Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge

Ecology & Conservation

Land Use:
Principle use: Forty percent of the refuge is open to waterfowl and upland game bird hunting during the fall. Located just a few miles to the north are Nelson Reservoir (a large Bureau of Reclamation irrigation storage reservoir) and Hewill Lake NWR, both of which have extensive shorebird habitat. Lands adjacent to the Bowdoin NWR include native prairie to the north, dryland cropland to the east, and irrigated hayland to the south and west. The irrigated fields provide shorebird feeding habitat throughout the spring and summer months.

Protection:
Bowdoin NWR was established in 1936 as "a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. (Executive Order February 14, 1936)," and "... for any other management purpose, for migratory birds (Migratory Bird Conservation Act, February 18, 1929, with subsequent amendments)." Secondary uses of refuge lands must meet a compatibility test based on the establishing documents.

Current Threats:
Water quality is a major issue. Lake Bowdoin and Dry Lake accumulate salts from groundwater seeping to the surface near the shorelines. Saline seeps are a common occurrence in eastern Montana, but the size of the water bodies and magnitude of the problem at Bowdoin has raised concerns with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. Bowdoin NWR is not allowed to discharge water into Beaver Creek except during infrequent flood events. Salt levels in water units continue to slowly increase, with wind erosion from dry salt flats in late summer as the only current means of releasing salts. Although some salt is advantageous to many shorebird species because of the tremendous productivity of invertebrate life in salty water, excessive salt loads and biomass production lead to outbreaks of avian botulism at Bowdoin and the potential for deformities in some bird species. Botulism has killed in excess of 8,000 waterfowl in some years, with shorebird losses being significantly lower. Salt can enter the refuge in irrigation return flows which the refuge has to accept from the Milk River Irrigation System. Refuge staff are currently working with other state and federal agencies and local citizens to try to address the increasing saline problem on the refuge.

Invasion of noxious weeds and other unwanted plants is also a concern. Most invasive species discovered on Bowdoin NWR have been in relatively small areas and are easily contained or eradicated, but of particular concern to wetlands is the invasion of Russian olive trees along shorelines, dikes, and water delivery canals. Encroachment by Russian olive trees could limit shorebird use of some feeding areas, but an eradication program was begun in 2000 to remove invading trees from certain areas. The extent of the invasion is great and may never be completely eradicated, but staff continue to make progress and the prairie wetland vegetation community has been restored at several locations on the refuge.

Periods of drought are a natural occurrence in eastern Montana, but they have a tremendous effect on shorebird use of Bowdoin NWR. The early years of drought can expose additional feeding areas and greatly increase use by shorebirds, as occurred on Dry Lake in 1999 when nearly 14,000 Wilson’s Phalaropes were present. As drought persists, and wetlands become dry, habitat is lost temporarily and shorebird use declines. The cyclic nature of these events is good for the health of the prairie wetland community, but results in fluctuating shorebird populations.

Management Activities:
Designated “Important Bird Area” March 17, 2001.

Bowdoin NWR is currently working on its Comprehensive Conservation Planning (CCP) which is tentatively scheduled to be completed by 2012. There currently is no Master Plan in place and the refuge is managed under a set of “interim goals and operating statements.” Resting, feeding, and breeding habitat for migratory birds, including shorebirds, is a primary function of the refuge. Current water management is done for waterfowl as well as for shorebirds, colonial-nesting waterbirds, and marsh and wading birds. Periodic drawdowns are accomplished to recycle nutrients and provide for shallow water feeding areas. Upland management techniques include prescribed fire, grazing, and mowing, all of which maintain native prairie for use by nesting waterfowl as well as by larger upland-nesting shorebirds. The east half of Lake Bowdoin and western portion of Dry Lake have been designated as critical habitat for the threatened Piping Plover. Any management activities in this area must take into account impacts on this species. Two gravel beaches on Dry Lake have been enhanced for Piping Plovers and a low-level dike was constructed in 2002 to provide a more permanent nesting area for them on the western edge of Dry Lake. These projects have benefits for other shorebird species as well.

Research & Monitoring:
Except for Piping Plovers, no research and monitoring for shorebirds is currently being done on Bowdoin NWR, due to decreases in staff and increases in requirements for other refuge programs and CCP development. In the past, refuge staff have participated in All-Bird Monitoring for the State of Montana, as developed by the Montana Bird Conservation Partnership. As many as 80 Species of Concern have been monitored as well as groups of bird species such as waterfowl, upland game birds, colonial nesting birds, grassland songbirds, shorebirds, raptors, and endangered species. Shorebirds were monitored via International Shorebird Survey (ISS) routes on Bowdoin (1996 - 2003) and Hewitt Lake (2000 - 2003) NWRs; nests have been monitored for upland nesting shorebirds found during waterfowl and grassland shorebird nest dragging; incubating adults and nestlings have been banded; and intensive pair and nest counts for Piping Plovers are still done on Bowdoin and Hewitt Lake NWRs. ISS routes were run every Wednesday for Bowdoin and every Thursday for Hewitt Lake from April through mid November when water was present and the observer was available.  The Bowdoin ISS route circles Lake Bowdoin and Dry Lake mostly on existing roads and trails, but does not cover all of the shorebird habitat on the refuge.