BRITISH COLUMBIA 
Weather and Water Conditions - 
The spring of 1955 was wet and retarded. Water conditions, however, 
have been favorable to waterfowl production. 
Production Information - 
Brood surveys indicate a successful hatch. Mid-summer counts on 
sample areas in Cariboo region show increase in waterfowl numbers over 1954, 
Conclusions - 
It is estimated that waterfowl production in British Columbia will 
compare favorably with that of past five years. 
SOUTHERN ALBERTA 
Weather and Water Conditions - 
The 1955 waterfowl breeding season began under most excellent con- 
ditions as far as both water and waterfowl populations were concerned. The 
water index was the highest recorded during the years of these surveys. In only 
one relatively narrow belt in the central prairies was water scarce. A prolonged 
period of wet weather early in May hampered agricultural activities throughout 
the Province, cutting normal early nest losses on the prairies to a marked degree. 
Early nest predation was particularly high again in the parklands, where cold, 
wet weather delayed vegetative growth and made nesting cover especially poor 
early in the season. 
In mid-May, a heavy, wet snow fell over the southwestern areas of the 
Province. It became apparent during the brood survey that this storm, coupled 
with a warm, dry June and July practically wiped out any possibility of a normal - 
hatch in Stratum C. The water present in May, in this area, disappeared 
rapidly and by early July nothing but the permanent ponds remained. In Strata 
A and B there were general rains early in July followed by hot dry weather. This 
has resulted in a gradual deterioration of water areas during the month. Never- 
theless, water is present sufficient to assume the success of this year's 
production. 
Breeding Population Indices - 
Comparisons of the breeding populations of 1954 and 1955 are given in 
Table 1. An over-all provincial gain of four percent in the waterfowl breeding 
populations index over 1954 is not in itself significant and might be considered 
as approximately the same population as a year ago. 
14 
