Status of the Interior Least Tern and Piping Plover in Nebraska

• Description: Prepared for Interstate Task Force on Endangered Species ‎(related to the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program or PRRIP)‎, Colorado Water Congress, Nebraska Water Resources Association, Wyoming Water Development Association Tom Pitts, P.E. Task Force Coordinator
• State: CO
• State: WY
• State: NE
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 9/1/1988
• Author: EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc.
• Title: Status of the Interior Least Tern and Piping Plover in Nebraska ‎(Period of Record through 1986)‎
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

CONTENTS
xi
Page
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
i -x
1. INTRODUCTION
1 -1
1.1
Overview
1 -1
1.1.1 Interior Least Tern
1 -1
1.1.2 Piping Plover
1 -1
1.2
Regulatory Status
1 -3
1.3
Scope of Report
1 -5
2. INTERIOR LEAST TERN
2 -1
2.1
Historical Sightings
2-1
2.2
Systematic Surveys
2-5
2.2.1 Platte River
2-7
2.2.1.1 Census Results and Distribution
2 -7
2.2.1.1.1 Shifts in Colony Locations
2 -9
2.2.1.1.2 Spatial Occurrence
2 -10
2.2.1.1.3 Sandbar Versus Sandpit Use
2 -11
2.2.1.2 Colony Spatial Characteristics
2 -11
2.2.1.3 Foraging
2-12
2.2.1.4 Production
2 -14
2.2.1.5 Sources of Mortality at Nesting Colonies
2 -16
2.2.2 Missouri River
2-21
2.2.2.1 Census Results and Distribution
2 -21
2.2.2.1.1 Gavins Point Dam to Ponca, Nebraska
2 -21
2.2.2.1.2 Fort Randall Dam to Lewis and Clark
Lake
2 -24
2.2.2.2 Colony Spatial Characteristics
2 -25
2.2.2.3 Production
2 -26
2.2.2.4 Sources of Mortality at Nesting Colonies
2 -28
2.2.3 Niobrara River
2 -31
2.2.3.1 Census Results and Distribution
2 -31
2.2.3.2 Shifts in Nesting Colony Locations
2 -33
2.2.3.3 Sources of Mortality at Nesting Colonies
2 -33
2.2.4 Other Nesting Locations
2 -34
2.3
Statewide Population Status
2 -36
xi