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The whooping crane surveys conducted in 2001 for the Platte River Cooperative Agreement <br />included data collection at whooping crane use sites. Measurements recorded were channel <br />width, water width, water depth, bed /sandbar elevation, sediment /grain size distribution, and <br />distance to visual obstructions. The protocol and methodologies used are on file at the <br />Executive Director's office for the Platte River Cooperative Agreement. <br />Austin and Richert (2001) provide a comprehensive analysis of the USFWS site evaluation <br />data collected from 1977 -1999 throughout the Aransas -Wood Buffalo migration corridor. <br />General information is also included for each state along the flyway. <br />Howe (1985) collected data throughout the migration corridor on habitat use by 18 radio - <br />marked whooping cranes during 5 migrations (3 southbound, 2 northbound) between 1981 <br />and 1984. <br />Channel Width <br />Historically active channel width was measured perpendicular to the flow, from one <br />permanent bank to another (this needs to be clarified, what is a permanent bank ?) Channel <br />width data has been collected since 1966 at 71 sites and is included with the USFWS site <br />evaluation data in Table 4. Channel widths at whooping crane use sites along the central <br />Platte River ranged from 172 ft to 1,500 ft. When on -site measurements of use -sites were not <br />conducted, channel width was estimated. <br />Channel width was also recorded during site evaluations conducted for the Platte River <br />Cooperative Agreement surveys in 2001. <br />Water Width <br />Water width is included in the USFWS channel profiles database as the summed width of the <br />channel profile transect inundated by water. Water width data was obtained by field <br />evaluations at 59 sites since 1966. Measurements at use sites are summarized in Table 5. <br />Water Depth <br />Site evaluations were conducted during the Platte River Cooperative agreement surveys in <br />2001. During these surveys water depth was recorded across the entire channel and at the <br />roost site using a transit and rod. <br />Water depth data was collected throughout the Aransas -Wood River migration corridor at <br />stopover sites, and reported on by Howe (1985) and by Austin and Richert (2001). <br />Howe (1985) collected data on habitat use by 18 radio - marked whooping cranes during 5 <br />migrations between 1981 and 1984. Generally birds did not venture into water deep enough <br />to cover the tibiotarsus- tarsometatarsus joint. Muddy substrates characterized the wetlands <br />most often used by cranes (Howe 1985). <br />The mean water depths were similar for roosting and feeding sites and were reported as <br />follows: <br />Draft Baseline Report — Whooping Crane Section 9 <br />