Words 

 from the 

 Wetlands

News from The Klamath Basin NWR’s Winter 2000/ 2001

New Wetlands Planned for Tule Lake 

NWR 

By Fran Maiss 

Deputy Refuge Manager 

Over the past six years the Klamath Basin 

Refuge in cooperation with the Universities 

of Washington and California have studied 

the affects of alternating wetlands and farmlands on both wildlife species and agricultural pests. As part of this work, four pilot 

research sites totaling 640 acres were constructed. Research on two of these sites 

(Hovey Point and Headquarters Marsh) focused on wetland habitat and wildlife response to restoration of croplands. The 

other two sites (Fries Island and Lot 5) were 

studied to determine the impacts of wetlandcropland rotation on agricultural operations. 

Proven benefits to both agriculture and 

wildlife have occurred. Restored wetland 

habitats are immediately productive, producing good stands of wetland plants in the 

first growing season. These sites support 

disproportionately dense waterfowl populations relative to their size. When several of 

these wetland sites were returned to crop 

production it was discovered that several 

soil pests and diseases had been eliminated. 

Local growers reported very high yields 

with no need for soil fumigants. Overall, 

this program promises to reduce pesticide 

use on the refuge as well as greatly enhance 

the productivity of refuge habitats. 

Last winter, the refuge in cooperation with 

the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and Tulelake Irrigation District (TID) placed lots 1 

through 4 along “A” dike in a one year 

flooding regime to enhance wetland habitats 

and eliminate crop pests. Payment for the 

water ($37/acre) to TID is being provided 

by BOR. These wetlands are already supporting dense stands of cattail and bulrush 

and produced some duck broods last spring. 

This wetland habitat remained flooded 

through December and will then be drained 

off and placed back in the cropland leasing 

program. This winter we are planning on 

doing the same one year flooding regime to 

lots 34 and 35 in the Northeast corner of the 

League of Nations and lots 1B and 2 in the 

Panhandle area. These flooded units will be 

open to hunting with the same regulations as 

in the past. 

( Continued on Next Page) 

New Wetlands for Tule Lake 2 

Dates to Remember 2 

Looking back at the 2000 3 

Fire Season 

Species Spot light 4 

 The Whooper Swan 

2000 Hunt Season Review 5 

A Volunteer Perspective 6 

Two New Shorebird Species 7 

This Issue:
 New Wetlands Planned for Tule Lake NWR 

By Fran Maiss 

Deputy Refuge Manager 

Ultimately, the refuge would like to see some of these newly created wetlands remain for longer 

than one year. This past month an unexpected opportunity arose to do just that. The BOR office 

in Sacramento had some money targeted for wetland development in the Sacramento Valley become available for wetland restoration in our area if we had an immediately available project. 

Therefore, the refuge met with representatives of BOR, TID and Ducks Unlimited to see if we 

could do a larger cropland/wetland project for a multiple year period. What was ultimately agreed 

upon was that lots 57 through 62 in the Frog Pond (spaced blinds D-1 through D-4 plus the five 

farm lots in the closed area below the D space blinds) would be placed in a four year wetland 

status, with the refuge placing an equal amount of its cooperatively farmed lands in the commercial leasing program. 

 

These lots were selected for multiple reasons: a large size contiguous block (568 acres); the five 

year lease period expires on all of them this October; they are surrounded on the north, east and 

west by adequate levees; they are relatively flat, with only three feet of fall throughout, and they 

all suffer from soil pests and diseases. This project will involve constructing 0.5 miles of 3 foot 

high levee with a 14 foot top width and 5:1 slopes on the south side of lot 62, along with one cross 

levee of the same dimensions between lots 67 and 68.. Construction was started in December 

2000 and is now complete. 

 

The D blinds 1 - 4 will remain in spaced blind hunting area, with the inclusion of pit blinds, once 

wetlands are established. California-Oregon Wetlands and Waterfowl Council, a local sportsmen 

group is researching different blind models and will make a recommendation to the refuge. Hunt 

fee monies will be used to purchase the blinds and make the annual water payment to TID. The 

development of this area with multiple partners should provide quality hunting in the D blinds and 

in fact should improve hunting throughout the adjacent C and E spaced blinds of the Tule Lake 

Refuge. 

Dates to Remember 

 * February 16 - 18 -- Bald Eagle Conference in Klamath Falls 

 * March 2 - 4 – Visit the refuge booth at the Medford Sportsman’s Show 

 * March 3 – Post Season Hunter Meeting at the Tule Lake Fairgrounds 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. 

 * May 12 – International Migratory Bird Day 

 Check local newspapers for events scheduled in Alturas and Klamath Falls 

 

Words from The Wetlands Page 2 
2000 FIRE SEASON 

By David Goheen 

Prescribed Burn Specialist 

The 2000 fire season has been a busy year 

for the Klamath Basin Refuge fire management group. Prescribed fire projects were 

completed during the winter and early 

spring. Approximately 900 acres were 

burned by the crew during this period. Wet 

conditions prevented the crew from completing several planned burns. Many of the 

completed burns were burns associated with 

maintenance and water delivery projects. 

Burning was also used to facilitate clean-up 

of old wood scattered around the recently 

acquired Orem-Sterns properties. 

In addition to on-refuge burns, fire personnel participated in burn projects in other 

parts of the country. Gregg Zoppetti and 

Troy Portnoff both travelled to the National 

Interagency Prescribed Fire Program Training Center in Tallahassee, Florida in January. They spent three weeks participating 

in multiple prescribed fires throughout the 

southeast. Greg Hagedorn attended the 

Southwest Fire Training Academy in Albuquerque, where he participated in several 

burns. Several crew members also helped 

on several burns on the Hart Mountain 

Refuge, and Mike Glass traveled to Buenos Aires Refuge in Arizona to assist. 

The seasonal fire crew arrived on June 5, 

and worked until the end of September. 

Engine 84, which is stationed at Tulelake 

was staffed with Amanda Hickman, 

Gretchen Schurwanz, Ross Wise and 

Gregg Zoppetti. Engine 82, which is stationed at the Klamath Marsh National 

Wildlife Refuge, was staffed with Chris 

Curry, Jesse Irwin and Troy Portnoff. This 

was the first year of working for the Fish 

and Wildlife Service for Amanda, 

Gretchen, Ross and Jesse. Ross was the 

only seasonal employee with previous fire 

experience. The first week of work for the 

seasonal employees consisted of orientation 

and basic firefighting skills. Engine 82 left 

immediately after orientation for a 14 day 

fire detail in New Mexico. The rest of the 

seasonals attended basic firefighting guard 

school to become qualified as firefighters. 

Fire starts were low in the local area. Engine 82 responded to 3 fires locally and Engine 84 responded to 5 fires. However fire 

activity was at historic high level in other 

parts of the west. Engine 82 was sent to 

Utah to assist on the Old Royd Complex, 

and also to Idaho for the Burgdorf Fire. 

Crewmembers from Engine 84 were sent to 

Idaho on a hand crew assignment to support 

initial attack on a number of small fires. 

Part of the crew also assisted on fires on 

and near the Columbia National Wildlife 

Refuge in Washington, and also on a helicopter detail to Vale, Oregon. 

Fire employees also participated in supervisory and logistical support positions on 

various fires around the nation. Dave Sinclear served as the Deputy Incident Commander on the Oregon/California(ORCA) 

Incident Management Team. Dave served 

on incidents at the Grand Canyon, the 

Lakeview Bureau of Land Management 

District, and the Klamath National Forest. 

Mike Glass served on fire assignments to 

Arizona and San Diego. Dave Goheen 

served as an Incident Commander and Division Supervisor on a fire 

on the Elko Bureau of Land 

Management District. 

Glass and Goheen also assisted with the Geological 

Multi Agency Coordinating 

(GEOMAC ) fire mapping 

project at the Denver 

United States Geological 

(USGS) office. 

Lower Klamath refuge experienced a rare lightning fire on September 

16. The Geezopeat Fire burned 5 acres and 

required extensive mop-up in peat soils. 

Another fire, the Volunteer Fire which 

burned 144 acres on September 28, also required extensive mop-up. 

(Continued on page 5) 

Words from The Wetlands Page 3 

Prescribed burning of Unit 13 

of Lower Klamath Refuge 
RARE WHOOPER SWAN RETURNS TO KLAMATH BASIN REFUGES 

By Joan Van Matre 

Refuge Volunteer 

After a few year’s absence, a whooper swan has once again been observed on the White Lake unit of Lower 

Klamath Refuge. A whooper swan was seen in this location during several past winters ( 1991 through 1994) as 

well as January and March of 1998. A whooper swan (possibly the same one) has also been observed several 

years in the Summer Lake in Oregon. This year the whooper swan was first sighted in November and on numerous occasions in December. As recently as January 10, 2001 the whooper was sighted with 3 young swans 

(cygnets) which also appear to be whooper swans (see photo below).

Adult whooper swans are noticeably larger than tundra swans (with which they have been seen in the Klamath 

Basin) and they have a large bright yellow patch at the base of the bill. The yellow is more extensive than is seen 

on the Bewick’s swan and usually terminates in a fairly sharp point on the lower edge of the upper mandible. 

Both adult and immature whooper swans have a straight forehead profile. Immature whooper swans have ashbrown plumage and whitish coloration on the bill where the adults have the prominent yellow patch. 

Whooper swans are a Eurasian species which breed from Iceland eastward across northern Europe and Asia. 

Most of the eastern population migrates to the Japanese Island of Honshu in the winter, but a small number have 

been reported to cross the Bering Straits to winter on the Aleutian Islands. A few cases of whooper swans nesting 

in Alaska have been reported. 

Whooper swans are reported to live up to 35 years and mate for life. The normal clutch size is 5-6 eggs. Incubation by the female lasts 35 to 40 days. Both adults care for the young. Cygnets are able to fly 8 to 9 weeks after 

hatching. These facts and other information about the life history of whooper swans may be found in The Audubon Encyclopedia of North American Birds and Wildfowl of the World by Soothill and Whitehead. 

Words from The Wetlands Page 4 
Review of the 2000 Waterfowl Hunting Season 

By Dave Menke 

Outdoor Recreation Planner 

This past hunting season on Lower Klamath and Tule Lake 

National Wildlife Refuges started out 

on an ominous note when the Bureau of Reclamation announced a cut off all water deliveries to the refuges on August 31, 2000. The timing of this action couldn’t have 

been worse as the refuges normally begin flooding seasonal wetlands on Lower Klamath Refuges starting September 1st. If no water deliveries had been made, about 

two-third of Lower Klamath wetlands would have been 

dry during the critical fall migration period. Eventually, 

delayed water deliveries provided floodup of critical wetlands both inside and outside of the hunting areas about 

one month behind schedule. Due to much reduced wetlands on Lower Klamath, a limitation on hunter numbers 

was imposed on the refuge for the first three weeks of the 

waterfowl hunting season. The following paragraphs provide some general comparisons of hunter numbers and 

hunting success on the two refuges compared to recent 

seasons. 

Opening day averages were fairly similar to recent years 

for marsh hunters and showed some improvement for field 

goose hunters. Lower Klamath marsh hunters took an average of 4.94 ducks per hunter compared to 4.89 and 4.77 

ducks per hunter the previous two years. Tule Lake Marsh 

hunters had lower success on opening day averaging 3.35 

ducks per hunter compared to duck averages of 4.18 and 

5.28 the previous two season opening days. Spaced blind 

goose hunters averaged 0.82 geese per hunter compared to 

0.52 and 0.65 the previous two years. League-of-Nations 

hunters averaged 1.08 goos per hunter opening day compared to 0.11 and 1.55 the two previous opening days. 

Lower Klamath field hunters had a 1.35 opening day 

goose average compare to 0.38 and 0.81 opening day 

goose averages the previous two openers. 

Overall hunting use on Tule Lake Refuge was down 

roughly 18 percent compared to last year. Most of this resulted from fewer hunters on Tule Marsh compared to past 

years. Goose hunting success was up in both the spacedblinds and League of Nations compared to the past two 

years. Duck hunting was much higher in the spaced blinds 

than in recent years. For the period October through December, hunter numbers on Tule marsh decreased over 40 

percent and the per hunter duck average went down from 

3.0 ducks per hunter in 1999 to 2.5 ducks per hunter for 

the 2000 season. 

Hunter use on Lower Klamath hunting units decreased 

about 32 percent compared to last season for the October 

through December period. Although some of the decrease 

can be attributed to the limited numbers of hunters permitted on the refuge in October, November use was also down 

compared to last year. The duck per hunter average for 

Lower Klamath marsh hunters was up slightly this season 

(from 2.97 in 1999 to 3.16 in 2000). The goose average for 

Lower Klamath field hunters was 0.41 goose per hunter 

this season compared to 0.23 and 0.49 for the same periods 

in the 1999 and 1998 seasons respectively. 

Fire cont’d from page 3 

Prescribed fire and hazard reduction projects continued into this fall. The crew of Engine 82 initiated a 

hazard reduction project around the refuge headquarters at the Klamath Marsh. Considering that this 

crew was gone much of the summer, they were able to accomplish a great amount of work on this project, which will ultimately greatly reduce the fire hazard on the compound. Another large project was the 

completion of fireline in the Bear Valley Refuge. The Turnbull Regional Prescribed Fire Crew, greatly 

assisted in getting most of the fireline completed. 2,500 acres of habitat management burning has been 

accomplished thus far on the Lower Klamath Refuge this fall. Another 45 acres of understory burning 

was accomplished in the Bear Valley Refuge. 

 The year 2000 has proved to be a busy and challenging year. Even though we had a fairly green 

crew, things could not have worked out any better. It was a successful fire season with everyone pitching 

in to work together. Everyone experienced quite a bit of wildfire and participated in prescribed fire. Project work was done in an effective and timely manner, and safety was not compromised. One of the most 

satisfying parts of working on the fire crew, is that you get to work with all the other divisions and people on the refuge. Along with wildland fire suppression, prescribed fire and fire equipment maintenance, 

the crew worked with biologists on eagle monitoring, fence work and sucker stations. We helped the 

maintenance division with mowing, cleanup on the Orem property, office construction and bridge work. 

Words from The Wetlands Page 5 
Words from The Wetlands 

A Volunteer Perspective 

By Hank Smith 

Refuge Volunteer 

This year of volunteering at the Klamath Basin National 

Wildlife Refuge has not only been a lot of fun, but productive as well. Some of the projects which I have completed 

include building 4, four-person blinds for disabled hunters, 

helping in picking up dead and dying waterfowl during 

the botulism outbreak, assisting in the banding of over 650 

ducks during night operations, becoming qualified as an 

airboat operator and ATV driver, replacing and repairing 

defective refuge signs, and insuring compliance with 

Refuge rules and regulations by being another set of ears 

and eyes and in conducting hunter "bag checks". 

In fact, it was while conducting one of these checks that we 

discovered a hunter had not returned from the marsh to his 

car at the normal exit time. Officer Menke and I immediately began covering the marsh area in my Jon boat. 

 After searching a major portion without any contact, it 

was decided we needed aircraft resources to locate the 

missing hunter. Darkness was fast approaching. During 

the shutdown of the boat engine and radio call, we 

heard 3 faint gun blasts coming from deep within the very 

heavy tules. We motored toward the sound of the blasts, 

shutdown the engine and yelled. The hunters were indeed 

lost but not in any medical emergency. Shortly after, 

we were able to lead them safely back to the boat ramp. 

They had adequate clothing for that particular day, but it 

was uncertain as to how they would have managed all 

night, because that night the temperatures dropped to 19 

degrees. 

Conducting the bag checks led to the discovery of some 

important information: 

 1) the need for a training program to improve hunters' 

ability to properly identify the different species of waterfowl ( and thus avoid a violation of regulations); 2) a list 

of recommendations to enhance the quality of 

individual hunting experiences and minimize disagreements among hunters; 3) ideas for improving rescue operations and procedures and safety for those using the Refuge; 4) last, but most important, that we have a truly 

remarkable team of bright, talented and committed professionals who are working very hard to insure that our wildlife heritage is not only preserved but that this refuge will 

come to be a model for all others to emulate. 

This Refuge is clearly in good hands. If you enjoy being 

on a hard working team which will engage you with projects that are not only dearly needed but bring about a high 

degree of personal satisfaction, then you might want to 

consider giving them a call at 530-667-2231. Ask for the 

volunteer coordinator and tell him Hank Smith sent you. 

Volunteers Needed !!! 

If you would like to follow Hank’s advice !!! 

Contact us on how you can become part of the team. 

We especially, need volunteers to help with our Visitor Center operations . Also, you can find out about other volunteer opportunities as Hank described or opportunities to work with the Biologist planting tree seedlings in the 

spring. 

So, if you would like to be come part of a great team of Volunteers and Employees, meet new and interesting people 

and have an all around good time. Then Don’t Wait !!!! 

Contact: Park Rangers David Champine or Jerry Ann King at (530) 667– 2231 

Page 6 
Curlew Sandpiper Seen on Tule Lake 

By Ray Ekstrom 

 Small basins of water were all that remained as Tule Lake’s “Sump 1(B) Wetlands Enhancement Project” 

moved through its first dry cycle. By mid-August, the overwhelming Wilson’s Phalarope numbers that had cluttered 

the shores and mudflats had moved on, leaving one with a better opportunity to search through the medium-sized 

shorebirds for rarities. On August 18, at approximately 10:30 A.M., my attention settled on a resting bird with its bill 

buried in its back feathers. Its legs were mostly submerged and, with its back to the sun, I was left almost clueless as 

to its identity. After scanning the surrounding area, I returned to the mystery bird, finding that it had become active. 

My attention was suddenly riveted on a long, down curved bill. The bird was about equal to a Dunlin in size but I 

could now see the rusty breast and this alone eliminated that possibility. I stared in disbelief. I could think of only one possibility and that 

was Curlew Sandpiper! The bird was only about 50 yards from me 

and I could see a well defined, whitish supercilium before the bird 

flew a short distance and started forag- ing. It was not long before a 

raptor put up all of the areas’s shore- birds and my newly discovered 

rarity was up there somewhere, cir- cling with the thousands of 

specks in the sky. By this time I had gotten a glimpse of the white 

rump. What followed was a long, 1 to 2 hour search for the sandpiper. Finally it was relocated but the bird was now on the opposite side of the water from me and too distant. I left 

the area, wanting confirmation from a second party. 

 After a lapse of about 2 hours I returned from the town of Tulelake, with local birder, Kevin Spencer. It took 

us a while but we relocated the bird, now much closer than when I last saw it. Kevin was equally amazed at what we 

were witnessing. We noted that it foraged by walking and pecking in the same manner as the small sandpipers, the 

company of which it seemed to prefer. The wings extended beyond the tail and were whitish on undersides. It was 

flushed several times and we became quite proficient at relocating it, but then there was nothing out there that even 

remotely resembled it. The rusty breast appeared to be somewhat faded, suggesting that it might be an adult female.

Second Sighting of Black Turnstone for Siskiyou County 

By Ray Ekstrom 

It was a cloudy, rainy, late summer morning at Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge on September 1, 2000. 

Sump 1-B had been drained during the period from May to September and offered shorebird habitat in an area where 

next to none existed for decades. At about 10:30 A.M., I observed one Black Turnstone at the northwest corner of 

Sump 1-B. I watched and documented for over an hour. Notations on plumage included sketches depicting the very 

dark brownish-gray head, breast, back and wings. The crown, back and breast were pin striped with dark, blackish 

lines. An inconspicuous supercillium displayed faint, dark, diagonal lines. Scapular and wing covert feathers had 

edges that were paler than the base. The belly sides, anal region and under tail coverts were pure white. The median coverts 

closest to the bend of the wing were boldly edged with white and 

only partially concealed the whitish area be- neath. In flight, a 

rather plain plumage explodes into a striking, eye-catching black 

and white pattern. The legs were a dark, pinkish-gray. The 

flight call is a rapid staccato, slightly de- scending tr-r-r-r-r-r-rr. 

The bird eventually flew to the north- west and appeared to 

be following the English Channel. I departed but returned at about 

2:15 P.M. only to find two Black Turnstones on the same mudflat where the morning bird had been foraging. One 

turnstone resembled the 10:30 bird in having a short, conspicuous white strip on the scapulars as depicted in the photograph, a mark lacking on the second bird. Photographs were taken at this time. I am assuming that these birds were 

travelling together and only briefly separated on this morning, thus eliminating a tug-of-war with my conscience over 

the claiming of two separate records. 

This is only the second known record for Siskiyou County. 

Words from The Wetlands Page 7