2003 Peter Green Award 1st Place - Chad Newbolt

Peter A.W. Green spent two terms as the president of the Delta Waterfowl Foundation. During this time he led Delta to the forefront of the conservation movement and heightened awareness of waterfowl and wetland issues. The Peter A.W. Green Communications Award was established in 1994 by the Delta Board of Trustees in honor of Peter’s six years of outstanding service (1988-94).

This award is presented annually "to the Delta student who best exemplifies the characteristics required to be an effective communicator for the well being of North America’s waterfowl resource. These skills are to include the ability to communicate in both a written and oral fashion, and to present information in a manner which is understood by layperson and professional alike".

Mobile Delta Blues
by Chad Newbolt

Summers in south Alabama can be downright miserable for those of us who enjoy cooler climates. Most southern summer days bring an energy-draining combination of searing sun, squelching heat, and suffocating humidity. At night, gentle breezes produced by bird-sized biting insects provide minimal relief from the heavy, stagnant air. As a native born Mississippian, I’m used to bugs and heat; however, the mosquitos and summer weather in south Alabama often cross the line between absurd and ridiculous. The seemingly endless summer wears on through June, drudges through July, and almost grinds to a halt in August. Then, just as you are considering fleeing to higher latitudes, something truly wonderful happens. One morning in early September, you step outside anticipating the heat and sweat that has accompanied any outdoor venture during the previous three months, but find that your expectations of sweat-soaked clothes and scorching sun remain unfulfilled for an entire minute! And what’s this? The stagnant yellow haze has given way to vibrant blue skies and a cool western breeze. Now I know that moving air and sub 90 0 temperatures may not seem like much to those who have not spent a summer in the southeastern U.S., but those who have experienced Mobile, Al in mid-August know that any relief from the relentless heat is cause for celebration.

Although these late summer cool snaps are short lived, their effect is profound on those of us who listen for whistling wings and watch the skies in eager anticipation of V-shaped lines. The hint of cooler weather awakens waterfowlers from the lazy summer haze that had temporarily suppressed thoughts of the upcoming hunting season. We pull down the decoys for cleaning and repair, drive around practicing the hail call we haven’t mastered, fine tune the dog on her blind retrieves, and begin to scan every puddle for any sign of the early migrators. If the first birds don’t arrive in a timely manner, we begin to panic. We go back through the year’s duck report, check the weather on the breeding grounds, and look at historical records to see if there is some explanation. Just as we are beginning to think that the ducks will never arrive, it finally happens. Overnight, the once duck-less lakes, ponds, and potholes are converted to bustling centers of waterfowl activity. Swarms of lighting-quick birds twist and turn over the marshes and bayous in search of food and refuge. The sight of set wings against an autumn sunset soothes the souls of southern waterfowlers who have relied on memories of last year’s hunts to carry them through the warm months. The first waves of Blue-winged teal have once again returned to Mobile Delta for a brief rest as they hurriedly make their way to their wintering grounds. Although their stay in our area is short, they bring notice that ducks are on the move and lift the spirits of all waterfowl enthusiasts.

Mobile Delta is an extensive wetland located on the southeastern edge of the Mississippi flyway near the city of Mobile, AL. This delta begins at the confluence of the Tombigbee and Alabama rivers in south Alabama and extends southward approximately 64 km before opening into Mobile Bay. Mobile Bay and Delta is the primary basin for the sixth largest river system in the United States, draining a watershead area of more than 111,369 km2. In addition to waterfowl, this delta provides important habitat for many other species of fish and wildlife, including 38 species of colonial seabirds and 123 species and subspecies of reptiles and amphibians. Although the entire delta provides habitat for waterfowl, shallow bays and abundant aquatic vegetation in the lower Mobile Delta provide the richest habitat for waterfowl. In fact, the lower Mobile Delta contains 95% of the total wintering waterfowl population in the Mobile Estuary.

Thanks to past and present wetland and waterfowl conservation efforts throughout the U.S. and Canada, the early fall fears of duck-less seasons are rarely a reality for most North American waterfowlers. However, startling declines in the number of ducks using the lower Mobile Delta justify the pre-season uneasiness of south Alabamians. Mid-winter counts reveal that duck use of the lower Mobile Delta has declined by as much as 97% over the past 60 years. On a single day in 1941, 104,000 ducks were counted in the lower Mobile Delta. However, 2001 mid-winter counts estimate a mere 3,500 ducks in the same area. Many factors influence the number of ducks that visit the lower Mobile Delta each year, such as continental duck population, weather, availability of habitat along migratory routes, and condition of habitats in Mobile Delta; however, the continued decline in mid-winter counts despite favorable weather and high continental duck populations in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s suggests that decreases are related to an increase in the amount or quality of habitat along the Mississippi flyway or degradation of habitat in Mobile Delta.

Many argue that the decline in duck use of Mobile Delta is primarily related to the creation of reservoirs and refuges along the Mississippi flyway. For example, Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge (est. 1938) in North Alabama provides 35,000 acres of non-traditional wintering habitat for waterfowl that may have historically wintered in Mobile Delta. Wheeler Refuge records indicate that this “short-stopping” theory has at least some validity. Mid-winter counts on Wheeler Refuge indicate that duck numbers have increased from approximately 10,000 ducks in the 1940’s to 30,000 ducks at present.

The additive effects of reservoirs and refuges has surely led to some decrease in duck use of Mobile Delta; however, trends in the delta’s mid-winter counts suggest that the root of the problem may lie closer to home. Mid-winter duck counts in the lower delta remained reasonably high throughout the 1940’s, 50’s, and 60’s, averaging approximately 35,000 birds, long after many of the accused reservoirs and refuges had been established. It is not until the late 1970’s that mid-winter counts in the lower Mobile Delta began a downward spiral that has continued to the present. Since 1980, duck counts have exceeded 10,000 only six times, with an average count of approximately 4,000 birds.

Although development, pollution, dredge-spoil dumping, and siltation continued to degrade waterfowl habitat in the lower Mobile Delta throughout the later part of the twentieth century, the most notable habitat change that occurred during this time period was the introduction of Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum). Eurasian watermilfoil is a non-native submersed plant that is undesirable in most aquatic environments due to its growth characteristics and low nutritional value. The light-blocking canopy formed by this fast growing milfoil has allowed it to quickly become the dominant submersed plant in the lower Mobile Delta. Just four years after the initial observation of milfoil in Mobile Delta in 1975, the plant was estimated to cover almost half of the 3,000 ha’s of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in the lower delta. By 1994, milfoil was the dominant submersed plant in the lower Mobile Delta and covered nearly 2,700 ha.

The rapid decline of native vegetation in the lower Mobile Delta is bad news for many species, such as waterfowl, that depend on the high quality foods provided by these plants. Concern for health of the lower delta has led to interest in the development of a plan to manage milfoil and restore native SAV. Understanding the ecology of SAV in the lower Mobile Delta is essential in the development an efficient and effective SAV management plan; however, little is currently known about the specific ecology of SAV in this area. Studies in Chesapeake Bay have illustrated the importance of water quality and substrate on the growth of SAV; therefore, in this project we will study the relationships between these parameters and SAV growth and distribution in the lower Mobile Delta. In addition, we will compare density of migrating Blue-winged teal using habitats dominated by milfoil and native species of SAV. Results from this study will allow us to 1) evaluate whether variation in water quality and growth substrate affects growth and distribution of milfoil and native species of SAV, 2) determine the relative quality of milfoil and native species of SAV for migrating Blue-winged teal, and 3) asses whether restoration of native species of SAV in the Mobile Delta would be a viable method for improving habitat quality for migrating Blue-winged teal and other waterfowl species.

As another summer approaches, waterfowlers throughout the southeast are putting away the duck calls and settling into the warm weather slumber of the off-season. Although the future of waterfowl in Mobile Delta remains unsure, southern waterfowlers can rest a little easier knowing that efforts are being made to protect the visions of ducks in their dreams. Through research, conservation, and restoration of SAV in the Mobile Estuary, we can help ensure that the early fall cool snaps not only signal the end of summertime blues in the southeast, but also herald the arrival of ducks to Mobile Delta.