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<br />') <br /> <br />Habitat for some shorebirds such as the avocet and killdeer <br /> <br />is near optimum now since they prefer bare shores and islands <br /> <br />for feeding and nesting. Nesting habitat for the Wilson's <br /> <br />phalaerope. spotted sandpiper and common snipe is fair. but <br /> <br />improving since they reouire wet meadows. <br /> <br />The existing habitat is also only fair for sandhill cranes <br /> <br />and whooping cranes. Both prefer extensive marshlands. and <br /> <br />grain fields are necessary for food during those migratory <br /> <br />periods when cheir natural animal prey is inade~uate. <br /> <br />Habitat conditions are near optimum for rainbow trout at this <br /> <br />time. Theae fish thrive on the warm artesian water (600F. at <br /> <br />J <br /> <br />the well year around) and the abundant aauatic invertebrate <br /> <br />fauna that it produces. The freshwater shrimp. Hvalella <br /> <br />azteca. provides an abundant supply of high protein food for <br /> <br />the trout. Rainbow trout planted as fingerlings grew to 20 <br /> <br />inches and 3~ Ibs. in two years from the first stocking. and <br /> <br />more recently to 15 inches and 2~ Ibs. in ,~ yesrs in the ponds <br /> <br />newly stocked in 1975. <br /> <br />However. some problems sre anticipated in the future due to <br /> <br />overgrowth of a~uatic plants. Yellow water buttercup <br /> <br />(Ranunculus flabellaris), sago pondweed (Potomo~eton pec- <br /> <br />tinatus) and several species of algae are beginning to choke <br /> <br />the fishponds. especially during the warmer months. This <br /> <br />might eventually reauire some a~uatic plant control to optimize <br /> <br />) <br /> <br />". ...'.1.....6 <br />I " . <br />'-__: \~.- i~ , ..:.. '"" <br /> <br />-23- <br /> <br />10112 <br />