WILD DUCKS OF THE BEAK RIVER MARSHES, UTAH. 3 



areas, called respectively North Bay and South Bay, that open into 

 the arm of the lake proper, known as Bear River Bay. Three main 

 channels and one smaller one flow into North Bay and three over- 

 flows or branches supply South Bay. The space encompassed by 

 these is wet and swampy. A large area known as Hansens Island, 

 lying between the lower portions of the two bays, is cut by an old 

 channel, formerly connected w T ith the river but now separate, except 

 where a canal (made by the Bear River Club in the fall of 1914) 

 gives access to it. A series of lakes and sloughs, formerly parts 

 of the river channel, lie parallel to Bear River from Corinne well 

 down across the flats. Below these a large artificial lake, known as 

 Chesapeake Bay, has been formed by damming Woods Creek. On 

 the south side of the river below Brigham City is an extensive series 

 of sloughs that drain into the Willard Spur, an arm of Bear 

 River Bay. These are all included in the region covered by the 

 following report. At the present time a large part of the water in 

 Bear River is diverted during the summer season into irrigation 

 canals, so that much of the water in the lower course of the stream 

 comes from seepage and waste from the terminal ditches. North 

 Bay receives water from the Malad River through a series of channels 

 controlled by the Bear River Club, and in addition is augmented 

 somewhat by drainage from the small streams known as Salt Creek 

 and Blue Creek. 



The entire area under consideration offers great inducements for 

 waterfowl in the form of abundant food and attractive bodies of 

 water. The banks of Bear River immediately below Corinne are cul- 

 tivated, but along the lower course of the river, except in a few locali- 

 ties, the soil is little suited for farming, and there are few persons 

 resident on it throughout the year. Near Corinne tree growths of 

 box elder and cottonwood are found, but along the river below that 

 point the main wooded growth is composed of black and grsij wil- 

 lows (Salix amygdaloides and Salix exigua) . These form a narrow 

 band bordering either bank and extend down to the marshes. On 

 either side are broad, level flats where alkaline conditions are too 

 severe for much plant growth. These are bordered by extensive 

 meadows of salt grass and are fringed with scattered plants of the 

 curious fleshy-stemmed salt weed known as samphire. 



DISCUSSION OF WATERFOWL. 



BREEDING SPECIES AND THEIR ABUNDANCE. 



Eleven species of ducks and the Canada goose are now known to 

 nest on the Bear River marshes. Eight of the ducks are of common 

 occurrence. Arranged in order of their abundance as breeding birds 

 these are the redhead, cinnamon teal, mallard, shoveler or spoonbill, 



