Responsibility
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lake Diefenbaker Conservation Plan
Piping Plover
SaskPower
is a proud partner in a number of initiatives to protect Saskatchewan's
ecosystem and species at risk, including the Piping Plover. There are only
6,000 Piping Plovers in the world, putting them on the endangered species
list, and SaskPower is working hard to try to change this status.
About one-third of the Great Plains population lives in Saskatchewan. Lake Diefenbaker, on the Saskatchewan River, is one of the most important breeding sites for the Piping Plover in North America. Lake Diefenbaker is formed by the Gardiner Dam where SaskPower's Coteau Creek Power Station is located. The lake is managed for irrigation, municipal water supply, power production, recreation and flood control.
Because the majority of the inflow comes from mountain run-off, Lake Diefenbaker is usually at its lowest point in early spring and rises until mid-July. The change in water level is typically six metres.
Piping Plovers typically nest on beaches and are attracted to the wide beaches normally found at Lake Diefenbaker in the spring. As water levels rise with the spring run-off, nests can be at risk of being flooded and the habitat for chicks can quickly disappear. Predators can also spot the birds more easily when the beach area is reduced due to high water levels.
SaskPower is a member of the Prairie Piping Plover Recovery Team and one of the core partners in the Lake Diefenbaker Conservation Plan. The plan will involve reducing the number of high water years, taking measures to reduce nest predation, implementing a volunteer guardianship program to reduce human disturbance, reducing the impact of cattle on beach habitat, and moving nests in the event of imminent flooding. Monitoring and research will be conducted over the five-year life of the plan to evaluate its effectiveness.
Organizations working with SaskPower on the joint development of the Lake Diefenbaker Conservation Plan include the Canadian Wildlife Service, Saskatchewan Environment, SaskWater, the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration, Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization, Nature Saskatchewan and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
