Species Recovery Objectives for Four Target Species in the Central and Lower Platte River

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during the period 1987 -1998. The decline for both species is significant on sandpit sites on the central Platte River where most terns and plovers nested. The decline was significant for least terns on sandbar habitat in the lower Platte River. The upper Platte River supports very few terns and plovers and most occur on sandpits because the river channel in that stretch is extremely degraded. The shoreline of Lake McConaughy is not a significant nesting area for least terns but is relatively important for piping plovers. The population trends for terns and plovers on Lake McConaughy are slightly positive for piping plovers and slightly negative for least terns. Statewide in Nebraska, least terns and piping plovers are undergoing a significant population decline.27 A.5. Recommended Central Platte River Objectives A.5.1. Piping Plover A.5.1.a. Numbers Objectives for the central Platte River (Lexington to Columbus) should be 126 piping plovers as a 10 -year running average, which is 45 percent of the Recovery Plan goal for the entire Platte River. The central Platte River supported about 1/3 of the birds (58 plovers out of 166 or 35 percent) on the Platte River over the recent 10 year period (Table 1). Thirty-five percent of 280 birds (the Recovery Plan goal for the Platte River) is 98 individual birds for the central Platte River. However, 98 plovers does not appear to be enough to support a viable population on the central Platte River. This is because of several factors: • Birds have been counted only since the early 1980's, after the central Platte River has been degraded, so 35 percent may be realistic for a degraded river, but probably too low for river habitat reaches in the central Platte River that likely will be improved through a variety of management actions. Adequate safe nesting habitat is needed to have a self - sustaining population of birds. • The lower Platte River (below Columbus, Nebraska) has carried the bulk of piping plover production because it has superior habitat conditions for the species in comparison to the central Platte River. However, the population trend is decreasing on the lower Platte River. • The central Platte River (as defined from Lexington to Columbus) is about 40 miles longer with more sand pits for potential nesting habitat than the lower Platte River. Biologically, it is better to try to spread the birds out to reduce the risk of a local catastrophe rather than being satisfied with trying to produce most of the birds from the lower Platte River. This will require significant habitat improvements on the central Platte River. 27 Kirsch, E.M. Nebraska's Least Terns and Piping Plovers 1987 -1999: final report. January 10, 2001. LaCrosse, 97. IR