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Water Current, Volume 6, No. 4, April 1974

Water Current Newsletter

From the Desk of the Director
1974 Summer Institute
National Commission on Water Quality Announces Study Plans
Maximum Water Resources Development Urged
Department for Natural Resources Nixed in Favor of Short-Term Measures
Controversy Reigns Over Project Discount Rate
EDF Questions Flood Control Projects
Research Review: Practical Treatment of Feedlot Runoff

A Localized Epizootic Of Trichomoniasis In Mourning Doves, Ellis Greiner, William Baxter

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Staff Research Publications

Trichomonas gallinae was present in 47% (57/121) of adult, 41% (7/17) of juvenile, and 29% (2/7) of nestling mourning doves (Zenaida nacroura) from Lincoln, Nebraska. Throat lesions were present in 5.9% (43/724) of the mourning doves trapped for banding. Two of four pigeons (Columba livia) possessed T. gallinae, but none contained throat lesions.

Observations On The Distribution And Composition Of Zooplankton In Portions Of The Intracoastal Waterway, Virginia, O. Clair Hillard Jr.

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Five stations were established in the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, the Dismal Swamp Canal, the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal and the North Landing River. Representative samples of zooplankton were taken from October 1971 to June 1972. A. total of 57 species were identified and discussions regarding seasonal distribution in relation to physical factors and circulation are presented.

The composition of the zooplankton was found to fluctuate greatly due to the variables characteristic of the study area. The combined effect of tidal flow with freshwater input in conjunction with drainage from the Great Dismal Swamp, results in isolated populations …

The Use Of Color Infrared Aerial Photography In Determining Salt Marsh Vegetation And Delimiting Man-Made Structures Of Lynnhaven Bay, Virginia, Robert E. Holman Lll

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Color infrared aerial photography was found to be superior to color aerial photography in an ecological study of Lynnhaven Bay, Virginia. The research was divided into three phases: 1) determination of the feasibility of correlating color infrared aerial photography with wetland species composition and zonation patterns, 2) determination of the accuracy of the aerial interpretation and problems related to the aerial method used, and 3) comparison of developed with undeveloped areas along Lynnhaven Bay's shoreline.

Wetland species composition and zonation patterns of major cones were correlated with aerial infrared photography and resulted in a high degree of accuracy. Problems with …

A Review Of Coyote Control Research, Donald S. Balser

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

Research on coyote control has lagged behind operational control for several decades. With the current controversy over toxicants and control of coyotes, attention has suddenly been given to the research needs of the problem. In the past research on annual damage problems, particularly predators, was concentrated on coming up with new lethal methods. The picture has changed with a definite need to study the entire problem, including the measurement of losses, the ecology of predators and prey, their behavior, and means of solving loss problems by non-lethal methods or mechanical protection. In any lethal control research, selectivity must be emphasized. …

Pest Management In Relation To Human Health, Allan M. Barnes

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

Vector-borne disease prevention and control strategies, aside from those associated with domestic rodents, have rarely involved management of vertebrate populations, even though in many cases such management would appear to represent the most effective and economical long-term approach. Prevention of a long list of arthropod transmitted diseases is often at best a stop-gap procedure undertaken only after substantial disease hazard is detected in reservoir populations. More often, control actions await the detection of human cases, at which time short-term emergency control measures may be conducted, usually involving the use of toxicants against arthropod vectors and occasionally vertebrate reservoirs. In some …

An Overview Of Astm's Activities In Establishing Standards For Vertebrate Pest Control Materials, John R. Beck

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

The new FEPCA legislation under which a l l of us now operate, changes the format and program of pesticide registration and use in the United States. One of the events immediately proceeding this law was the establishment of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the necessity for that new agency to develop guidelines and standards for the registration and use of pesticides.

Early in 1973, a large number of persons associated with one or more areas of pesticides, and representing the academic world, consumers, and producing companies, assembled in Philadelphia to discuss with the American Society for Testing …

Conference Participants

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

The Sixth Vertebrate Pest Conference drew a registered attendance of 236, with an estimated additional 50-75 persons who attended portions of the conference but d i d not register. As in past conferences, the attendance was made up of individuals having varying interests in vertebrate pest control problems from thirty-one states plus the District of Columbia. Participants from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Finland, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Sudan and Switzerland contributed greatly to the success of the conference and provided further exchange of information on an international level.

The Association Of The Roof Rat (Rattus Rattus) With The Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus Discolor) And Algerian Ivy (Hedera Canariensis) In California, Val J. Dutson

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

The roof rat (Rattus rattus) utilizes Algerian ivy and the Himalayan blackberry for food and cover, often living independent of man. Algerian ivy is the most popular ornamental and ground cover plant in California and is used extensively for landscaping, particularly in southern California. The Himalayan blackberry inhabited by feral roof rats, grows abundantly in northern California along inland creeks and in pasture land of the Sacramento Valley and in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Rats construct platform nests on or within the dense layer of canes that accumulate within the thickets. Information on distribution and recommendations …

Reptiles And Amphibians&#;A Management Dilemma, William D. Fitzwater

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

Reptiles and amphibians despite general public revulsion have a more positive than negative potential. On the positive side are food, scientific and educational benefits, biological control of pests, medicine, ornamentation, carrion cleanup, pets and aesthetic values. On the negative side are predation, human confrontation and health. Where control is deemed a necessary management procedure, it can be achieved to some degree by cultural controls, repellents, trapping and reductional methods, such as, hand capture, den hunting, electric fence and pesticides (though none are currently registered for this purpose).

Frontmatter And Contents

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

Table of Contents

Use Of Chlorophacinone In The Struggle Against The Common Vole (Microtus Arvalis Pallas) And Against The Muskrat Ondatra Zibethica L.), J. Giban

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

The use of the anticoagulant rodenticide, chlorophacinone, was largely developed in France during the last ten years. Its special properties, with respect to those of other anticoagulants currently known, have contributed largely to finding an effective and economically acceptable solution in the struggle against the two most damaging rodents in France: the common vole (Microtus arvalis P. ) and the muskrat (Ondatra zibethica L. ).

Feral Pigeon Control, Lester B. Krebs

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

Feral pigeons, problem birds common to most American cities and farms, are descendants of the Rock Dove (Columba livia) of North Africa and Europe. They were brought to America as domestic poultry by the first European settlers and have since escaped. They are not truly "wild", as their existence depends upon man's activities. An adult pigeon will eat about a pound of food a week, consisting primarily of grain spilled around elevators, rail road yards and feed lots or fed by bird lovers at city parks. Pigeons are usually monogamous. The female lays 1 to 2 eggs, 8 …

Opening Comments – Sixth Vertebrate Pest Conference, Warren V. Johnson

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

On behalf of the California Vertebrate Pest Committee, I want to extend a welcome to the sixth meeting of the Vertebrate Pest Conference.

With this welcome, I would like to remind you that this is your Conference and hope that you will benefit from the program that has been arranged as well as the opportunity to become acquainted with and exchange ideas and information with your fellow workers in vertebrate pest control and associated fields. As has been said before, it is a great tribute to this Conference to have noted scientists willing to travel across the nation, from Canada …

Rare And Endangered Wildlife Problems And Solutions, Howard R. Leach

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

Worldwide concern over vanishing species prompted a World Wildlife Conference in Washington, D. C. on February 12 - March 2, 1973 which resulted in a Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Enactment of the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1973 by Congress places all endangered species native to United States under jurisdiction of the Federal Government.

The California Endangered Species Conservation and California Species Preservation Act enacted by the California Legislature in 1970 has resulted in a listing of 49 California animals declared rare or endangered. Efforts to protect and enhance threatened species are …

Muskrat Control And Damage Prevention, James E. Miller

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

Although the muskrat, Ondatra zibethica, is native throughout most of the United States and has been a mainstay of the fur business, in recent years it has become a serious pest causing extensive damage to some specific crops, as well as to earthen water-holding structures. Damage caused by muskrats to rice crops, food fish, and bait fish reservoirs in Arkansas was estimated in 1967 to be almost $900,000. A control program begun in October, 1967, directed principally at muskrat control, proved a significant aid in reducing damage. This program provided Arkansas farmers and landowners with practical, effective methods and …

The Significance Of Preference In Laboratory Bait Acceptance Studies, James G. Miller

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

The palatability of rodenticide baits has recently been the subject of renewed interest in industry and regulatory agencies. The requirement that a bait, especially those with anticoagulant rodenticides, be consumed by the target species is a fundamental requirement for effectiveness. This has been overlooked at times, with the result that in some instances, rodenticides have been relatively ineffective due to a lack of acceptance.

The measurement of palatability and rodent acceptance is a controversial area. The procedures used have been subjected to criticism, often uninformed criticism, and the projection of the experimental data to use conditions has also been debated. …

Vertebrates...And The Conflicts In Public Image, Donald D. Miller

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

A few words about words.

A word is a trigger of a thought. It is a symbol which turns the switch of action. It can build rocket ships or cut diamonds. It can levy taxes or drop bombs. But to us, the real power of words is found in their ability to unlock one of the greatest resources of all--human thought.

A single word can start the mind racing to find a multitude of associations—-drawing out background, stored information—-and weaving a pattern of thought. At times these word-inspired thoughts are actually packaged in the brain in an extensive network of …

Activities Of The Rodent Branch Of The European And Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (Eppo), Arvo Myllymaki

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

The European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO/OEPP) is a regional, governmental body, which has 33 member countries in Europe, North Africa, and Middle East. Its former activities were mainly concentrated on phytosanitary problems, but recently more attention has been paid on coordinating research activities and, especially, on problems associated with the use of pesticides in plant protection. On the Rodent Branch EPPO has at present three working units:

1. The Working Group on Field Rodents, concentrated primarily on biological aspects of the control of Microtines and other injurious rodents causing damage on field crops, horticulture, and forestry.

2. The …

Alpha-Naphthylthiourea As A Conditioning Repellent For Protecting Conifer Seed, Peter C. Passof, Rex E. Marsh, Walter E. Howard

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

The object of this study was to find an alternative rodent repellent to take the place of endrin when direct seeding to regenerate coniferous forests. Compounds with aversive conditioning repellent attributes were screened. Even though still falling far short of endrin, which also acts as a lethal rodenticide, alpha-naphthylthiourea (ANTU) treated seed produced about twice as many seedlings as did the untreated seed. Both the laboratory and field evaluation procedures and results are discussed. It is hoped that with more research the efficacy of ANTU as a seed protectant can be further improved. The compound is much too promising to …

Small Mammal Census And Control On A Hardwood Plantation, Andrew Radvanyi

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

For centuries, Man has been at conflict with and has suffered untold crop losses to ubiquitous small mammals. Such losses may range from unnoticed removal of vegetation in hay and grain fields to 95-99 percent losses in unprotected orchards or forest plantations. A most dramatic and conspicuous type of damage occurs where large numbers of meadow voles cause excessive tree girdling damage to a wide variety of plantation grown trees.

Surveys of small mammal populations carried out on a hardwood plantation in southern Ontario during 1971-72-73 indicated the magnitude of the rodent problem. Control measures using broadcasting of anticoagulant-treated grain …

Environmental Impact Statements, Gordon F. Snow

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) became law January 1, 1970, while the California Environmental Quality Act was adopted on September 18 of the same year. NEPA established specific action-forcing procedures for implementing the policy; created the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQA); fostered development of indices of environmental quality ; and provided for an annual CEQA report of progress. Section 102(2)(C) is the most renowned portion of NEPA. It requires the preparation of detailed written statements of environmental impacts, including alternative actions and their impacts. Section 102(2)(A) requires federal agencies to implement the integrated use of natural and …

Rabies Vector Control In Alberta, J.B. Gurba

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

Following the last serious outbreak of rabies in 1952-57, the province of Alberta remained virtually free of the disease for 13 years. In 1970 a sudden increase occurred with 16 cases in various species. The Alberta Central Rabies Control Committee was reactivated to cope with the situation. Pre-immunization of high risk personnel and domestic pets was initiated along with supportive research to monitor infection rates in various species. Vector control programs were established to stop the spread of rabies by known wildlife vectors, particularly skunks (Mephitis mephitis) which had brought rabies across the great plains to the Alberta-Saskatchewan …

Feral Hogs-Boon Or Burden, Daniel C. Pattern

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

Feral hogs (Sus scrofa L. ) have long been considered a pest by most land managers because of the potential range and pasture damage that can result from their feeding habits. In recent years however, second only to deer, feral hogs have become the most sought after big game animal in California. Their great reproductive capacity coupled with the ruggedness of their preferred habitat has allowed the California State Fish and Game Department to set liberal seasons and bag limits. The freedom to work within the states liberal framework has prompted some private land managers to look at controlled …

The Role Of W.H.O. In The Study And Control Of Rodent-Borne Disease, N.G. Gratz

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

While little information is available on the distribution and incidence of most of the diseases with rodent reservoirs, many of them are known to be widespread and may have considerable public health importance in some of the foci in which they are found. The World Health Organization is carrying out investigations on the epidemiology of several diseases with rodent reservoirs and on the biology and ecology of the rodent reservoir species themselves. These investigations are being carried out both at WHO research u n i t s and with collaborating laboratories. Based on the ecological information the organization is attempting …

The Detection Of Exotic Vertebrate Pests In California, Michael O. Keffer

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

Numerous exotic vertebrates are imported into California each year for use in scientific research, zoological gardens, the commercial pet trade, and private collections. Certain of these imported species are known within their native range to depredate agricultural commodities, compete with other species of wildlife , and facilitate the spread of. diseases detrimental to humans or other animals.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture, in cooperation with other governmental agencies and conservation-oriented societies, is active in the exclusion, detection, and eradication of these detrimental species. Exclusion procedures include inspections of air cargo, truck, and postal terminals in addition to private …

The Role Of F.A.O. In Vertebrate Pest Problems, H.R. Shuyler

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 6th (1974)

Since 1947, when FAO began its involvement in vertebrate pest problems, its role has gradually expanded. Through short-term Consultants, Experts, Regional and Headquarters Officers, it advises Member Countries about vertebrate pest control needs and opportunities, fulfills requests for assistance suggesting needed modifications, and guides and reports on assistance rendered. Assistance may involve one or more international specialists for a few weeks up to national and regional projects of several years' duration. In cooperation with WHO it sponsors meetings of specialists, develops rodenticide specifications for international commerce, and has published rodent bibliographies covering 1950 to 1969.

Seasonal Changes In Water Quality And Primary Productivity In Doe Valley Lake, Edmond J. Bacon, Stuart E. Neff

KWRRI Research Reports

Primary productivity and water quality were studied in Doe Valley Lake, a 147-hectare impoundment on Doe Run, a spring-fed stream in Meade County, Kentucky, from 13 June 1969 to 31 July 1972. Doe Valley Lake is monomictic during most winter seasons, but it is dimictic during more severe winters because of its morphometry and location on the borderline climatic region for dimictic lakes (37° N latitude). Oxygen depletion in the hypolimnion is severe, and anaerobic conditions usually prevail by late June. A hypolimnetic areal deficit of 0.038 mg/cm²/day was calculated. Supersaturation of oxygen in the epilimnion was common, …

Water Current, Volume 6, No. 3, March 1974

Water Current Newsletter

From the Desk of the Director
Water Resources Seminar Series
1974 Summer Institute
Administration Water Budget - FY 1975
Bureau of Reclamation
Office of Water Resources Research
Office of Saline Water
Water Resources Council
Commisson on Water Quality
US Geological Survey
Stream Channelization Critiicized
Investments in Transportation
Cloud Seeding Impacts Researched
$7 Billion Proposed for Environmental Programs
WRC Issues New Guidelines
Research Review: Biological Control of Blue-Green Algae

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 6, No.1. March 1974

The Prairie Naturalist

AVIAN MORTALITY FROM COLLISIONS WITH OVERHEAD WIRES IN NORTH DAKOTA ▪ G. L. Krapu

NOTES ON THE BIOLOGY OF THE OLIVE-BACKED POCKET MOUSE PEROGNATHUS FASCIATUS ON THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS ▪ J. E. Pefaur & R. S. Hoffman

NOTE: Swans Resting on the Surface of A Dry Lake ▪ D. S. Gilmer