PACIFIC FLYWA. 
SOUTHERN ALBERTA 
Weather and Water Conditions - Southern Alberta started the 1953 
_ waterfowl breeding season with sub~normal water conditions, Following 
an open dry winter, runoff was poor with the dry soil absorbing most of 
the available moisture. However, beginning in late April a succession of 
stormy periods improved the supply of surface water, the surveys during 
May showed only a 5 percent decrease in the number of water areas over 
the previous year, Continued wet and cool weather throughout the season 
provided more than an ample supply of water wareas for broods and delayed 
agricultural activities, The number of ponds per square mile recorded 
in May surveys during the last three years was as follows: 
Year Ponds Per Percent 
. Sq. Mile Change 
1951 21:7: i 
1952 ee he ag -~ 19 
1953 16,3 | ie 5 
For the first time in the past seven years of waterfowl surveys, 
the prairies are in better condition as far as water areas are concerned in 
July than they were in May, In stratum A, the rise was from 8,9 to 9.3, 
Parkland areas followed a more normal pattern and registered a loss of 
about 30 percent of all water areas by July, Two devasting hail storms 
occurred in July and were of such extent that they have undoubtedly had 
some affect, One storm covered approximately 700 square miles and the 
other swept diagonally across the prairie about 200 miles, Hailstones and 
wind were such as to kill all of the birds in its path. Although the area 
affected by the storm is only a small part of the whole, it is large enough 
to be considered when determining total production from Alberta, 
Breeding Population Indices ~ The over-all duck breeding population 
increased 10,4 percent over 1952 and was 40,6 percent greater than the 
1950-1952 average. The 1953 coot indix was 137 percent above the 
1950-1952 average, Tabulation of the breeding pair indices follows; 
