Giving a dam for the ducks

Many people know Duncairn Dam [Duncairn Reservoir, Reid Lake], located just southwest of Swift Current, as a popular recreational destination to escape the hustle and bustle of life, and enjoy some well-earned lake time. Others know it as the reservoir from which they draw water to irrigate their crops and forages, while for others it is their source of drinking water. But Duncairn Dam has a lesser known value; it provides an important stopover for migratory birds, including ducks and geese.

Duncairn Dam is a man-made lake, where water levels are maintained by control structures at the north end of the lake. This is why the reservoir is valuable to migratory birds as it holds some open water in dryer years when many other wetlands in the region dry up. Because of its value as a migratory bird stopover, the federal government established Duncairn Dam as a Migratory Bird Sanctuary in 1948.

In the Duncairn Migratory Bird Sanctuary, it is illegal to hunt migratory birds or destroy migratory bird nests. Dogs, cats and other pets should not be allowed to roam free so they do not disturb bird nests. Landowners within the Migratory Bird Sanctuary need to contact Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, the Canadian Wildlife Service and the Water Security Agency before undertaking any development activities.

The importance of Duncairn Dam for migratory birds has fostered a working partnership between the Canadian Wildlife Service and the Swift Current Creek Watershed Stewards. Together, we aim to increase public awareness of the Duncairn Migratory Bird Sanctuary. Monitoring is being planned for water quality, invasive species and bird populations throughout the summer.

Migratory birds will not usually nest at Duncairn Dam as it lacks islands and other important nesting features. However during migration season (spring and fall), the reservoir is bustling with bird activity. Keep your eyes open for some exciting migratory bird species such as tundra swan, great blue heron, bufflehead, lesser scaup and whitewinged scoter.

For more information on Migratory Bird Sanctuaries please visit https:// www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/migratory-birdsanctuaries/locations.html

For more info about the Swift Current Creek Watershed Stewards visit www. sccws.com, email stewards@sccws.com or call Kevin at 306-770-4607.