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The United States Geological Survey (USGS) Integrated Science Strategy for Assessing and Monitoring Water Availability and Migratory Birds in Terminal Lakes Across the U.S. Great Basin (Science Strategy). This Saline Lake Ecosystem Science Strategy follows the passage of landmark bipartisan legislation directing the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to assess and monitor saline lake ecosystems and the bird species that depend on them.Inform and support coordinated management and conservation efforts to benefit these ecosystems, migratory birds, and other wildlife.”
In the arid West, salt lakes and their wetlands provide irreplaceable habitat supporting millions of migratory birds, waterfowl, and other waterfowl. Saline lakes, or “terminal” lakes, are often located in closed basins at the lowest elevations in the region, with no surface water flowing in and draining out. These habitats are experiencing declining water levels and quality as a result of drought, climate change, and diversions.
The science strategy includes three main goals. (1) Determine how changes in water availability affect the quality, diversity, and abundance of habitat that supports continental waterbird populations. (2) emphasize the need for scientific monitoring and evaluation of Great Basin terminal lakes; (3) support coordinated management and conservation efforts to benefit those ecosystems, migratory birds, and other wildlife;”
Some of the region’s salt lake ecosystems, such as Utah’s Great Salt Lake, are undergoing ongoing hydrological monitoring and modeling efforts at various levels, but much of the information is It is located upstream and far away from the lake’s inflow. Additionally, many terminal lakes, such as Lake Abert in Oregon, lack long-term hydrological monitoring of the surrounding watershed. Most recently, a continuous water level monitoring station was installed on Lake Abert near Valley Falls, Oregon.
In addition, the science strategy will explore bird populations and different types of habitat in saline lakes and surrounding wetlands to better understand how bird populations and habitats are utilized as interconnected systems. It acknowledges the need to improve the current state of land knowledge and data collection. Approaches to tracking bird use and trends vary in intensity, frequency, and location across the Great Basin region. The Science Strategy states:In addition to baseline hydrological and ecological monitoring across the Great Basin, non-static, targeted data collection and evaluation activities should be conducted to inform the process. [sic] Understanding the ecosystem of Lake Terminal” For example, “particular research studies conducted at selected sites can yield a deeper understanding of fundamental hydrological and ecological processes that can be applied to other sites or expanded across the region.” It will make it possible.”
A scientific strategy that involves finding and identifying data gaps is Saline Lake Ecosystems in the Great Basin Program Act, Approved funding of $5 million over five years. Affairs necessary to achieve the purpose of the law “Inform and support coordinated management and conservation efforts to benefit those ecosystems, migratory birds, and other wildlife.” This is no small task and requires intensive resources.
The importance of this effort to protect the irreplaceable habitats that people and birds depend on is evident in the Science Strategy, which supports science and technology across the Great Basin and these at-risk saline lake habitats. Continued funding at authorized levels is essential to advance collaborative solutions. To protect people and birds.
The National Audubon Society is grateful to the USGS and other organizations for the hard work they have done and the progress they have made in developing science strategies and identifying gaps. We look forward to the publication of the Work and Implementation Plan identified in this legislation.
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