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WATERFOWL BREEDING GROUND SURVEY, MINNESOTA, 1954 
Forrest B. Lee* 
Spring Migration, Weath and Water Conditions 
During the latter part of February which was unseasonably mild, some 
large flocks of mallards arrived in southeastern Minnesota. March started out mild, 
however, on March 12 and 13 a glaze, sleet, snow and wind storm hit southwestern 
Minnesota and 11.0 inches of snow fell at Marshall. This snow melted very rapidly 
and by March 22 all of the streams in the Marshall area were flowing and in many 
places were flooding low areas, 
It was then that one of the most spectacular spring migrations of many years 
occurred in southwestern Minnesota, Mallards and pintails were moving in, in great 
numbers on March 22. An estimated 10,000 to 20,000 ducks were on a seven-mile 
stretch of the Redwood River. On March 25 a check was made of the Redwood River 
just east of Green Valley by the Area X Biologist and an estimated 40, 000 to 50, 000 
pintails and mallards were seen in one flooded area about a half-section in size. The 
build-up of pintails and mallards was still continuing on March 26. Peak numbers 
appeared to be present on March 31 and estimates of numbers in the area varied from 
several hundred thousand to possibly two million. Nearly all of the large flocks had 
left by April 6. 
The usual migration of ducks into the State occurred in mid-April when many 
water areas in southern and central Minnesota opened up. A heavy rainstorm on 
April 26 pounded a narrow band of country from Glenwood to Morris with four to seven 
inches of rain. 
One of the most unseasonable weather conditions of many years occurred 
over much of the State from April 30 to May 10. During parts of this period there 
was considerable snowfall and blizzard conditions prevailed in varying degrees. The 
northwestern part of the State was hardest hit. In the Ely area this was the heaviest 
May snowfall in 40 years. Fifteen to 25 inches of snow fell in Koochiching County. 
Eleven inches were recorded in Beltrami County and heavy snowfall occurred in the 
northern part of Area VII. 
Snow fell in lesser amounts in a broad circular belt of the State that could 
be considered as a periphery of the northeast part that was hardest hit. From two to 
six inches of snow fell in Roseau County and parts of Areas V, IV, VI, VIII, and IX, 
Areas X, XI, and XII had moderate weather during the time the stormy weather 
prevailed to the north. 
* Migration, breeding population, and brood data summarized in this report 
were pathered by area game biologists of the Minnesota Division of 
Game and Fish: Areal, Milton H. Stenlund; Area Il, Vernon E. 
Gunvalson; Area III, Lester T. Magnus, Roseau; Area IV, Robt. E. Farmes, 
Thief River Falls; Area V, Norman J. Ordal, Fergus Falls; Area VI, 
John L. Zorichak, Brainerd; Area VII, Walter H. Petraborg, Aitkin; (Cont. ) 
