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54 <br />1421. Prevent contamination of habitat. <br />Preventive measures range from efforts to minimize existing damage to the <br />long -range efforts to reduce the potential for contamination of habitat. <br />Whooping crane protection should be specified explicitly in contaminant spill <br />contingency plans which involve State and Federal agencies along with local <br />oil spill control groups in efforts to contain and clean up leaks and spills which <br />could impact whooping crane habitat. An oil spill contingency plan was <br />completed for Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in April 1993 (Robertson at al. <br />1993). Response to contaminant spills of all types along the Texas coast is <br />primarily the responsibility of the U.S. Coast Guard. <br />1422. Prevent erosion of habitat. <br />Wakes from sport and commercial boats erode critical whooping crane habitat <br />along the Gulf Intercostal Waterway. Ponds and sloughs in the marsh are <br />drained as erosion breaches their margins. Reduction of boat speeds, armoring <br />banks, reducing breakwaters, and relocating a segment of the GIWW are <br />options for reducing erosion. <br />1423. Reaulate deposition of dredge s <br />Dredging of channels and slips, and disposal of dredge spoil can cause serious <br />damage to whooping crane habitat. Permit applications for such projects <br />should be reviewed carefully and rejected if they are incompatible with <br />whooping crane management objectives. Solutions include reuse of existing <br />disposal sites by removal of dredged material after it drys, barging or pumping <br />of sludge material to sites away from the marsh, and relocation of a segment <br />of the GIWW. Experiments to create new crane marshland and breakwaters <br />with dredged materials should be continued. <br />1424. Maintain freshwater inflows. <br />Freshwater inflow from hundreds of miles inland are essential to maintain the <br />productivity of coastal waters used by the cranes. Inflows provide nutrients <br />and buffer salinity levels so they remain favorable for production of food <br />needed by whooping cranes. Salinity levels which allow whooping cranes to <br />drink coastal waters rather than fly inland to drink are maintained. Upstream <br />reservoir construction and water diversions for agriculture and human use <br />reduce these inflows. Consultations on such flow modifications must continue <br />to ensure that downstream water needs are met. <br />143. Manage habitat. <br />First priority should be given to habitats designated as critical or essential. <br />Management practices on national wildlife refuges, Federal waterfowl production <br />areas, and State wildlife areas that have been utilized by whooping cranes, or have <br />potential for their use, need to be re- examined for the potential of developing and <br />