Disturbance of waterfowl by boaters on Pool 4 of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.

摘要

The Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge has undergone a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) that will determine how the river will be managed over the next 15 years. Research conducted focuses on Pool 4 of the Mississippi River, which is a popular resting and feeding site for waterfowl during migration. Data was collected at two specific sites on Pool 4. Big Lake (open to hunting) experienced a much greater amount of disturbances during the observation period than Peterson Lake (closed to hunting). The majority of disturbances were caused by hunting boats. Each time waterfowl were disturbed, they were forced to expend a certain amount of energy which they need to complete a successful migration. Overall, 293 boating incidents occurred on Big Lake during the observation period resulting in a total of 212 disturbances; whereas 58 boating incidents occurred on Peterson Lake resulting in a total of 23 disturbances.