34 
Weather and Water 
Late summer rains in 1951 and winter snows resulted in precipitation 
readings of 50 to 70 percent above normal through most of the agricultural area 
of Saskatchewan. A large percentage of the crop over-wintered in the field and 
in April the way was quickly paved for the "greatest spring harvest in history". 
Mean temperatures for that month were 6 to 12 degrees above normal while the 
average precipitation was 0.12 inches, a deficiency of approximately 85 percent. 
Sloughs in the southeast opened late in March; early in April further west. Seeding 
got under way about the normal time--2 or 3 weeks ahead of 1951. The first 
mallards and pintails arrived about the same time as last year - the first week in 
April. 
The surface water situation was probably the best in recent years: 
May, 1952 - 20.3 ponds per square mile 
May, 1951 - 21.7 ponds per square mile 
This difference in pond density is primarily due to a shift in aerial sampling 
intensity from the southcentral and southeastern parts of the survey district with 
their numerous small ponds to the area further west, with much larger, but less 
frequent sloughs. The surface water supply this year was greater than last year. 
Many areas in the western grasslands were flooded for the first time in recent 
years, while others held water through August for the first time in the memory of 
many farmers. 
Throughout the summer there was adequate rain even in the drought 
susceptible west. The southeast which appeared to be drying up near the end of 
May, benefited from high precipitation during June and July. This year's July 
figure for ponds in the surveyed area represents more surface water than the 1951 
figure for the reasons given above. 
July, 1952 - 7.5 ponds per square mile 
July, 1951 - 7.6 ponds per square mile 
As of August 1, ponds were adequate to insure the rearing of all broods then 
hatched as well as any later broods. 
Breeding Population Trends 
A summary of the spring survey by strata is to be found in Table I; species 
composition compared to 1951 is presented in Table III. Chart 1 gives the compar- 
ison of significant data with 1951 and 1949 (1950 not comparable because of method 
for recording observations). 
Southern Saskatchewan this spring played host to a waterfow!] population 
more than double that of 1951. 
1952 -- 19.25 pairs per square mile (38.5 ducks) 
1951 -- 9.35 pairs per square mile (18.7 ducks) 
There were 25 mallards and pintails per square mile - more than all species 
combined last year. However, the aerial data also indicate that each of the other 
13 species doubled its population, with the exception of the redhead and gadwall. 
The species composition of the breeding population is given in Table III. 
