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3. Water areas were classified as to size and type on the first coverage 
(Table 1). The size of a site is the estimated number of censused acres, including 
the zone of emergent vegetation. The water area classification included: 
A - Permanent, less than 10 acres in size. 
B - Semi-permanent (dependable except in dry years). 
C - Temporary (dry by late summer except in wet years). 
F - Flowage. 
L - Lake (any permanent body of water, not streamlike, 
which is 10 acres or larger in size). 
‘S$ - Stream. 
4. To follow water conditions experienced during these surveys, the water 
levels found during the production survey were compared with the water levels 
found during the breeding-ground survey using the following terms. 
NC - No change. L - Less water. 
M- More water. D - Completely dry. 
5. Date on waterfowl species were recorded in the usual way. 
A total of 289 water sites were censused. They were distributed Statewide 
in 35 of the 71 State counties (Figure 1). Table 1 gives the number of different 
types of water areas and the total acres censused on the first coverage. 
Weather and Water Conditions 
Precipitation for the period of September 1, 1953 to March 1, 1954 was 
approximately 56 percent of normal. During March and the first half of April, 1954, 
precipitation was slightly below normal. Heavy rains during the last half of April 
brought the total for the month to 2.79 inches above normal. Temperatures for the 
months of February, March and April were normal or above normal. Spring. 
migrant waterfowl moved into Wisconsin rather early and found very few temporary 
feeding and loafing areas. The major northward push of migrant waterfowl from 
Wisconsin occurred during the last 12 days of April. The weather bureau estimated 
that farm field work was about one week behind average by May 1. 
Waterfowl nesting started about one week later than the slightly early year 
of 1952 and is considered average, as compared to the past five years. 
The heavy rains of late April undoubtedly caused some destruction of early 
mallard nests in certain localities. Heavy rains in certain regions in June may have 
caused further nest losses, especially to later nesting species such as the blue-wing 
teal. However,-the Statewide loss of waterfowl nests due to flooding should be minor 
since the two main species breeding in Wisconsin, the mallard and blue-wing teal, 
are primarily upland nesters. In certain types of water sites broods were more 
difficult to observe due to the additional vegetation which was flooded. This factor 
makes it necessary to qualify the results of the 1954 brood counts. 
