WCA -
(April 15,
2008)
Rainfall:
Rain was
sparse across the landscape (see attached
gif), where total rainfall ranged from 0.03” to 0.25” with the following distribution:
WCA-1:
0.03”
WCA-3A: 0.15”
WCA-2A: 0.25”
WCA-3B: 0.12”
WCA-2B:
0.22”
ENP:
0.22”
All areas
were well below the mean evapotranspiration rate for the week, for the region,
of 1.43”.
Water Conservation Areas:
Recession
rates were high in WCA-1 (see WCA_stages.xls)
due to the movement of water north to Lake-O, the water deficit, and the
movement of water south through the S-10’s. Continued recessions may bring the water levels in WCA-1 below
the one foot mark in time for Ibis to attempt a late season nesting. For the
rest of the system water levels continue to stay level or actually increase.
This environment does not concentrate fish into shallow sloughs,
as prey for wading birds. Depths continue to be too high in the WCA’s for wading bird foraging. Stages in WCA-1
first increased and are now declining, and approaching the Regulation Schedule
(see WCA_reg_stages.doc),
WCA-2A marsh remains well above regulation, and WCA-3A stages are slightly
above the zone E1 of the regulation schedule, for protection of the Cape Sable
Seaside Sparrow.
ENP wetland
water levels showed mixed trends last week, but were generally higher as a
result of rainfall some 10 days ago. Water level climbed by nearly 1ft at
Salinity in
Wildlife:
There has
been little change except that it was noticed that the wading birds that were
foraging in WCA-1 last week, are now absent (but maybe only tardy).
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