NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN, NORTHERN MANITOBA, AND ONTARIO 
Weather and Water Conditions. = 

This spring was the most retarded of any during the past 
five years. Almost all lakes were still completely ice covered on 
Myay 11. Cadam Bay at the south end of Lake Manitoba was not ice free 
until May 17, whereas, last year the ice went out on May 4. About 
two feet of snow was still present in the bush in the county east 
of Kenora. Apparently the season was late over the entire country, 
but it was most retarded in that area between Kenora and Armstrong 
Station. The only water available to waterfowl was at. the mouths. 
of fast streams emptying into lakes. Whether or not the late 
season retarded waterfowl nesting is questionable. From Kenora to 
Armstrong Station 32 percent of the mallards recorded were lone drakes, — 
indicating at least that some nesting was in progress. 
The weather for the most part was cold and cloudy, and lakes 
did not start to open up until about May 20. Even then lakes in the 
northern portion of the provinces remained frozen, and during late 
May and the early part of June the larger lakes, such as Atikameg, 
Reindeer Lake, Woolaston Lake, Black Lake, and Lake Athabasca, were 
still ice covered. 
The late nesting season was further hampered by very extensive, 
frequent and prolonged rains which are cenducive to high egg and 
juvenile mortality. River deltas which are the highest duck pro- 
ducing areas in the north (such as the Athabasca and Saskatchewan 
River Deltas) have been extensively and severly flooded and as a 
result waterfowl nesting (especially scaup) has been seriously 
disrupted. Even in the precambrian area which is usualiy immune 
to flooding, there are many of the better waterfowl breeding areas 
(such as Pukatawagan) which show the result of too much rain. 
Breeding Population Indices <= 
A total duck index for each stratum was computed on data 
collected during the survey, and these are presented in Tables II 
through VII. All data have been corrected for hens on nests. 
60 
