WATERFOWL BREEDING GROUND SURVEY OF REDVERS AREA, 
SASKATCHEWAN, 1952-1954 
Jerome H. Stoudt and Marshall Stinnett 
Introduction 
The Redvers Study Area was established in 1952 in the aspen-parklands 
habitat type of southwestern Saskatchewan in order to study waterfowl population 
dynamics, habitat preference and the effects of water, climate and predators upon 
the production and survival of young. The population data obtained was also to be 
used as a standard with which to determine percentages of breeding pairs and broods 
which were missed by aerial crews in this habitat type. Following is a brief 
summary of findings during the three-year period from 1952 - 1954, 
Weather and Water Conditions 
The late summer, fall and winter of 1953-54 was very dry again as was the 
case the preceding year. February was exceedingly mild and what snow there was 
disappeared. The spring migration of waterfowl looked as if it would proceed 
right on into the Prairie Provinces during February or March but several cold 
fronts in March and April slowed things up considerably. Actually mallards started 
to nest the last week in April in considerable numbers in the Redvers Area. How- 
ever, a severe snowstorm and sub-zero temperazires about May 1 caught most of 
the hens still laying and nests were abandoned to a large degree. Cold weather 
followed and re-nesting did not begin in earnest until about May 5, so that the nest- 
ing Season was retarded a week or more. 
Water levels on May 5, 1954 were 11.6 inches lower than on May 1, 1953, 
according to our 15 water gauges sirategically located throughout the Study Area. 
This would make levels from 18 to 20 inches lower than in May 1952. The trend in 
water levels during May, June and July, is indicated by the following graph which 
is based on an average of all water gauges. 
Three Years of Water Level Fluctuations, 1952-1954 

Level on 
<2 ‘: ‘ pa: May 27, 1952 
1953 

re -” a Sent 
va a Level on 
~ 
Fe May 1, 1953 
r 
@ 
A 
0 
8 
Le | 
Level on 
May 1, 1954 
5/1 5/11 5/2 5/m 6/10 6/20 6/30 7/10 7/2 7/3 
