
MINNESOTA 
Weather and Water Conditions 
A shortage of water and near drought conditions prevailed 
in many areas until after the middle of May when heavy rains brought a 
reverse condition... 
The pond index during May as measured on the aerial 
transects. was 106,970. During July, these same transects yielded a 
total of 339,892. 
Breeding Population Indices 
Table 1 contains the data of the aerial breeding pair census 
which was flown from May 14 to May 23. These data indicate a 20.5 
percent decrease from 1956 and a 5.9 percent decrease from the average 
of four previous years. 
Ground transects totalling 1,076 miles were run in both 
1956 and 1957 during the same period as the aerial transects. These 
data shown on Table 2 show a decline of 27 percent in the number of pairs. 
Blue-winged teal were down 40 percent and mallards were down 31 percent. 
Based upon the preceding data, it is concluded that 
Minnesota had a decline of at least 20 percent from 1956 in the number 
of breeding ducks. 
Table 1 = Waterfowl Breeding Ground Surveys ~ Aerial Transect Data 
Transect Total Ducks Seen* 
No. 1951 1952. ----1953.--- 1955 1956 1957 

1 48 23 a 22 154 85 
2 13 12 = 21 27 5 
3 29 14 3 6 54 12 
4 266 85 : 246 135 191 
5 32 16 23 10 97 52 
6 4l 22 = 9 34 21 

Continued -= 
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