The relative number of potholes this year is 
only 5 percent below average numbers and has 
increased 61 percent from 1962. This im- 
provement is due toa large increase this year 
of stratum B water areas, From last year 
the number of water areas increased 74 
percent, Stratum A showed a marked increase 
in numbers from last year being up 43 percent. 
This is the result of improved conditions of 
the northeastern part of stratum A, The 
southern and western portions ofthis stratum 
are lower in water areas than last year. 
The general situation since last summer 
should have resulted in less water in stratum 
C this year. Instead stratum C also increased 
by 21 percent over the respective 1962 index, 
Our explanation for this anomaly would be 
that early use of irrigation water biased data 
from the current season and caused a higher 
index. Also, local conditions and rainin May 
in the Cypress Hills of southeastern Alberta 
just prior to the survey effected an increase 
in stratum C water areas, 
Many of the new water areas were grown 
over with vegetation at the time of the 
breeding pair survey—an event usually 
reserved for the July period. This would 
indicate shallow depth and poor quality of 
water. During the survey period rainfall was 
below normal in Alberta. We will need 
recurrent rains in June and July to insure 
tenure of our new water in the northeastern 
prairie and southern parklands. Water areas 
in the northern parklands are in good condition 
and will persist. The drought problem willbe 
with us in the southern part of stratumA and 
all of stratum C throughout the current 
season and waterfowl habitat will be in poor 
condition. 
Recurrent summer rains have done muchto 
maintain existing water conditions as wellas 
being excessive enough to cause increases in 
the numbers of potholes from May counts, 
Rains of June were particularly heavy in 
stratum C. Upwards of 10 inches of rainfall 
were recorded, The southern parklands and 
some areas within the prairie received late 
June rain with heavier amounts in July. The 
parklands north of Edmonton have dried toa 
degree with the advent of summer but not 
enough to present hazardous conditions. 
There are still large areas withinthe prairie 
that are capable waterfowl producing areas 
but are stilldry or far below normal potential. 
The improved conditions recorded in May 
have persisted or have improved as summer 
has progressed so that sufficient brooding 
habitat was provided (table D-1, p. 104). Com- 
19 
parative water data for May and July record 
plus values in 1963 in all categories. These 
values range from 21 to74 percent. Compar- 
ing the current season with long-term water 
trends for May strata A and Care still below 
average by -38 and -39 percent. In May the 
parklands showed a 20 percent increase in 
potholes. Numbers of ponds in July showed 
similar trends, Large increases were re- 
corded in comparison with 1962 as well as 
from average conditions, except that stratum 
A is 15 percent below the 12-year average 
and stratum C is 5 percent above average, 
Improved habitat conditions are indeed 
gratifying when compared to the droughted 
conditions of the past few years, but a paradox 
exists, Some potholes, formerly excellent 
waterfowl producers, are still dry inthe face 
of excessive rainfall. Their returnto produc- 
tion will undoubtedly come if the trend in 
rainfall continues upward and habitat becomes 
more stabilized to these conditions, Our 
improved July counts could also reflect 
seasonal water from recurrent rainand these 
would not persist in normal years whereas 
older established potholes would. 
Breeding Population Indexes 
The trend ofthe waterfowl breeding popula- 
tion indexes for the past 10 years is sum- 
marized in table E-6, p. 114, The status of 
these waterfowl species is compared with 
stratum and provincial differences from the 
past year and long-term averages in table 
E-7, p. 115, 
Comparison of total indexes since 1954 
shows that they are still influenced by 
substandard breeding conditions. These 
apparently are closely associated with 
drought conditions within the survey area 
particularly in southern Alberta, The 1963 
index is 23 percent below the long-term 
average, while 5 years ago it was atthe crest 
of populations showing increases from aver- 
age conditions of 29 percent, The highest 
index 3,399 (1954) is 68 percent above the 
current index of 2,019. 
More current comparisons, this year and 
last year, show indexes of breeding ducks 
increasing in almost every species, In- 
creases for dabbling ducks, diving ducks and 
total ducks were 14, 20, and 13 percent, 
respectively. The most notable changes from 
last year are as follows: (a) The principal 
species of diving ducks—redheads, canvas- 
back, and scaup have increased; (b) pintails 
