
NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, AND MINNESOTA 
Weather and Water Conditions 
The western Minnesota, North and South Dakota aerial 
survey began on May 8 and completed on May 19. 
Farming operations were well under way at this time. 
The entire area was void of any appreciable amount of snowfall 
during the winter and early spring months. The few spring rains 
did little to improve habitat conditions. 
Drought conditions were severe. Lack of snowfall, spring 
rains, intense winds, shortage of top and subsoil moisture, set the 
stage for @ critical shortage of waterfowl habitat. 
Damage by wind erosion, especially to fields of light 
soil, was severe. Many planted small grainfields were covered by 
layers of wind-blown soil. This gave a blend of brown and green 
to the fields below. Some land managers were turning over planted 
fields for re-seeding, because of this wind erosion. Natural 
water areas in many instances are dry or holding water levels at 
a critical stage. Burning of marginal vegetation continues on 
the dry sloughs and potholes. Many of these areas, providing 
waterfowl habitat in the past, are now under cultivation. low 
water levels were prominent in the entire area. Many water areas 
had shrunk in size. Emergent vegetation was isolated by bare mid 
flats which extended to the water's edge. This condition has 
eliminated much of the nesting habitat normally utilized by over- 
water nesters. 
Water levels were low on many of the stock ponds and 
dugouts in the western strata. Lack of vegetation caused by 
intense grazing by livestock was observed in the immediate 
vicinity of these artificial water areas. 
Within the Tri-State area the Pond Index figures by 
strata for each State are presented in Table l. 
During July the drying trend continued. By mid-July 
the pond index in North Dakota was 80 percent down from a cor- 
responding period in 1958, it was 69 percent down in South Dakota, 
and it was 55 percent down in Minnesota. Water levels on some 
areas where broods were observed were extremely low. It is proba- 
‘ble that mortality will occur on these areas before the young 
reach flying stage if the drying trend continues at the present 
rate, 
ral 
