|
This Community Conservation
Plan for Radisson Lake
was prepared as part
of Saskatchewan's Important
Bird Area (IBA) Program.
In this program, special
areas are awarded an
Important Bird Area
designation for conservation
purposes if the areas
are used by large concentrations
of birds, if the birds
present are at risk,
or if the sites represent
intact biomes and their
natural bird inhabitants
with restricted ranges.
Radisson Lake is a salt
lake roughly 4.5 km²
when full. It lies in
the transition zone
between mixed grassland
and aspen parkland,
at the foot of the Missouri
Coteau in west-central
Saskatchewan. The lake
has no riparian connection
to the North Saskatchewan
River a mere 10 km to
the south, nor any other
outflow. Soils in the
immediate vicinity of
the lake tend to be
black Chernozems with
sandy loam texture and
little or no slope.
Approximately 80% of
the land surrounding
the lake is under cultivation.
In addition to watrefowl
which congregate at
Radisson Lake during
migration, the lake
harbors endangered species.
The nationally endangered
Piping Plover breeds
there in small numbers,
near the northern edge
of species' range. Whooping
Cranes were brought
back from the brink
of extinction through
intensive management
in Canada and United
States. They stop here
on mogration. At Radisson
Lake cranes can be seen
more predictably that
at other sites, in mid-September
to mid-October. This
forlorn-looking lake
is clearly important
to some high priority
bird species and is
thus an IBA of global
status.
No major threats to
the birds or the lake's
ecosystem apparent at
this time. Land uses
are primarily for agriculture
and the birds have apprently
coped well with this
resource use. One future
threat that may be envisaged
is climate change. This
would likely place the
lake under stress and
drying of lake bed would
be detrimental to the
birds. Consideration
should be given to water
monitoring and management
if the needs arises.
Given the high priority
bird species at Radisson
Lake, especially Whooping
Cranes, there is some
tourism potentail during
part of the year. Highway
16 is an asset in the
regard.
The objectives of this
plan are to draw attention
to the importance of
Radisson Lake for the
Piping Plovers and Whooping
Cranes, and to the need
to monitor water quality
and quantity. Specific
recommendations involve:
-
monitor water quantity
and quality and
manage water levels
when needed
-
provide local people
with information
about the birds
and bird requirements
-
encourage bird watching
as a tourism opportunity
and coordinate this
with other sites
thrughout saskatchewan.
-
continue or increase
monitoring of bird
numbers and reprodcution
at Radisson Lake
The
IBA Program was launched
initially by BirdLife
International in the
UK. Today there are
BirdLife Partners in
over 100 countries.
In Canada the national
partners are Canadian
Nature Federation and
Bird Studies Canada.
In Saskatchewan, the
conservation component
of this program is being
delivered by Nature
Saskatchewan. Funding
partners include Canadian
Adaptation and Rural
Development Saskatchewan
(CARDS), the University
of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan
Environment and Resource
Management (SERM), Ducks
Unlimited Canada and
the University of Saskatchewan.
INTRODUCTION
Bird conservation
is not 'just for the
birds'. In a widely
acknowledged and visionary
treatment of the causes,
human uses and state
of decline of diverse
life forms on Earth,
E.O. Wilson (1992)
suggests that certain
species will will
and should receive
special attention.
Wilson points out
that individual species
which may be large
and colourful or otherwise
charismatic, often
are conservation favorites
even though they represent
a small fraction of
living things. Such
species, Wilson claims,
can motivate conservation
at many levels, from
individual to government.
Since no species exists
in isolation from
other species or its
environment, such
conservation efforts
already in the first
instance serve to
protect elements of
a fuctioning life
support system. If
human economics, cutural
and social values
are adapted in addition
to species and systems
concerns, the conservation
efforts will come
'full circle' and
have gone well beyond
the birds.
|
