American Fork citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979, 1915-07-10
Waterfowl Killed By AIka|i
Fresh Water Said to be Only
known Remedy for Strange
Malady Around Salt Lake,

Washinton, d. c., June 3O-The
strange ma'ady which has been kill.
ing wild ducks by thousands I'm the
marshes around the Great Salt Lake
each year, seems to be caused by an
alkaline poison, according to a pre-
nmlnary report of the U. S. Depart
ment OF Agriculture's investigators.
Fresh water is believed to be the only
remedy yet discovered.
AS the flats around Great Salt Lake
airy after high water, salts and alkalis
crystalline OF the surface of the
ground. When light rains form pools
on the flats, or when steady wind
blows the wctlr across the dry bar.
rens, the soluble salts are taken up
by the water. Duck ard other water
fowl are eager TO feed on the newly
flooded lands and inb!bing these salts
and alkalis arc poisoned and die.
The quantity of water which has
reached the lake through the Bear.
Weber, and Jordan rivers has been
greatly reduced within the past Is
years, and In consequence stagnant
pools have formed over large sections
of this region In these pools the ak
ais end salts leaohed from the soil
by irrigation are frequently deposited.
In dry seaGons the conditions become
much worse and the number OF pois-
oned birds 10 enormous.
The remedy for the situation which
Is killing vast numebrs of waterfowl
and affecting net only the regicn
around the great Salt Lake, but the
abundance of birds elsewhere, Is to
prevent the formation of stagnant
water At the mouth of the Jordan
River there arc only two points--th, /
Mallard Holes and the Duck Puddles
whore under normal conditions
stagnation chould occur. At the /
mouth Of the Weber River. however, !
the situation is more difficult. The |
birds elect TO use the shallow flats
along the north channel and II Is
probable that less than 10 per cent
of these that gather there ut tho cnd |
of the summer are alive at the beg
ginning Of the shooting season, De
tobcr l. IF the north channel were
ditchcd and the water thus prevented
from spreading on the shadows, the
ducks would be driven to use better
drained south channel ana conditions
would undoubtedly improve. When the
irrigation dams are opened In Scptcm-
her and there is an abundance OF wat |
or, the north channel flats could be
flooded again in order 10 attract th'
birds for tho fall Shooting
A still more serious problem arc
the extensive flats ut the mouth OF
the Bear River. The area Is TOO large
TO make drainage practicable ana lhe
only solution appears TO be 10 ih-
crease tho wctcr supply durinS July
August and September, II mas Ooen
suggested that if more wafer were
allowcd to pass the irrigation udlne
across Bear River, reservoirs lnlgn'
no established and supply oil lr'Hn
water be- obtained for the summer
months ,,.,,, ni
reiinf n is recommended that m''l 10
statiorcd on the marshes to gamer
nm The sick birds and pen th'm
rrcsh w?tcr. So many birds r'l&!' y.
saved i'm this way that It cccnS wv
results would Justify the comphrahN'
TO glicht exp nlsc, some 5So uu,nn
worc brought into the Duokvllic Gun
Cnb in a little moro than month
,rJ or these 70 per cent reCd'Cr'u
nv generating the weak blrls llolu
he others il Is probable that the p,,
cont of rccovcrics could he Srcu,S
,ncreasod II Is also possible 'no'
49,, birds which have recovered '''
hooomc more or less immune 10 lu'
,oisnu I'm order 10 obtain inlorn@
Ian ON this point, aluminium n ea"nr
were pIaccd upon the legs OF -" ~
| ,ho birds which were released laH'
,aor oocb hand hearing the inScr'P
Ian Notify the T. S Department '"
, w." Anyone finding one "'
hceo handed birds is requested 10
nort II TO the department rue ~,
'cstiootions are being continued ~,
soason both with view OF cohilr'n'"r
,ho findings of last year ahd o' S'~
,osting preventive measures