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Background Contaminants Evaluation Of The Republican River Drainage Colorado, Kansas, And Nebraska

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

This study was conducted to determine background levels of metals and organochlorine compounds in aquatic habitats in the Republican River basin, a large watershed in eastern Colorado, eastern Wyoming, southern Nebraska, and northwestern and northcentral Kansas. Reservoirs and their tributaries in the basin are concentration areas for bald eagles, migratory waterfowl, and occasionally for whooping cranes and other federally-listed threatened and endangered wildlife. The sampling was done to assess risk to federal trustee resources that use aquatic habitats in the basin.

We sampled sediments at 29 locations and fish at 30 locations on the Republican River and tributaries in eastern …

Metal And Organic Residues In Addled Eggs Of Least Terns And Piping Plovers In The Platte Valley Of Nebraska, Timothy E. Fannin, Brent J. Eamoil

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

The threatened piping plover and the endangered interior least tern breed on the Platte River in Nebraska from the city of North Platte to the confluence with the Missouri River at Plattsmouth (Faanes 1983, Sidle et a/1988).

Major riverine nesting areas are the reaches from Lexington to Grand Island and from Columbus to Plattsmouth (Fig 1). Nesting habitat is sparsely vegetated or unvegetated islands, sandbars, or shorelines of the river.

An additional and important habitat is on the banks and islands within sand pits made by sand and gravel operations along the river.

In the initial nest of the year, …

An Investigation Of Trace Element Contamination At Bamforth National Wildlife Refuge, Kimberly Dickerson, Pedro Ramirez Jr.

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

Bamforth National Wildlife Refuge (Bamforth) located in southeast
Wyoming serves as an important resting area for several species of migratory
waterbirds. Surveys were conducted in the summer months of 1992 to
determine bird use at Bamforth. Sediment, water, and biota were collected
from Bamforth to identify wetlands with potential contaminant problems that
may be affecting migratory waterbirds. Mercury and lead in water samples
were above criteria for the protection of aquatic life. Selenium levels in
vegetation and sediment were elevated above concentrations documented to
bioaccumulate and cause adverse reproductive effects in waterfowl. Selenium
levels in waterbird eggs were slightly greater …

Contaminants In Oil Field Produced Waters Discharged Into The Loch Katrine Wetland Complex, Park County, Wyoming And Their Bioconcentration In The Aquatic Bird Food Chain, Pedro Ramirez Jr.

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

The 866-acre Loch Katrine wetland complex in Park County, Wyoming provides habitat for many species of aquatic birds. However, the complex is sustained primarily by oil field produced waters. This study was designed to determine if constituents in oil field produced waters discharged into Loch Katrine pose a risk to aquatic birds inhabiting the wetlands. Trace elements, hydrocarbons and radium-226 concentrations were analyzed in water, sediment and biota collected from the complex during 1992. Boron and radium-226 were present in the produced water discharge and are bioaccumulating in the food chain. Although not present in acute concentrations, elevated boron in …