A project conducted by the Pennsylvania Game Commission in Bradford County earlier this year will benefit waterfowl in the near future, and could lead to a partnership that the agency hopes will lead to many more habitat improvements.
In September 2020, Ducks Unlimited approached the PGC’s Northeast Region about the possibility of partnering on a habitat project with the Cargill Corporation, which was interested in helping to fund work in Pennsylvania. According to Phil Kasper, Northeast Region Land Management Supervisor, Cargill and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation successfully partnered to restore waterfowl habitat in several areas, so he was anxious to see what a similar partnership could do for Pennsylvania.
“It’s a big step for us considering what they’ve achieved on the Montezuma Wildlife Management Area and the Finger Lakes,” Kasper said. “If we can do one project together here, I’m hopeful it could lead to future gifts from Cargill, which would be an enormous benefit.”
State Game Lands 50 in Bradford County served as the location for the first project with the PGC, DU and Cargill, which has a location within the county in Wyalusing. One of the ponds on the game lands was hampered by an old and inoperable water control structure, limiting the PGC’s ability to manipulate water levels and enhance habitat for waterfowl.
To replace the structure, the pond had to be drained nearly empty and an aqua-tube was installed to de-water the work site. A, 8-foot square, 12-inch thick concrete pad was poured to hold the new control structure, which was installed in sections by an excavator. Inside the structure, aluminum flashboards were installed, which will be used to control the outflow of the pond and raise or lower the water level. Manipulating the level of the pond will allow crews to plant wetland species to provide food, nesting areas and brood cover for waterfowl.
“Basically, weed species that produce seed,” Kasper said.
The pond was gradually re-filled throughout the fall and Kasper expects to see an increase in waterfowl activity in the near future.
Thanks to the control structure, he added, the water level will be lowered in the spring to expose the soil along the edges, allowing species such as foxtail, millet, Pennsylvania smartweed, barnyard grass and others to grow. From September through November, Kasper said, the water level will be raised gradually and the plant growth will be flooded, providing access for ducks and geese to feed.
The work was conducted by the agency’s habitat crew of Darren Pettyjohn, Michael Finan, and Dawson Young. The cost of the structure itself was between $5,000-$10,000, Kasper said, and DU and Cargill paid for most of the project. As a result, he added, the partnership freed up PGC funds to be applied for other habitat projects in the region, essentially leveraging the money that was contributed by DU and Cargill.
“We have more projects in Bradford County and other impoundments with aging control structures that need to be replaced. Hopefully we can utilize this partnership to address more projects like this,” Kasper said.
Pete Sussenbach, director of the PGC’s Bureau of Habitat Management, credited DU Regional Biologist Jim Feagy with spearheading partnerships with the agency and increasing the amount of wetland improvement work conducted across the state.
“The partnership with DU has been phenomenal since Jim Feagy came to town several years ago. We have created wetlands, improved wetlands, and purchased wetlands over the last few years. Many times they were supported by our partners with financial and engineering assistance,” Sussenbach said.
- This story originally appeared in PA Outdoor News.
