Projects and Research
The refuge works closely with universities, other Federal agencies, non-government organizations, and researchers in supporting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's conservation mission. Projects focus on research, habitat management, and inventory and monitoring.
Research Projects
- White-faced and glossy ibis hybridization
- Resiliency of native fishes to extreme drought
- Insect herbivores of saltgrass (Distichlis spicata)
- Environmental availability and assessment of heavy metals and other anthropogenic contaminants in snowy plover nesting habitats in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma
- Structure and connectivity of mid-continental snowy plovers
- Oceans Across Space and Time (OAST)
Habitat Management Projects
- Reduction of woody encroachment into native mixed-grass prairie
- Preserve/recover salt flats from invading salcedar
Inventory and Monitoring Projects
An Inventory and Monitoring Plan was created listing and describing all survey conducted by refuge staff.
- Integrated Waterbird Management and Monitoring
- International Shorebird Survey
- Spatial Snowy Plover Survey
- Invasive Plant Monitoring and Mapping
- Vegetation Surveys
- Aquatic Invertebrate Surveys
- Waterfowl Habitat Assessment and Monitoring
Collaborative Surveys the refuge contributes to:
- Mid-winter Waterfowl Survey
- Mid-winter Eagle Survey
- Christmas Bird Count
- Mourning Dove Trapping and Banding
- Central Flyway Sandhill Crane Surveys
Each week, October-March, the refuge performs a count of waterfowl and other bird species. Counts are usually conducted Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday depending on staff availability and access to count areas.
These counts are part of the Integrated Waterbird Management and Monitoring Program. This program is a national effort to coordinate waterbird monitoring on National...