Tweeters Archives

FYI... We've all heard of Malheur

Peter Sullins

----- Original Message -----
From: Gary Ivey <ivey at OREGONVOS.NET>
To: Multiple recipients of list OBOL
<OBOL at BOBO.NWS.ORST.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2000 01:03 PM
Subject: Malheur needs help

> This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
>
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>
> Birding Friends:
>
> Malheur Wildlife Associates, a support group for Malheur
National =
> Wildlife Refuge, would like you to be aware of an issue at
Malheur.
>
> Malheur Refuge has applied for new water rights to allow =
> "legal"diversions outside of the irrigation season to
provide habitat =
> for wildlife (Oct. 1-Mar. 14). This right is critical to
operation of =
> the refuge and fulfilling its mission in providing habitat
for birds and =
> other wildlife during this period, and is especially
important for =
> providing wetlands habitats soon enough to meet the needs
of early =
> nesting birds such as Sandhill Cranes. In addition and on
a separate =
> application for EXISTING water rights the Refuge has
applied for a =
> change in use from irrigation to "wildlife refuge
management" to better =
> reflect the refuge=92s mission and the purpose of the use
of the water.
>
> Harney County locals have written letters in protest of
the water rights =
> applications. The primary issue is that locals don=92t
want the water =
> rights changed from an agricultural basis (i.e. cow
grazing) to =
> wildlife. Friendly letters of support are needed to help
convince the =
> Oregon Water Resource Department to approve the
applications.=20
>
> Below are some main points of beneficial use of winter
water:=20
>
> The bottom line is that the current irrigation season does
not match the =
> biological seasonal needs for wildlife. Malheur is
nationally known as =
> prime birding destination and hosts over 60,000 visitors a
year. It is =
> an intricate link in the chain of wetlands in the Pacific
Flyway. =
> Migrating birds include waterfowl, shorebirds and
neo-tropical migrants; =
> some of which are listed as "sensitive" in Oregon. The
Spring migration =
> is from February through May and the Fall migration starts
in August and =
> lasts until November. Trumpeter swans and other waterfowl
depend on =
> water throughout the winter period.
>
> Benefits of October 1 through March 14 water use
include:=20
>
>
> Maintenance of pond levels which is critically important
for the =
> successful nesting of waterfowl.
>
>
> Applying water as available and as needed through the
winter months will =
> help reduce the immediate need for water at the beginning
of the =
> irrigation season and will help ensure that marshes and
meadows are wet =
> enough for early nesting species such as cranes and Canada
geese.
>
>
> This will allow the 8-mile-long East Canal to be
maintained as a redband =
> trout fishery.
>
>
> During high water and flood events, it will provide the
ability to =
> manage (divert) a portion of these high flows which will
help protect =
> refuge facilities (e.g. fish passage and fish screening
equipment) and =
> sensitive wildlife habitat.
>
>
> Also, water diverted in the Blitzen Valley will help to
alleviate =
> flooding on private lands around Malheur Lake.
> It would be good if all of the local Audubon Chapters
chimed in on this. =
> Letters should be sent by the end of this month. If you
are interested =
> and willing, please write a letter to:
>
> Laura Snedaker
> Water Resource Department
> 158 12th Street NE
> Salem, OR 97301-0210=20
>
> and send a copy to: Refuge Manager, Malheur National
Wildlife Refuge, HC =
> 72 Box 245, Princeton, OR 97721
>
>
> Thanks for your support.=20
>
> Gary Ivey=20
> ivey at oregonvos.net
>
>
> ------=_NextPart_000_013F_01BF5846.72F9ED00
> Content-Type: text/html;
> charset="iso-8859-1"
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
>
> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN">
> <HTML>
> <HEAD>
>
> <META content=3Dtext/html;charset=3Diso-8859-1 =
> http-equiv=3DContent-Type><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC
"-//W3C//DTD W3 =
> HTML//EN">
> <META content=3D'"MSHTML 4.72.3110.7"' name=3DGENERATOR>
> </HEAD>
> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
> <DIV>
> Birding Friends:
> Malheur Wildlife Associates, a
support group =
> for Malheur=20
> National Wildlife Refuge, would like you to be aware of an
issue at=20
> Malheur.
> Malheur Refuge has applied for
new water =
> rights to allow=20
> "legal"diversions outside of the irrigation
season to provide =
> habitat=20
> for wildlife (Oct. 1-Mar. 14). This right is critical to
operation of =
> the refuge=20
> and fulfilling its mission in providing habitat for birds
and other =
> wildlife=20
> during this period, and is especially important for
providing wetlands =
> habitats=20
> soon enough to meet the needs of early nesting birds such
as Sandhill =
> Cranes. In=20
> addition and on a separate application for EXISTING water
rights the =
> Refuge has=20
> applied for a change in use from irrigation to
"wildlife refuge=20
> management" to better reflect the refuge’s
mission and the =
> purpose of=20
> the use of the water.
> Harney County locals have
written letters in =
> protest of=20
> the water rights applications. The primary issue is that
locals =
> don’t want=20
> the water rights changed from an agricultural basis (i.e.
cow grazing) =
> to=20
> wildlife. Friendly letters of support are needed to help
convince the =
> Oregon=20
> Water Resource Department to approve the applications.

> Below are some main points of
beneficial use =
> of winter=20
> water: 
> The bottom line is that the
current =
> irrigation season=20
> does not match the biological seasonal needs for wildlife.
Malheur is =
> nationally=20
> known as prime birding destination and hosts over 60,000
visitors a =
> year. It is=20
> an intricate link in the chain of wetlands in the Pacific
Flyway. =
> Migrating=20
> birds include waterfowl, shorebirds and neo-tropical
migrants; some of =
> which are=20
> listed as "sensitive" in Oregon. The Spring
migration is from =
> February=20
> through May and the Fall migration starts in August and
lasts until =
> November.=20
> Trumpeter swans and other waterfowl depend on water
throughout the =
> winter=20
> period. Benefits of October 1 through March 14
water use include: =
>
> 
> Maintenance of pond levels
which is =
> critically important=20
> for the successful nesting of waterfowl. 
> Applying water as available
and as needed =
> through the=20
> winter months will help reduce the immediate need for
water at the =
> beginning of=20
> the irrigation season and will help ensure that marshes
and meadows are =
> wet=20
> enough for early nesting species such as cranes and Canada
=
> geese. 
> This will allow the
8-mile-long East Canal =
> to be=20
> maintained as a redband trout fishery.
> During high water and
flood events, it =
> will provide=20
> the ability to manage (divert) a portion of these high
flows which will =
> help=20
> protect refuge facilities (e.g. fish passage and fish
screening =
> equipment) and=20
> sensitive wildlife habitat.
> Also, water diverted in
the Blitzen =
> Valley will help=20
> to alleviate flooding on private lands around Malheur
Lake. It would =
> be good=20
> if all of the local Audubon Chapters chimed in on
this.  Letters =
> should be=20
> sent by the end of this month.  If you are interested
and willing, =
> please=20
> write a letter to:
> Laura Snedaker Water
Resource =
> Department 158 12th=20
> Street NE Salem, OR 97301-0210 
> and send a copy to: Refuge
Manager, Malheur =
> National=20
> Wildlife Refuge, HC 72 Box 245, Princeton, OR
97721
> Thanks for your
support.=20
> Gary Ivey
 <A=20
>
href=3D"mailto:ivey at oregonvos.net">ivey at oregonvos.net</A></F
ONT></DIV=
> ></BODY></HTML>
>
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