NARRATIVE REPORT

JULY 1936

MEDICINE LAKE MIGRATORY WATERFOWL REFUGE

Tflfin. T# Kmrmnes

Assistant Refuge Manager

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Water Status 5 Table I - Water Elevations 4 Haying Pemits 7 C. C. C. 7

, Waterfowl Investigations 9 Field Crops 9 Phttos - July run-off 6

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12 13 14 15 16

NARRATIVE REPORT

JULY 1936

MEDICINE LAKE MIGRATORY WATERFOWL REFUGE

Medicine Lalce Refuge seems to profit by my absense# Three weeks of July were spent in Deadwood, South Dakota attending the Lacreek Refuge condemnation hearings and during that time the skies poured out over seven inches of rain onto the Medicine Lake vicinity. The end of July finds more water in the various ponds and resevoirs than after the run-off this last spring.

Increased water area is about the only im­provement to report for the month of July on the Medi­cine Lake Refuge. The long drawn out court fight on the Lacreek condemnations lasted three weeks. I was absent f from the refuge from July 5th to July 26th. The C. C. C. side camp that seemed such a sure thing the first of July "blew up" during my absense, but not until a detachment from the Mohall, North Dakota camp had partially constructed a mess hall. And now with the first of August here we are hoping that the promised W, P. A. program for Medicine Lake does not meet the same fate as the C. C. C. side camp.

WATER STATUS

The first big rain of the month came on July 8 when 2,98 inches were recorddd. There had been no rain prior to this since early in June and as a consequence most of this fall was absorbed by the soil. Very little run-off was noted. Then on July 10th, with the ground thorougly satuarated, over o inches of rain fell. This was almost en­tirely run-off. Lake, Cottonwood, and Sand Creeks on the east all furnished large quanities of water to the refuge. Lost and Sheep Creeks, emptying into the Homestead unit went on rampages taking out bridges and roads along the way. A water conservation dam constructed in Sheep Creek last win­ter near the town of Froid went out during the last rain.

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TABLE I

Elevations and Comparisons of Water Levels

Water Area Elevation 5/31/36

Elevation 6/30/36

Elevation 7/16/36

Elevation:Elevation 7/29/36 :when full

Medicine Lake 1935.89 1935.00

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1935.13 ; 1942.00

Dam $10 1943.81 1943.27

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1945.38

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1944.36 : 1945.00

Dam #11 1951.68 1950.63 1951.99

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1951.90 : 1952.00

Dam #12 1950.93 1950.05 1952.60

•

1952.10 : 1953.50 Homestead

Unit 1934.36 1933.78 1936.35

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1935.80 : 1937.00

The ditch which diverts water from $10 resevoir to the pot-hole area to the south was unable to take care of the water coming into that unit, so that the spillway of $10 Dam ran for three days dumping considerable water into Medicine Lake proper. The rip-rap on the spillway end of ̂ 10 Dam stood up well under this flood. A measurement of the high water line on this dam gave an elevation of 1946.48, approximately 1.5 feet above the spill point. This will give some indication of the amount of water that spilled at this point when it is noted that the spillway is about 800 feet wide.

Water area back of $10 Dam is now considerably more extensive than after the run-off in the spring. The pot-holes located in the SE-J, Sec 32, and SW|-, Sec 33; T 32 U, R 57 E, have now become one lake over a mile long. Water is flowing from this lake into Gaffney's Lake (Sec 4, T 31 II, R 57 E) Across the County Road (see photo).

As mentioned above Sheep and L0st Creeks dumped large quanities of water into the Homestead Area. The run-off on this area brought to light the urgent need of a spillway into Muddy Creek at the lower end of the Homestead Unit. At present the only outlet for this unit is the 20 foot diver­sion ditch near the north end. Reports indicate that this ditch cannot handle the combined flow of Sheep and L0st Creeks in flood. In addition to this. Sheep Creek builds up a con­siderable head of water in the lower end of the unit before it

Homestead Unit - Point where water lacked only few inches of spilling over into Muddy Creek - Creek hank and high water lines indicated.

Homestead Unit - Same location as above showing in right middle gound end of dirt plug in old channel, and in left back ground west end of main dike.

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Water flord-ng over county road into Gaffney's Lake (Sec 4, T 31 LT, R 57 E) for the first time following July rains

Water cutting into Gaffneyts lalce from the north

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moves north to the outlet. High water marks indicate that this head of water from Sheep Creek lacked less than a foot of flow­ing over the natural high bank into Muddy Creek during the last high water. I believe that a rip-rapped spillway should be constructed at this point to prevent any chance of the water breaking over the natural bank and cutting a ditch which would drain the Homestead area.

Because of the danger pointed out above it was decided to hold the water level in the Homestead area to an elevation of 1936.00 instead of the 1937.00 planned. If held at 1937.00, there are places along the bank where water would spill over with less than a two foot rise. To bring the water level in this unit down to 1936,00 the gates in $4 Dam, at the outlet of Medicine Lake were opened and the water allowed to run up the creek into Medicine Lake. This water can be let down later if needed on the Homestead Unit,

The rains of the last month were more or less local in extent and Muddy Creek did not carry a very heavy load except for just a day or two. The largest portion of Muddy Creek water came down the east channel which joins the diversion at the edge of the town of Medicine Lake.(see photo)

IIAYIITG PERMITS

Like the other refuge areas of the drougth re­gion we have been plagued with requests to cut hay on the meadow areas of the refuge. Because of drougth conditions the areas designated for cutting will only produce from to ̂ tons of hay per acre. Permits have been issued only to those ranchers and farmers badly in need of feed for stock on hand and who had owned or leased for several years the tract of land on which they are pemiited to cut hay. Up un­til August 1 permits have been issued for the taking of 128 tons of hay but the actual amount cut will probably not run much over 100 tons because of the low yields.

C C C SIB1 CAMg

There is little to report on the C. C. C, side camp that came and left during my absense in Deadwood. A messOhall was partially completed on the camp area just > south of the town of Medicine Lake.

Pond located in Sees 32 and 35, T 32 H, R 57 E, showing water brought in by July rains. Compare this picture with one at bottom of page 14 in June 1936 report taken fron almost identical location.

Viw of same pond as above - County road may bes seen in foreground and again coming out of water across pond.

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WATERFCML IITOSTIGATIOHS

It was planned to make a broad count on the refuge during the second week of July but my assignment to Deadwood "spiked" this plan. Investigations made after ny return to the area the last part of the month indicate that attempts at brood counts at this late period would be futile beaause many broods have combined and the early hatched birds are nearly full size making it hard to distinguish young from adult birds at any distance.

Time did not permit making a careful estimate as to numbers of waterfowl by species on the refuge. However observations made during my travel activities over the unit ̂ would indicate that at the end of July there were between t 20,000 and 30,000 birds on the refuger This number would be considerably larger except for the fact that the recent rains have filled many low swales in the surrounding grain fields and many birds have moved out to these areas to feed. One spot in particular, where an 80 acre field of wheat es­timated to run 20 bushels to the aure, was flooded so that Just hhe grain heads remained above water, I counted over 4000 micks feeding.

PRESENT COHDITIOH OF FIELD CROPS

The rains of the last month have been a life-saver to quite a good part of out field crops, A 30 acre patch of. corn has deireloped into one of the best fields of corn in the vicinity. The ears are forming rapidly and the yiield should be eEcellent, A 32 acre patch of corn which was disced and drilled into a stubble field will yield good in patches but weeds not destroyed by the disc or cultivator are crowding out parts of the atea,

A 42 acre field of wheat and barley mixed recov­ered in good shape after the rain and looked fair to yield from 4 to 8 bushels to the acre. However, grasshoppers have been vrorking there the last week and what the final yield will be is questionalle.

A 20 acre field of Barley has recovered suffi­ciently to yield from 2 to 4 bushels per acre providing the grasshoppers leave it alone.

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Field crops - luillet grordng on the Homestead Unit,

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The 20 acres of millet planted on the homestead Unit is in excellent shape and is said by many to be the best field in the County.

EEADQUAKTERS SITE

During the rain storm of July 16th a tornado hit the Headquarters site and destroyed the shed recently remedied for use as a caterpillar shed. It also blew dorm two of the tall trees by the boat house.

Respectfully Submitted,

Assistant Refuge Manager.

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T.'ater flowing over the spillway of jflO Dam. - The crest of the flood had suhcided at the time this picture was taken.

Water flowing thru flashboard structure located in Sec 33; T 32 N, E 57 E during the peak of the July run-off.

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Jxmction of east channel and diversion ditch at Medicine Lake at peak of run-off on the Muddy.

Bridge washed out on Lost Creek on road which is the east "boundary of the Homestead Unit.

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Views of Homestead Unit since the July floods

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Vievrs of the Homestead Unit since the July Floods

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Vietv of $11 resevoir as imter reached spilling point

View taken from high hill on south side of Medicine Lake showing delta being formed at mouth of diversion ditch

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