over Mattamuskeet were clouded by 

 23,000 tundra swans, 17,000 Canada 

 geese, 5,000 snow geese and 122,400 

 ducks (including canvasbacks, mallards, 

 diving ducks, teals and widgeons). 



They sought the lake's plentiful 

 supply of redheadgrass, wild celery, 

 southern naiad and muskgrasses. They 

 also found refuge and food in the cat- 

 tails and rushes that line the shores. 



The bald eagle, a majestic bird 

 whose Tar Heel populations dwindled to 

 almost nothing during the decades of 

 the 60s and 70s, is also a frequent 

 winter guest. 



In the 1940s and 50s, 40 to 75 

 eagles wintered at Mattamuskeet, but 

 by the early 1980s only 3 to 5 were 

 sighted. By 1984, the winter count had 

 increased. Last year, 8 to 12 birds and 

 at least four pairs were nesting in the 

 eastern portions of the state. 



Seeing that eagles might make a 

 comeback on the lake, officials at the 

 Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge 

 released 33 eaglets from 1983 to 1988. 

 The survivors of this tiny brood are 

 expected to make their presence known 



in just a few years. 



Other birds of prey wintering at 

 Mattamuskeet include the osprey and a 

 variety of hawks. 



The lake is unique in other ways. 

 "We have the largest aquatic vegetation 

 resource in the state, and a very unique 

 fishery,' ' Davis says. 



Anglers from many parts of the 

 country make annual hook-and-line 

 safaris to the lake to fish for largemouth 

 bass, catfish, sunfish, perch and other 

 freshwater species. 



"But we also have some species- 

 like striped bass, croaker, spot, flounder 

 and crabs— that are more at home in 

 salty or brackish waters," she says, 

 attributing their presence in the lake to 

 the series of canals that connects 

 Mattamuskeet to the Pamlico Sound. 



"The gates on those canals used to 

 leak pretty much, allowing brackish 

 water to filter through," Davis says. 

 "That's when the saltwater fish 

 came in." 



The key to making sure Mattamus- 

 keet 's uniqueness is preserved for future 

 generations lies in the quality of the 



lake's waters, Davis says. The U.S. Fish 

 and Wildlife Service's extensive and 

 ongoing water monitoring program for 

 the lake and its canals and impound- 

 ments is a key element in assuring good 

 water quality. 



"We're constantly measuring the 

 water quality and how it's linked to the 

 vegetation in the lake,' ' she says. 

 "We're concerned with the acidity of 

 the lake because there's little buffering, 

 little to make sure the acid level doesn't 

 get too high to support the vegetation 

 that the birds and fish feed on." 



The past infusions of salt water into 

 the lake from Pamlico Sound once 

 served as a buffer, reducing the amount 

 of acidity in the lake. New gates on 

 outflow canals essentially keep brackish 

 water out. 



Also, some of the rain that falls into 

 the lake has a pH level of about 3.8 to 

 4.8, Davis says. "That's on the acid 

 side, and we think it's going to become 

 more and more acid," she adds. 



When the pH reaches a certain 

 point, changes will occur in the lake's 

 ecology. "This will definitely affect the 

 food chains," she says. 



Davis and her co-workers are wor- 

 ried about the acid levels. But they 

 aren't alarmed about runoff from the 

 26,000 acres of farmland that drain into 

 the lake. The lake's water "turns over" 

 often enough to filter out most of the 

 pollution and other contaminants. "It 

 takes about seven months for the water 

 to turn over," she says. "And that's 

 pretty good. We're getting new water all 

 the time.' ' 



Davis will continue to monitor the 

 lake's water until 1993. By then she 

 should be able to determine if the lake 

 is going to reach a ' 'steady state of 

 alkalinity." "If not, then we'll have to 

 devise a plan to re-alkaline the lake,' ' 

 she says. 



She's optimistic. She thinks Lake 

 Mattamuskeet will hold to its healthy 

 trends. With good management, she 

 says, the lake will continue to host 

 desirable plants that provide food and 

 cover for the unique fishery and the 

 multitudes of wintering waterfowl. • 



