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Water conditions have remained sub-normal in the western two thirds 
of the State. Despite early spring snows and later rains, the water content in the 
snow pack was below average, run-off was reduced, and water levels in reservoirs 
and stock ponds sub-normal. 
The eastern third of Wyoming, with few local exceptions, had an 
abundance of water areas this spring as a result of timely snow falls. Later rains 
have maintained a majority of the water areas in good condition. This portion of 
the State has received more moisture during the first six months of the year than 
has been recorded since the commencement of the current drouth, and Sheridan, 
Johnson, and Goshen Counties have had near record snow and rainfalls during the 
Spring and early summer. 
Summary 
Table I presents a summary of the duck breeding ground survey pre- 
pared by the Statistics Department of the University of Wyoming. Figures given 
represent corrected totals. 
No comparison of results can be made with previous years' surveys, 
but use of essentially the same sample areas in the future should provide a basis 
for comparison, General impressions, however, indicate that there were a great 
many more breeding ducks in the stock pond area in the eastern third of Wyoming 
than in 1954, whereas it is believed the remainder of the State held fewer birds. 
Although no organized brood survey has been taken, the brood banding 
crew in the eastern third of the State has found far fewer ducks and broods in mid- 
July than was anticipated as a result of the high breeding population encountered in 
late May. Many of the birds may have moved into Canada for the actual breeding 
period, 
Table II presents the results of the complete aerial coverage of 
Canada goose habitat in early May. A correction factor of 1.76 (derived from a 
nesting study on the Green River in 1954) has been applied to the data in Table II 
to show in Table III what is believed to more nearly represent the actual breeding 
population. Table IV is a comparison of uncorrected goose breeding ground surveys, 
1953 to 1955. 
With exception of the Snake and Wind River populations, which have 
held their own, or increased, geese in the remainder of the State have registered 
a sharp decrease over the past three-year period. 
