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PACIFIC FLYWAY 
Breeding Ground Surveys 
ALASKA 
Weather and Water Conditions 
The spring break-up came about two weeks earlier than 
average everywhere in Alaska except on the Seward Peninsula, in the 
Kotzebue Sound area and north of the Brooks Range. In the latter areas 
the break-up was at an average date. The phenology of the season was 
rapid and nesting conditions appeared optimum in most areas, except 
for local, temporary flooded conditions which quickly subsided following 
the spring run-off. 
During July, extensive fires damaged waterfowl habitat. 
On July 16, R. R. Robinson of the Bureau of Land Management supplied 
the following estimates for three fires in.the Innoko Valley (Stratum III, 
density 14.5 ducks per square mile): Holikachuk fire - 200,000 to 
300,000 acres, Iditarod fire += 192,000 acres, and Halfway House fire - 
45,000 acres. From the above estimates, an extrapolated figure of 
about 100,000 ducks would be deprived of their nesting habitat. This is 
also a prime breeding area for white=fronted and lesser Canada geese. 
The three fires enumerated above are probably the most damaging to 
waterfowl habitat, but may not depress the over-all production too 
greatly with optimum conditions existing elsewhere. 
Breeding Population Indices 
The total breeding population of game ducks for Strata II 
through V indicated no change from 1956, although there has been a 
measurable change in some of the species (Tables 1 and 2). A 15 to 20 
percent increase in scaup, which largely migrate to the Atlantic Coast, 
was offset by a decrease of 20 percent among the other game species 
which funnel into the Pacific Flyway. There was also a 15 to 20 percent 
decrease in scoters with old squaw remaining static. As indicated in 
Table 1, the lower density strata showed an increase while the high 
density areas hada considerable decrease in breeding population. All 
the data given in the tables are comparable between 1956 and 1957. 
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