WCA -
(May 20, 2008)
Rainfall:
Very little rain fell for a fourth consecutive week across
the
WCA-1:
0.01
WCA-3A: 0.02
WCA-2A:
0.01
WCA-3B: 0.05
WCA-2B:
0.03
ENP:
0.141
The mean 7 day evapotranspiration for the region was high at
2.17; see attached srs pdf.
Water Conservation Areas:
As in past weeks, recession rates were high in almost all
the WCAs due to the lack of rain and high evapotranspiration, and water depths
are now declining to depths that are fair to good for wading bird foraging over
much of the conservation areas. In some regions the recessions were actually a
little too high but this is not a concern given water depths are in general at
the high end of wader foraging ranges, especially in WCA-3A and 3B (see attached WCA Stages.xls). Stages
throughout the WCAs continue to decline and are above Regulation in WCA-2A, at
regulation in WCA-1 and below regulation inWCA-3A (see
Reg Schedule.doc).
Little
rainfall & high ET caused water levels to decline across ENP wetlands last
week. Water levels dropped by 4.4 at
Salinity
rose across much of
Wildlife:
No
surveys of the northern WCAs were conducted this week but conditions in the
WCAs are generally conducive to good wading bird foraging and nesting. The
short-term weather forecast of below average rainfall is favorable to nesting
(inclement weather and associated reversals often induce mass abandonment of
colonies at the egg and early nestling stages). Of concern to the endangered
Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow is the large Mustang Corner fire in NE ENP. I will
provide a map of this fire and summarize potential consequences for the sparrow
shortly.
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