? ( Dad's hands guided mine....to drive a tractor, to pound a nail. "Look here. Watch." "Dad do you really think this raft will float?" "Show me. Dad, how can I fix this bike?" What wonderful things those big hands could doi Hard, calloused hands. A worker's hands. Grease stained and strong from a lifetime of farming. Yet they were the same hands that gently scooped up a pup As Dad lovingly blew life's breath back into its' limp body. Do you know. Dad, what that meant to this child of yours? How could I have ever despaired over my own big awkward hands? Kampen hands! Not delicate or dainty, : A tomboy's hands, but certainly not a lady's! How time and memories change things. Dad As a grown woman I have held your hands' even yet so mighty....but now so still. Yours make mine look small! A rich legacy you left your children. Strength and compassion, your special humor. Your gentle spirit. But Dad, you know the best of all? I have your hands. INTRODUCTION Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge is situated on the glaciated rolling plains in the far northeast corner of Montana. It is located in Sheridan and Roosevelt counties. The refuge lies in the highly productive prairie pothole region and has relief typical of the glacial drift prairie, relatively gentle rolling plains with occasional shallow depressions. This is basically a prairie refuge located in the transition zone between the mixed grass and short grass prairie. Native brush species consisting primarily of chokecherry, buffaloberry and snowberry are common in coulees and sandhill areas. A few old shelterbelts composed of a variety of introduced deciduous species still remain on the refuge. These trees appear to be out of place on the prairie. The climate is typical of the northern Great Plains with warm summers, cold winters, and marked variations in seasonal precipitation. Precipitation averages 14 inches per year. Temperatures can exceed 100 degrees in the summer and may drop to -45 in the winter. Spring is generally the windiest period with velocities commonly exceeding 20 miles per hour. Passing weather fronts can bring gusty winds up to 50 mph. The refuge encompasses 31,457 acres including 13,546 acres of open water and marsh, 14,354 acres of grasslands and 3,557 acres of cultivated lands, primarily former croplands. Surrounding private land is intensively farmed for small grain. The refuge was established in 1935 by Executive Order with /the primary purpose of providing waterfowl production and migration habitat. In 1937, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) set up camp on the refuge and 180 men began work. During the camp's four years of operation, many conservation projects were undertaken including construction of dams, dikes, shelterbelts and fences. Many of the refuge roads and buildings were also built during that time. The 11,360 acre Medicine Lake Wilderness Area was established by Congress in 1976. This area includes the main water body of the lake and the islands within. Also included is the 2,320 acre Sandhills Unit with its unique rolling hills, native grass, brush species, and a few relic stands of quaking aspen. INTRODUCTION TABLE OF CONTENTS A. HIGHLIGHTS 1 B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS 2 C. LAND ACQUISITION 1. Fee Title Nothing to report 2. Easements Nothing to report 3. Other Nothing to report D. PLANNING 1. Master Plans Nothing to report 2. Management Plan 4 3. Public Participation Nothing to report 4. Compliance with Environmental and Cultural Resource(Mandates 4 5. Research and Investigations Nothing to report 6. Other Nothing to report E. ADMINISTRATION i. Personnel 6 2. Youth Programs 7 3. Other Manpower Programs Nothing to report 4. Volunteer Programs 8 5. Funding 9 6. Safety 10 7. Technical Assistance 10 8. Other Items 10 9. Training and Meetings 10 1. General 12 2. Wetlands 12 3. Forests 13 4. Croplands 14 5. Grasslands 15 6. Other Habitats 16 7. Grazing 16 8. Haying 17 9. Fire Management .17 10. Pest Control 19 11. Water Rights 20 12. Wilderness Areas 21 13. WPA Easement Monitoring Nothing to report 11 G. WILDLIFE 1. Wildlife Diversity.... 22 2. Endangered and/or Threatened Species 22 3. Waterfowl 23 4. Marsh and Waterbirds 26 5. Shorebirds, Gulls, Terns and Allied Species 26 6. Raptors 27 7. Other Migratory Birds 27 8. Game Mammals 27 9. Marine Mammals Nothing to report 10. Other Resident Wildlife 27 11. Fisheries Resources 29 12. Wildlife Propagation and Stocking Nothing to report 13. Surplus Animal Disposal Nothing to report 14. Scientific Collections Nothing to report 15. Animal Control 31 16. Marking and Banding 31 17. Disease Prevention and Control 32 ( H. PUBLIC USE 1. General 33 2. Outdoor Classrooms - Students Nothing to report 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 33 8. Hunting 33 9. Fishing 33 10. Trapping 34 11. Wildlife Observation 34 12. Other Wildlife Oriented Recreation Nothing to report 13. Camping Nothing to report 14. Picnicking i4 15. Off-Road Vehicling Nothing to report 16. Other Non-Wildlife Oriented Recreation...Nothing to report 17. Law Enforcement 34 18. Cooperating Associations Nothing to report 19. Concessions Nothing to report Ill I, EQUIPMENT & FACILITIES 1. New Construction 35 2. Rehabilitation 35 3. Major Maintenance 37 4. Equipment Utilization & Replacement 38 5. Communications Systems 39 6. Computer Systems 40 7. Energy Conservation 40 8. Other Nothing to report J. ' OTHER ITEMS 1. Cooperative Programs 42 2. Other Economic Uses 44 3. Items of Interest Nothing to report 4. Credits 45 ( K. FEEDBACK Nothing to report L. INFORMATION PACKET Inside back cover EASEMENT REFUGES 1. Laraesteer National Wildlife Refuge 46 A. HIGHLIGHTS Drought continues. Sections B and F.l. New manager arrives in February, Section E.l. Refuge pools receive some recharge. Section F.2. Ducks Unlimited project starts at Homestead Unit, Section J.l. / Figure 1. We had a few kochia and Russian thistles blowing around. ML-89-12, exp 4f 5/11/89. TF B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS It was another dry year in northeastern Montana. Total precipitation was 9.88 inches compared to the annual average of 14.3 inches. Growing season precipitation was 60 per cent of normal and totalled 6.38 inches. Summer rains were very spotty. Variations of one to three inches above and below the refuge measurements occurred with in 20 miles of the refuge. Temperatures averaged somewhat warmer than normal, but fortunately, the extremely hot temperatures experienced in 1988 did not recur this year. Medicine Lake was declared ice-free 17 April and official freeze-up was 16 November. The evaporation data in Table 2 was provided by U.S. Department of Agriculture's Research Farm located near Froid, 17 miles south of the refuge. They recorded 9.30 inches of precipitation from April through September compared to 6.38 at the refuge during the same period. 3 Table 1. Temperatures and precipitation recorded at Medicine Lake NWR, 1989. Month High Low Precipitation January 42 -33 1.04 February 40 -35 0.08 March 60 -21 0.15 April 87 12 1.49 May 87 28 1.62 June 95 39 1.72 July 103 50 0.71 August 103 44 0.84 September 91 23 0.53 October 91 14 1.20 November 63 -03 0.35 December 46 -35 0.15 9.88 Table 2. Evaporation rates using a class "A" evaporation pan at USDA research farm , 1980-1989. Inches of Evaporation Year Date(1) April Mav June July Auq. Sept. TOTAL 1980 4/17 5.61 11.81 12.18 13.71 8.81 7.52 59.64 1981 4/1 7.22 8.64 7.64 10.23 10.22 9.76 53.70 1982 4/26 0.97 5.50 7.88 7.64 10.58 6.59 39.16 1983 4/19 2.89 6.67 9.38 11.70 11.99 7.70 50.34 1984 4/2 6.71 9.29 9.37 14.00 14.14 7.04 60.53 1985 4/2 6.28 9.37 10.33 11.76 10.23 4.92 5i.88 1986 4/1 4.90 8.66 9.20 10.16 7.54 5.83 46.70 1987 4/6 6.16 7.94 10.81 9.55 8.48 6.73 49.69 1988 4/1 7.88 11.87 17.06 14.20 12.21 7.78 70.99 1989 4/1 4.98 7.78 9.00 13.41 10.40 8.46 54.03 Average for Month 5.36 8.75 10.28 11.63 10.50 7.23 53.77 (1) Date evaporation pan was started each year 4 D.