WATERFOWL BREEDING GROUND SURVEY IN UTAH - 1953 
Noland F. Nelson and Clark Johnson 
Introduction 
This survey represents the fifth year that the Fish and Game Department has 
made a breeding. ground survey in Utah. No effort has been made to get complete 
coverage of the State. Instead, surveys have been concentrated on those areas which 
are known to contain the bulk of waterfowl breeding population in the State. Each year 
the survey has been expanded to cover a larger portion of the State, and this year 
additional transects were established on each section surveyed in order to get more 
intensive coverage. 
Waterfowl populations and the production of birds are closely associated with 
the major rivers and irrigated lands within the State. Most of the State is arid and 
these’irrigated areas are limited. The main waterfowl areas are in the Salt Lake 
Valley, Cache Valley, Utah Valley, and the Sevier River section. There are vast 
sections of excellent marshland on the river deltas and in the lowlands flooded by 
irrigation drainage in this section. It is difficult to establish an accurate census 
method for this type of habitat. Nesting waterfowl are scattered throughout the farms, 
canals, and drains associated with irrigated farming and are seldom seen in ground 
or aerial transects. Extremely heavy concentrations of waterfowl are found in the 
dense marshes which makes accuracy in counting difficult. While it is known that 
many waterfowl are not counted, aerial and ground transects have been established 
and counted on the same route each year to determine general trends in breeding 
population. 
Survey Methods 
Aerial transects flown in 1952 were again flown this year. Additional coverage 
was established in Box Elder, Weber and Salt Lake Counties. New routes were flown 
in Vache County and the Sevier River drainage. All the aerial transects were flown 
at elevations of 200 feet at speeds of 75 to 80 miles per hour, with 2 observers covering 
a ground strip 1/8-mile wide on either side of the airplane. Observers in most areas 
were able to record the species and sex of those ducks exhibiting divergent sex character- 
istics, as well as to note whether birds occurred as pairs, singles or groups. 
Intensive ground counts were made on key State waterfowl areas to supplement 
the aerial counts. Ground counts were also made along aerial transect routes to 
determine the accuracy of the counts and to establish the composition of birds along 
the transect routes. Brood counts were conducted on key State waterfowl areas. 
Weather and Water Conditions 

Stream run-off was normal so that little marsh area was subject to nest 
flooding. The winter was mild so many migrants arrived to the Utah breeding grounds 
somewhat earlier than normal. The spring weather was cold and subject to several 
unseasonable snow storms. Canada goose nesting was subject to this extreme weather. 
However, duck nesting weather was good. 
