Winter 2004

Membership Dollars at Work: Restoring Waterfowl Habitat

With the 2003-04 waterfowl season having just ended, many of us are wondering if the waterfowl population had significantly declined. The 2003 estimate (36.2 million) of ducks indicate a 16 percent increase over 1998, but the estimate was approximately 30 percent higher than the 1955-03 average. Breeding mallard populations rose 6 percent over 2003. Those numbers are similar to the glory days of the early 1970s.

Intensive conservation efforts fueled by a tremendous partnership among government, conservation and private landowners have yielded one of the largest duck populations since the early 1970s.
Blue winged teal rose 31 percent over last year and green winged teal rose 15 percent. Northern pintail were up 43 percent over 2002. Redheads rose 13 percent, gadwalls were up 14 percent and canvasbacks were up 15 percent. Wigeon rose 9 percent. Shovelers were up a whopping 56 percent and scaup rose by 6 percent.
“Abundant precipitation and excellent habitat conditions in the prairie pothole region have once again had a positive affect on duck production,” stated Dr. Jeff Clark, President of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation. “Equally important, are the tremendous gains in providing much needed wintering habitat which is being accomplished by landowners in Mississippi.”

This included the Mississippi Partners Program, Partners For Fish and Wildlife Program, Conservation Reserve Program, Wetland Reserve Program and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, all which contributed to this increase in the waterfowl population. Wildlife Mississippi worked extensively with landowners to develop winter waterfowl habitat throughout the state.


Tractors, back and track hoes, dirt pans and bulldozers are used to construct levees and install water control structures. Photo by the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

“By providing beneficial wintering habitat and sending ducks back to the breeding grounds in the best shape possible, landowners in Mississippi have made a large contribution to the increased breeding population numbers,” stated Rob Ballinger, Field Biologist with Wildlife Mississippi.

Winter waterfowl habitat in the Lower Mississippi Valley, and specifically in Mississippi, has increased dramatically. “Habitat management programs once restricted to state and federal lands are moving beyond the refuge to the farm,” stated Charles Baxter, Coordinator for the Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan.

“Through a time tested and proven program called the Mississippi Partners Program, now in it's 13th year, over 3,400 water control structures have been provided cost free to approximately 915 landowners. These landowners have, in return, installed these structures into their own farm drainage system. They are operating them to provide as much as 106,428 acres of wintering habitat for waterfowl,” continued Ballinger. The Mississippi Partners Program is sponsored by the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Delta Wildlife, Inc., the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, Ducks Unlimited and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
This program goes beyond simply managing for waterfowl and deals with the nature of farming. “Can waterfowl management be integrated into economically viable agriculture production practices?” asked Baxter. Many of the 915 partners, as well as the hundreds of other farmers impounding water on harvested crop land, are beginning to view the practice of holding winter water on harvested fields as a dollars and sense conservation practice for winter weed control, seed bed preparation for minimal erosion control and decreasing input costs.


Flashboard risers are the typical type of water control structures used by the Mississippi Partners Program. Photo by the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Baxter also stated that perhaps there is something larger at stake than just soil, water and waterfowl conservation. “It is our ability to go about the business of living and farming in a manner that accommodates wildlife. The Mississippi Partners Program is an acknowledgement that the future of North America's waterfowl resource rests not so much with government agencies as with landowners.”

And speaking of landowners, they are the backbone of the Mississippi Partners Program. Let's take an in depth look at the program and what it is doing for waterfowl habitat and the nature of farming in Mississippi.

In fact, the program is very simple. Upon request from a landowner, a biologist on staff with Wildlife Mississippi will meet with them to discuss their objectives and to inspect the intended site(s). In exchange for free water control structures, the landowner signs a ten year informal Waterfowl Habitat Development Agreement with the requirements listed in Table 1.

At the end of the ten year period, the pipe becomes the property of the landowner. By participating in this program, landowners can receive up to $3,500 worth of materials per year (approximately seven structures). These structures can be designed to comply with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service specifications, so cost share assistance for dirt work and installation can often be obtained.

“Waterfowl management practices on lands in Mississippi vary widely with land use practices and site features. While some species such as wood ducks breed in the state, Mississippi makes its biggest contribution to waterfowl as a wintering ground. In fact, Mississippi is one of the most important wintering areas in the United States for mallards. Thus, most opportunities for landowners to practice waterfowl management involve wintering habitat,” stated Clark.
Waterfowl management on harvested cropland consists of providing shallow water on fields between November and February. In some instances, this results from natural accumulation of rainfall. Landowners can provide valuable habitat by rebuilding contour levees, closing existing drainage structures or by installing additional structures in existing ditches. Cropland impounded with winter water is valuable because it gives waterfowl access to waste grain and weed seeds, which are sources of energy needed to survive winter. Rice fields are the most attractive to waterfowl, especially if rice stubble has been rolled or lightly disked to provide openings for birds. Soybean and milo fields are also attractive to waterfowl when impounded with water, but these seeds decompose at a faster rate than rice or weed seeds.


A project is beginning to hold water and awaits migratory waterfowl. Photo by the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

“The easiest and least expensive way to provide this habitat is for landowners to close drainage structures or rebuild contour levees after harvest and allow rainwater to accumulate. This is a good management practice because the gradual increasing of water levels allows waterfowl to utilize newly impounded areas throughout winter,” continued the Wildlife Mississippi President.
Moist soil management is a technique used to promote growth of naturally occurring herbaceous plants on wet soils. Waterfowl, particularly dabbling ducks such as mallards, pintails, teal and wigeon find seeds, herbage and invertebrates of moist soil plant communities especially attractive when these areas are impounded in late fall. Research studies indicate that the nutritional needs of wintering waterfowl are fulfilled more readily on moist soil areas than on croplands.

According to Ballinger, moist soil management is generally practiced on lands where drainage structures or contour levees can provide water management capability.

Wild millet, smartweeds, sedges, spikerush, crabgrass, panic grass, sprangletop and other plants can germinate and develop dense stands before winter. Abandoned cropland, ditch borders and wet fields not disked or clipped all make suitable moist soil areas if they can be impounded in the fall and drained the following summer. The necessary water management capability can usually be attained with stop log water control structures and/or low levees. Impoundment of winter water is accomplished by closing structures and catching rainfall and runoff or by pumping. Season and rate of water draw down determines plant species composition the following year. Most moist soil areas have a natural supply of seeds in the soil waiting for proper conditions to germinate. Soil disturbance, such as disking or burning, may be necessary every few years to help control unwanted species, such as willow and cockleburs.

“Waterfowl habitat management on Mississippi lands does not interfere with most agricultural practices and in many instances, actually enhances field conditions for spring planting. Winter water on fields increases soil moisture, reduces erosion and winter weed growth and helps repair field ruts made during harvesting operations. Waterfowl use in fields helps to eliminate weed seeds, such as red rice, for the following crop season,” concluded Ballinger.
In five short years Wildlife Mississippi has signed agreements with 104 landowners who are using 372 water control structures to impound approximately 9,285 acres for wintering waterfowl each year. All five organizations and agencies combined have signed agreements with 915 landowners to distribute over 3,400 structures, which will impound 106,428 acres throughout Mississippi.
If you would like to participate in this program, please contact Rob Ballinger, Field Biologist, Wildlife Mississippi, P.O. Box 10, Stoneville, Mississippi 38776 or call him at (662) 686 3375.

Table 1. Requirements of the Mississippi Partners Project.

1. Each structure should have the capability to impound 25 acres ofcropland or 15 acres of fallow land.
2. The landowner is responsible for installation and maintenance of each structure.
3. Structures should be closed from November 15 March 1.
4. No fall disking, except when the landowner deems necessary to repair heavy rutted fields.
5. On areas impounded with Mississippi Partners water control structures, hunting will be restricted to mornings only.

Table 2. Waterfowl habitat provided by private landowners and Wildlife Mississippi.