Vfith Uncle Son's Naturalists 



2 



10/21/32 



Ducks don't just hop off fron their nesting grounds ajid nake a non-stop 

 flight to their winter feeding grounds. Bird nigration is usually a nuch nore 

 leisurely affair. The birds need landing fields and refueling stations, v/here 

 they Can stop and rest and feed on their long treks. 



Ducks dgrate along routes well sprinldod with plenty of narshos or other 

 shallow "bodies of water„ A waterfowl without water is olnost as bad off as a 

 land "bird witliout land. 



As the co\intry has developed, of course, the natural ranges of nany kinds 

 of wild life have been restricted. T7aterfowl following the age-old niigration 

 routes have found their nesting and feeding and resting places shrirJdLng, 



In roany ca,ses we hav^e been over-zealous in taldng over duck lands for 

 ether uses. For instance, Mr. Rieoer says draining duck mrshes to use the land 

 for farcing is one of the big causes of the decrease in the number of ducks. 

 Many of those projects have failed to pay for the expense of drainage. Because 

 of poor drainage or other difficulties, the fam crops raised on nany fomer 

 uorshes have proved less valuable than the duck crops. Ho nentions one very 

 costly atter.Tpt to drain a duck lake, i/^ch has failed and part of which has now 

 reverted to use as a hunting area. 



And, of course, not all bodies of water are ideal for ducks. Ducks need 

 water, and the water must be of the proper depth to grow the plants they eat. 

 Shallow ponds and lalces and narsiies nust supply the waterfowl with food as well as 

 lodging. Sudden and great changes in the level of a lake tend to kill out the 

 forms of life upon vdaich the ducks feed. 



Many years ago our biologists and sportsnen and gane lovers realized that 

 our duck- resources needed protection, and began to urge the establi slment of 

 Federal refuges where the waterfowl could find suitable conditions and safety 

 from extenination. A few large waterfowl areas were set aside in sone of our 

 western States, generally on lands already controlled by tlie govemuent, and 

 sone of the others had long been iijportant waterfowl concentration areas. 



In the eastern States, however, until less than four years ago, there were 

 very few waterfowl refuges. In 1929, Congress passed the nigratorj'-bird con- 

 servation act, to provide for the acqfoisition of laiid for Federal bird refuges. 

 Under that act, the United States Biological Survey began to exarj.ne and nap 

 large areas to deternino tlieir suitability as duck refuges. Biologists have ex- 

 onlned sone 140 areas, and have located s"'Ji table sites in practically every 

 State in the Union, As a result of these investigations 16 refuges are in pro- 

 cess of establi slr.ient in 14 States. 



The areas being considered fom the naln chains of the waterfowl landing 

 fields, Ux, Eiener tells ne that areas as large as 10,000 to 20,000 acres ore 

 considered noro ocoronical fron an adnini strati ve standpoint by the Federal 

 Govemnent, Sone ore i.iuch larger than that. 



The G<reat Malheur Lake Bird Refuge, in Oregon, for instance, covers about 

 90,000 acres and conprises a chain of three lakes. The largest Malheur is a big 

 shallow lake. In nost places not nore tlaan one to throe feet deep. 



