| Rising Sakakawea Threatens Birds |
| 7/17/2009 |
| The rapid rise of Lake Sakakawea in North Dakota is threatening two endangered bird species. The rising waters have inundated thousands of acres of shoreline that provided nesting habitat for the interior least tern and piping plover. The Army Corps of Engineers monitors nesting activity to help protect the rare birds. A summer crew surveys the entire reach of Lake Sakakawea and the Missouri River from Williston to Washburn. Nests determined to be at risk of slipping under rising water are flagged and, as a last resort, moved to higher ground. A total of 75 piping plover nests were counted along Lake Sakakawea and the Missouri River earlier this year. But even with the moving of nests, the number has dropped to 7. Of the 20 least tern nests in the original count, 16 remain active. |
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