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IV.B.2.b. Restore, Create and Maintain Bare Sand Riverine Islands and Channel Width Management Action: Islands will be created using the same methods as in "clear-level-pulse" except for pulses described in N.B.1. Maintenance will require a mechanical maintenance emphasis on nesting island and surrounding channel area during low flow years. Channels of 750 feet wide will be created and maintained using mechanical means similar to methods in the "clear-level-pulse" except for released pulses. Predator management at known least tern and piping plover nesting colonies at constructed riverine islands will begin Year 1 of the Program. Potential Effects: These management actions will increase barren sand on riverine islands for nesting area. If numbers of nesting pairs are currently limited by nesting substrate this will increase nesting pairs. If least terns and piping plovers prefer riverine islands for nesting over sandpits, there should be a shift in nesting off of sandpits to islands. If least terns and piping plover are more successful at reproduction on river islands, there should be greater fledge ratios over sandpits. These management actions will also increase whooping crane roost habitat. Therefore increasing survival, based on the assumption that habitat along the Platte River limits whooping cranes survival. IV.B.2.c. Create and Maintain Inundated Wetlands and Upland Areas Management Action: Each 0.5 miles of linear wetland (sloughs, backwater) constructed on Program lands will include at least one area that has a shallow water area with a minimum water surface area of 500 feet by 500 feet. These areas will be designed such that they can be drained for vegetation management purposes. Where possible these wetlands will be filled by surface flow or pumping during whooping crane migration periods. These will not be necessary within the high banks when channel width already exceeds 750 feet. The CA has observed x hours of whooping crane use of grasslands and x hours of whooping crane use of corn fields. Therefore Program acquired agricultural field not previously wetlands should be planted to corn. In addition the Program will explore enhancing the foraging value of these fields by flooding them utilizing existing irrigation equipment. One area 10 to 20 acres at least 200 yards from a road will be flooded during a spring and fall migration period to determine feasibility and cost. All acquired properties will be evaluated for the presence of non-riverine wetlands that have been altered or filled and they will be restored to their original size. The Program will utilize the remaining 400 acres of non-complex land to create 300 acres of palustrine wetland. These should have at least 25% of the area with a shallow water depth (approximately less than 10 inches) during whooping crane migration periods. Any upland areas acquired in the process of acquiring the desired wetland areas should have an easement attached limiting access during whooping crane migration time and the construction of permanent September 1, 2006 Adaptive Management Plan 26