Left: Manipulating water levels helps the wildlife manager control un- 

 desirable plants in a marsh area and creates food and water 

 conditions favorable for the waterfowl 



Right: Preserving adequate breeding populations is a major management 

 objective 



Because of this distinct pattern of waterfowl movement and 

 the relationship of nesting, migration, and wintering areas for 

 various groups of birds in these lanes, it became obvious that 

 plans for the resource had to be designed on a flyway basis if 

 they were to be successful and meet future needs. 



To develop adequate flyway planning, it is necessary to 

 understand how the birds in each flyway behave and how various 

 conditions affect their numbers. Also, ways had to be found to 

 correct the limiting factors and to manipulate the waterfowl pop- 

 ulation and its environment so that an increase in numbers would 

 result. All this is the role of research. Waterfowl management 

 then employs the various tools and programs developed by this 

 research. 



Waterfowl management involves many things. It includes the 

 maintenance of present wildlife habitat, development of additional 

 good waterfowl areas, manipulation of water levels, planting of 

 crops for food and cover to maintain increased numbers of wild 

 fowl, and regulated harvest of the annual surplus of waterfowl by 

 hunting. It means establishing refuges, both State and Federal, to 

 give the birds places to feed and rest and to provide people greater 

 opportunities toenjoy the resource. The locations of these managed 

 areas also are designed to provide better distribution of the birds 

 during their annual migrations. 



Plans for all these studies and developments must be geared 

 to the waterfowl situation, flyway by flyway. Sportsmen-in-the- 

 know recognize the value of this approach and support it vigor- 

 ously. 



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