Considering Recognition of Sandy Griswold Bird Sanctuary

Document submitted to two project agencies on 27 July 2011.

As mentioned in a published editorial and as requested by two area birders, there is an effort underway to have the Sandy Griswold Bird Sanctuary recognized once again at Carter Lake.

Omaha officials passed a resolution recognizing this designation, with the backing of the Izaak Walton League. The May 10, 1925, issue of the Omaha Bee indicated: "Carter Lake has been made a bird preserve. No more may Omaha nimrods slaughter migrating flocks of ducks which seek rest in the lake. The fowls seem to realize that they will not be molested about the lake, and have made their homes near it in great numbers." (See editorial).

The recognition was given due to the lake being a haven for many different sorts of birds. Historically the environs had a greater diversity of species. As the lake was transformed, its value to various species declined slowly but certainly. There was also the Nepenthe place where Alva Leroy Timblin enjoyed the bird life in the early 1930s, especially before the airfield plane traffic drove them away.

Bird Sanctuary Signage

The interest in recognizing the Sandy Griswold Bird Sanctuary would involve the placement of a marker at a suitable place that would recognize the feature. The cost for a marker would be raised through a fund-raising effort. It would also be installed by volunteers, so there would be no cost to a public agency.

The question is where should the marker be placed? Based on a review of the lake setting, development work planned for lake it would seem appropriate that the marker go on the east side of the lake at its southern extent. There are several reason for this suitability:

1) The available viewscape towards the lake would include the woods of the Bird Island and Iowa West Ranch which represent two primary undisturbed woodlands about the lake, and represent a natural setting, something which might have been seen in the 1920s.

2) This area of the lake is a no-wake zone so would not be disturbed by motor-boat traffic as nearly two-thirds of the lake will be.

3) It is a short distance from a parking lot, and would be a nice walk on a cement trail to visit the marker.

4) There are no plans to place unsightly concrete rip-rap along the shoreline.

5) The island provides a visual barrier to the urban setting of Carter Lake, including the barren Mabrey Park.

Unwanted Groins

There is one major concern and that is the planned installation of two rip-rap groins into the lake environs, southward of the southeast pier. They would provide fishing access. The groins are needed because people fishing do not want to fish from the bank, according to fisheries staff at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. A fisheries manager said he would discuss this situation with his staff, but nothing has been heard, though this was brought to their attention weeks ago. This was not included in the topics covered during the mid-July meeting of the agencies/people involved with this project. Why is this situation being trivialized?

The groins are an obvious intrusion to the lake area. NGPC fisheries staff have said the lake is not being important for birds, and so should not be considered. This agency has not however adequately addressed bird use during seasonal migrations, especially since the removal of rough fish. After conducting more than 20 bird surveys from April through July, the lake environs still have an interesting array of birds, and though mostly terrestrial species, there are good numbers of Canada Goose, Mallard and Wood Duck.

NGPC fisheries staff and their consultants have no basis – as there have been no facts provided to support their claim for saying how the lake is no important for birds. And though this was not mentioned in any public hearings, it is now and as the project is delayed, there is ample opportunity to make revisions.

A majority of the lake side is to be altered by installation of bank tabilization, jetties, breakwaters and other hard rock intrusions which will effectively convert the historic Missouri River oxbow into an "industrial lake" with little natural shore and floodplain woods. Any shallow water habitat has already been mostly lost due to dredging in the 1930s and by additional dredging planned for the current project.

The two groins indicated on the associated map are not essential to provide a suitable fishing experience at Carter Lake. They do ruin an area of the lake which should become recognized as a nice haven for birds. Having the groins intrude into the lake would obviously increase disturbance to any birds on the water.

Concerns over the use of Nebraska Environmental Trust funds for this project were expressed at the July meeting of the board. Funds from this trust should not be used for a project which limits its environmental focus – in this case water quality and fishing – to the exclusion and seeming detriment of other appreciated and recognized natural features: birds. The groins can be left out with no additional cost, and would actually have a minimal reduction in the project expenses.

The Carter Lake project is expected to cost more than $6 million. This money is being well spent to further reduce the value of the lake to native birds using federal funds. Has the project environmental assessment evaluated ancillary impacts?

There are additional concerns regarding the parkland management. There are also opportunities. Carter Lake can be so much more than an industrial lake and park.

The following graphic illustrates the location for the proposed bird sanctuary sign.

Birds the Losers

The local birdlife continues to be the losers when it comes to the changes being wrought to the natural setting of Cutoff/Carter Lake, both now and in the past.

These two pictures visually depict this occurrence.

The female Mallard on her nest below the rail fence luckily seemed to be successful. The image does depict how little suitable habitat was available for her use as this busy and hazardous site was selected. If the Levi Carter so-called "Meadows in the Making" were suitably managed to increase plant diversity, rather than just being signs placed to give rationale for not mowing early in the season, this mallard and other birds would readily benefit. And mowing the grass in mid-July is not necessary, as it would help breeding birds survive, rather than having their home become isolated and more open to predation by area cats. The primary north "meadow" area was mown before July 16. Picture taken 19 June 2011

The two Mallards on the dock were among the four chased away by the incoming boat. The boat did a spin around the lake and then left. Plans for the project appear to include removal of tree snags and other suitable features which could provide alternate roosts. Picture taken 16 July 2011

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This picture was not included in the document but is included here to show how averse some people are to a long-growth of grass. This is a private citizen cutting grass on a Saturday in Levi Carter Park. It is not known if the person had permission?

Picture taken 16 July 2011.

Migratory Bird Habitat Would be Threatened by Utah Water Project

By James Ed. Ducey

A globally important bird area at the Great Salt Lake would be impacted by development of water resources provided by the Bear River. Plans call for water diversions that would reduce the flow of freshwater into habitats essential for a large variety and number of waterbirds.

River flows currently nourish about 400,000 acres of diverse wetland habitats at the river's delta at the Great Salt Lake.

The largest freshwater component of the Great Salt Lake ecosystem is at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, a tract of 74,000 acres established in 1928 as a federal reserve at the delta where the river enters the Great Salt Lake.

Counts by refuge staff in recent months document the extent of birds using refuge wetlands:

• 25 Oct - 105,000 waterfowl including 480 Tundra Swan.

• 18 Oct - 63,000 waterfowl including nearly 16,000 Northern Pintail.

• 2 Oct - 67,000 waterbirds, with nearly 15,000 Ruddy Duck.

• 31 Aug - 17,591 American Avocet.

• 9 Aug - 57,639 American Avocet, 29,274 American Coot, 32374 Black-necked Stilt, 20,174 Dowitcher, 14,280 Marbled Godwit, and 46,141 White-faced Ibis; plus a multitude of waterfowl.

• 19 Jul - record count of 369 red-necked phalarope; also 23,488 White-faced Ibis, 23,985 American Avocet and numerous other shorebirds.

The value of refuge habitats for wild birds has meant its designation as an Important Birding Area by the National Audubon Society.

"Bear River Bay provides habitat for a large number of the world's total population of specific bird species including: White-faced Ibis, Marbled Godwit, American White Pelican, Tundra Swan, American Avocet, Wilson's Phalarope, California Gull, Cinnamon Teal, Western Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Gadwall, Black-necked Stilt, Green-winged Teal, Western Grebe, Forster's Tern, Franklin's Gull, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, and Redhead," according to the important bird area summary prepared by the society.

Other details indicate the value of the refuge and adjacent Great Salt Lake for migratory birds, according to the refuge website:

• "breeding colonies of white-faced ibis contain as many as 18,000 birds.
• "Up to 10,000 American avocets breed annually.
• "One of North America's three largest American white pelican breeding colonies, containing in excess of 50,000 birds, is found on Gunnison Island in Great Salt Lake.
• "The Great Salt Lake boasts the largest fall staging concentration of Wilson's phalaropes in the world, at approximately 500,000 birds. Red-necked phalaropes number nearly 100,000.
• "The Great Salt Lake area hosts greater than 50 percent of the continental breeding population of snowy plovers.
• "The Great Salt Lake area hosts 26 percent of the global population of marbled godwits during migration.
• "Bear River Refuge may attract over 65,000 black-necked stilts in the fall, more than anywhere else in the country."

"An environmental analysis reveals Bear River development would reduce the average annual outflow of the Bear by 18 percent," according to information provided by the Utah Rivers Council website. "In a low water year, the diversions would take as much as 70 percent of the river's flow. They will further degrade the already impaired waters of the Bear River, and drastically change the levels, water temperature, and salinity of the Great Salt Lake."

The "expected water level reduction in the Bear River Bay area would be approximately 6 to 12 inches," said Steve Hicks, manager of the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. "Due to the shallow nature of the Bear River Bay area, I would expect that water level drop to dry up thousands of acres of lake. The Bear River Bay is heavily used by shorebirds and waterfowl. Reducing the wet area available would force these bird populations into the remaining wet areas such as Bear River Refuge, and the Bear River Club marshes. Living space would be at a premium for the birds. In concentration, birds become stressed and disease outbreaks become more common. Existing food resources would also be more heavily utilized. It is quite probable that bird populations would respond downward."

Bear River basin (Map courtesy of the Utah Division of Water Resources, Bear River Development Report, August 2005).

From its source in the Uinta Mountains, the river's watershed is within Wyoming, Idaho and Utah, and the Bear River flows nearly 500 miles until it empties into the Great Salt Lake at Bear River Bay, southwest of Brigham City, Utah River.

The average annual flow of the Bear River into the Great Salt Lake is about 1.2 million acre-feet, according to figures in the Division of Water Resources report. An estimated 250,000 acre-feet of Bear River water would be developed.

In 1999, the Bear River was listed as one of the ten most endangered rivers in North America by the national organization, American Rivers. The threats given were sprawl at Salt Lake City (an hours drive south from the Bear River refuge, water withdrawals and a proposed dam. Population growth is an additional threat, causing an increased demand for fresh water in the arid region.

The water available from Bear River runoff is already reduced in some years due to dryer conditions in the region that result in a reduced inflow of fresh water at the refuge.

"The water supply forecast for 2007 is for 'much below average' runoff in the Bear River basin which means less than 70% of normal" flows, according to the refuge's 2007 habitat management plan.

In 2006, the snow pack was above average. Previously five straight years of drought impacted flows, according to a report in the Deseret News.

The water in the Bear River is a target for water development.

The Bear River project is the result of passage of the Bear River Development Act in 1991 by the Utah legislature. The proposed project includes storage reservoirs, diversions and associated transportation facilities.

The Act directs the Division to develop the waters of the Bear River and its tributaries, according to a report prepared by the Utah Division of Water Resources. "The Division is to plan, construct, own and operate reservoirs and facilities on the river as authorized and funded by the legislature, and to market the developed water."

"The estimated cost to deliver the full allocation of Bear River Water today to the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District and the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District is about $700 million with half the burden falling on the State to develop the water and deliver it to Willard Bay and half on the water districts to treat the water and deliver it to their wholesale agencies," according to project documents.

The Utah Rivers Council says there are alternative to diverting flows of the Bear River. "Water conservation and agricultural water transfers can eliminate the need for Bear River dams and diversions at a cost $4,000/acre-foot less than current proposals," according to information on the council website.

"It seems like a no-brainer that drying up the lake can't be good for the bird populations that use the Great Salt Lake ecosystem," Hicks said. "Someday it will come down to water for humans or birds. Today is the day to start trying to find some middle ground so that both may survive in this arid land."

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

Utah Rivers Council