The US Geological Survey issued the Integrated Science Strategy for Assessing and Monitoring Water Availability and Migratory Birds for Terminal Lakes Across the Great Basin, United States (Science Strategy). This saline lake ecosystem Science Technique follows the passage of landmark bipartisan legislation directing the USA Geological Survey (USGS) to evaluate and monitor saline lake ecosystems and the birds that depend on them to “inform and help coordinated administration and conservation actions to profit these ecosystems, migratory birds, and different wildlife.”
Within the arid West, saline lakes and their wetlands present irreplaceable habitats that help thousands and thousands of migrating shorebirds, waterfowl, and different waterbirds. Saline lakes, or “terminal” lakes, usually sit on the lowest elevation within the area in closed basins, that means that floor water that flows in doesn’t circulation out. These habitats have been experiencing declining water ranges and water high quality on account of drought, local weather change and diversions.
The Science Technique consists of three main goals: (1) to determine how altering water availability impacts the standard, range, and abundance of habitats supporting continental waterbird populations; (2) to spotlight the scientific monitoring and evaluation wants of Nice Basin terminal lakes; and (3) to help coordinated administration and conservation actions to profit these ecosystems, migratory birds, and different wildlife.”
Whereas among the saline lake ecosystems within the area have assorted ranges of ongoing hydrological monitoring and modeling efforts, resembling Nice Salt Lake in Utah, a lot of that info is hydrologically upstream and much away from lake inflows. Furthermore, many terminal lakes, resembling Lake Abert in Oregon, should not have long-term hydrological monitoring within the surrounding watersheds. Solely not too long ago, a continuous water elevation monitoring station has been installed at Lake Abert close to Valley Falls, Oregon.
Moreover, the Science Technique acknowledges that the present state of information and knowledge assortment for birds and the numerous sorts of habitats at saline lakes and their surrounding wetlands must be improved to raised perceive hen abundance and the way the habitats are used as an interconnected system. Approaches to monitoring hen use and tendencies fluctuate in depth, frequency, and site throughout the Nice Basin area. The Science Technique notes that “Along with baseline hydrological and ecological monitoring throughout the Nice Basin, non-static, focused knowledge assortment and evaluation actions ought to be carried out to tell course of [sic] understanding of terminal lake ecosystems.” For instance, “Particular analysis investigations carried out at chosen websites will allow higher understanding of elementary hydrological and ecological processes that may be translated to different websites or scaled up throughout the area.”
The Science Technique, with its findings and identification of information gaps is a crucial step in addressing the targets of the Saline Lake Ecosystems in the Great Basin States Program Act, which approved funding of $5 million for 5 years. The work required to attain the aim of the Act to “inform and help coordinated administration and conservation actions to profit these ecosystems, migratory birds, and different wildlife” is not any small endeavor and would require centered resourcing.
The significance of this work to guard irreplaceable habitats that individuals and birds rely upon is obvious within the Science Technique, and ongoing funding on the approved ranges can be important to advancing science and collaborative options throughout the Nice Basin and these at-risk saline lake habitats to guard folks and birds.
Nationwide Audubon Society is grateful to the USGS and different organizations for the in depth effort undertaken to this point and the progress being made in creating the Science Technique and figuring out gaps. We look ahead to the discharge of the “work and implementation plan” recognized within the Act.
