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7 Including the Mlshak lakes water areas as shown on Plate II, appear suitable for development as a refuge to be known as the Mlshaklakes National Wildlife Refuge. There are about 6,360 acres In private ownership and about 1,640 acres In Federal ownership. The prIvately owned lands should be.acqulred at a cost of approximately $100,000 and the entire 8,000 acres made available to the Secretary of the Interior under a General Plan as provided in Section 3 of the Fish and Wildlife CoordlnatJon Act (48 Stat. 401, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 661 et seq,), Several Intermittent streams enter the proposed refuge area from the north and .west. The eastern one.,half of the area contains a large number of small lakes and potholes which receIve water fram surface and subsurface flows. Water levels are high In spring as a result of surface runoff, but during summer the water levels drop and the potholes dry up before the water reappears in fall when the water table again rises, These lands should be developed by improve- ment of natural features to provide about 3,000 acres of shallow ponds and .marshes to mitigate waterfowl losses resulting framcon,.. struction of about.6 miles of dikes to connect hummocks. In order to improve this area so that it can replace other habitat that will be destroyed, refuge management will be directed toward providing shallow Impoundments Interspersed with islands and c.han- nels. in early spring there will be about 3,000 surface acres of marshes and ponds that will require about 2,000 acre-feet of water supplied .bynormal runoff. During May, June, and July approximately 1,000 acres of pond ~nd marsh will remain and will require an estl- mated 3,000 acre-feet to be supplied from wells. These water re- quirements total about 5,000 acre-feet annually which are subject to acquisition of water rights. Refuge lands, particularly buffer zones, will be developed to their maximum production for upland game, shorebirds, and fur animals, Thlswitl be accomplished In part through controlled grazing. Ob- noxious plant growth existing on or Invading the~r~,.wiIJ-be con- trolled by mechanical or chernlcalmeans. i,j. ~.:; . J Other wildlife management practices wi II Include Censuses of bird and animal populatlons. patrol and protection of the area against fire, control of predatory animals, trapping and banding programs, fencing and imprOvement of upl~nd-game habitat. Lands acquired for refuge purposes wi II be of sufficient size that habitat for resident game species wi II be Improved incidental to management for waterfowl, Part of the losses to resident game, resulting from project construction, could be mitigated through refuge operatIon. Public hunting programs may be considered after the area Is developed and waterfowl numbers are well established. Consideration will be given to the public hunting of resident game when game populations warrant, provided that such hunting will not conflict with the primary purpose of the refuge.