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No changes were made in the number or location of the waterfowl transects in 
the various strata this year and all Alberta transects were surveyed by the same plane 
and crews. Stratum A, the prairies of southcentral Alberta, contains 13 parallel 
transects at 10-mile intervals extending from Alberta Highway No, Z to the Saskatch- 
ewan border, Stratum B, the parklands, contains 10 parallel transects at 12-mile 
intervals also extending from Alberta Highway No. 2 to the Saskatchewan border, and 
Stratum C, the semi-arid prairies of the extreme south consists of 4 parallel transects 
at 18-mile intervals extending from the Rocky Mountains to the Saskatchewan border, 
Weather and Water Conditions 
During the past 7 consecutive years of cooperative waterfowl surveys in Alberta, 
there have been no 2 years in which the summer's weather picture has been comparable, 
This season has been one of the more unusual ones in all respects. After a warm, dry 
fall and winter in 1952-1953, the month of March was cold and stormy. The spring 
run-off was definitely poor with the dry soil absorbing all available moisture, leaving 
potholes and lakes at levels reminiscent of early July. Ice was not uncommon on some 
areas in higher elevations on the prairies when the first population survey was flown in 
May. ''Sheet-water" was non-existent and many "'C'' areas on the prairies had already 
disappeared when the early migrants arrived. Alberta's moisture condition was only 
88 percent of normal on April 30, 1953 as compared to 136 percent of normal on the 
Same date in 1952, Every indication led one to believe that even with normal precipita- 
tion throughout the spring and summer, that the prairies would be in poor condition for 
waterfowl production, 

Heavy, record breaking rains began to fallin May, continuing throughout June and 
July. The entire water picture changed so radically as to be unrecognizable when compareg 
to May 1 conditions. In many areas of Stratum A and C, rainfall from April 30 to June 39 
equalled or surpassed the average seasonal precipitation in the same area. Rainfalls of 
from 4 to 5 inches in a 24 hour period were not uncommon in several prairie areas. Theag 
downpours literally washed away the early duck nests, even though they might be located 
high enough above the water to escape rising water levels. By mid-July the general 
moisture conditions were 25 percent above normal and by August 20, 27 percent above 
normal. 
Heavy rains in May and June in southern districts severely curtailed first nesting 
efforts there and reduced brood sizes of those broods which did hatch. Most parkland 
areas received their heavy rains somewhat laterin the season, thus allowing for a more 
normal first hatch and a minor second one. 
Because the May survey was made just prior to the time when the effects of the 
Spring rains became apparent, the Provincial water picture showed an average figure 
of 16.35 ponds per square mile in May of 1953 as compared to 17.15 for May of 1952. 
Only Stratum C recorded a slight increase in water over the previous year. However, 
for the first time since these surveys have been made, the July water count on the 
prairies showed improvement over that made in May. See Table I, 
