Investigations of Waterfowl Mortality at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal,
Abstract
IN APRIL, 1959, THE WILDLIFE RESEARCH LABORATORY STUDIED THE MORTALITY PROBLEM AT THE ARSENAL. FIELD OBSERVATIONS WERE MADE AND SAMPLES OF DEAD BIRDS, WATER, MUD, AND VEGETATION TAKEN FOR ANALYSIS. THE RESULTS OF THESE INVESTIGATIONS FORM THE BASIS OF THIS REPORT. IT WAS ESTIMATED DURING THE STUDY THAT 2000 DUCKS WERE LOST EACH YEAR DUE TO THE CONTAMINATION OF THE LAKES. HIGH MORTALITY OCCURRED WHEN THE WATER LEVEL DROPPED IN THE FALL AND WINTER AND AREAS OF THE LAKE BOTTOMS WERE EXPOSED. AQUATIC LIFE IS GENERALLY ABSENT FROM THE LAKES. SAMPLES FROM DEAD DUCKS, AQUATIC VEGETATION, WATER, FOAM, AND MUD CONTAINED CONCENTRATIONS OF ALDRIN AND/OR DIELDRIN. EXPERIMENTS WITH TADPOLES EXPOSED TO MUD AND ALGAE FROM THE LAKES SHOWED THAT THESE TWO MEDIA WERE TOXIC ENOUGH TO KILL THE TADPOLES IN TWO WEEKS. -BKA
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1959
- Accession Number
- ADA291287
Entities
People
- Robert B. Finley Jr