Texas LAND Fall 2014

WILDLIFE ISSUE
MAKE WAY FOR THE DUCKS
Areas that stay moist for long periods during the year may have
potential for duck habitat. Wetland improvement can provide many
benefits including water and wildlife conservation and an added income
stream from duck and geese hunting, bird watching, and other ecotourism
activities. In addition, wetland improvement normally improves property
values.
Technical help and funds are available to private landowners for
developing waterfowl habitat if they have suitable areas. In 1991, Ducks
Unlimited, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TWPD), U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
partnered to create the Texas Prairie Wetlands Project (TPWP). The primary
goal of this project is to provide habitat for wintering waterfowl that could
improve survival rates and body conditions before spring migration. TPWP
works with private landowners to restore, enhance, and create shallowwater
wetlands through a 30-county focus area along the Gulf of Mexico.
Ducks Unlimited has worked to conserve more than 228,000 acres of
waterfowl habitat throughout Texas since 1985. Although Ducks Unlimited
was organized by a group of hunters, conservation is their primary objective
and many of their members do not hunt. The biggest concentration of
Ducks Unlimited projects are on the Gulf Coast; yet a heavy concentration
exists in East Texas and others are scattered across Central and South Texas
and the Texas Panhandle.
“We focus on regions that have the greatest need of habitat
improvement and offer the greatest conservation benefit,” says Todd
Merendino, Manager of Conservation Programs for Ducks Unlimited. “Over
time, our priorities and emphasis may shift due to landscape changes and
habitat threats. The current focus is on the Texas Prairie Wetlands Project
on the Texas Coast because of water fowl habitat degradation due to land
fragmentation and drought. During the 1980s we were more active in East
Texas because that was where we were needed the most. We don’t do
much work in the Texas Panhandle due to the playa lakes providing natural
bodies of water with little or no construction requirements. In other areas,
construction of levees and flood gates is necessary for managing water levels.”
Provide Habitat and They Will Come
by Robert Fears
TPWP PROJECTS
“TPWP projects are partly responsible for community economic
revitalization in areas where incomes were negatively impacted by
drought,” explains Matt Kaminski, Regional Biologist with Ducks Unlimited.
“Wetland construction provides work for contractors and sales for pipe
distributors and other types of suppliers. Cost share money helps pay for
drilling water wells and installing pumps.
“In addition to serving as a source of water for duck habitat, these wells
allow rice farmers to go back into production. Due to the drought, they
have been unable to draw irrigation water from the Colorado and Brazos
Rivers. Rice and waterfowl are very compatible since both require shallow
water and grain residue from harvesting provides a food source.”
Beef producers also benefit, because wetlands can provide additional
water for their livestock. Since waterfowl habitat is only required during the
fall, winter and early spring, wetlands can be drained and used for pasture
in the late spring and summer. Residual water stored in the soil improves
grass production for grazing.
“New enterprises, such as bird watching and photography, have
been initiated due to wetland development,” Kaminski continues. “These
ecotourism activities in addition to duck and geese hunting provide
additional income streams to landowners. Local businesses such as
restaurants, motels, and service stations also benefit beneficially from
ecotourism and waterfowl hunting. Some wetland sites are being used to
educate school children as well as adults on wetland ecology and aquatic
ecosystems.”
GETTING HELP
“For a landowner interested in developing habit for ducks and other
waterfowl, the first step is to contact a member agency of TPWP,” says Kevin
Hartke, Waterfowl and Wetland Habitat Specialist with TPWD. “A biologist
will schedule a site visit with the landowner to assess the potential
for a project. If a viable project meets program guidelines, a Wetland
Development Agreement (WDA) will be drafted. The WDA, project design,
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Fall 2014