On-farm water management study: drainage implications and alternatives D.A Young and J.B Pollard

One of the components of the on-farm water management study initiated in 1987 was an assessment of the impacts and benefits of slough consolidation on wildlife, particularly waterfowl. The original intent was to evaluate before and after conditions on two quarter sections of land scheduled for wetland drainage and slough consolidation. This did not prove to be feasible as no such projects were in the planning stage.As a result, newly- constructed consolidation projects (Massey and Olson Slough Consolidation Projects) were chosen for study commencing in 1988.Waterfowl investigations were expanded in 1989 and 1990 to include a greater number of undrained quarter sections to allow an improvement in the evaluation of the impacts of drainage on waterfowl production.Waterfowl utilization of the two areas varied considerably, with a greater abundance of breeding pairs in the central Alberta (Massey)location. Brood production and utilization was also higher at the Massey site, although no