Recreation on Hagerman NWR Waters

By Kathy Whaley

Ever think about launching a boat, canoe, or kayak at Hagerman NWR, but you were not sure when or where it is allowed?  Here are a few tips that should help you plan your day on the water.

As of now (July 2012), Refuge waters are open to all types of boats from March 15 through September 30^th each year.  This means you can launch a trailered boat from ramps at Tern Road, L Pad Road, and the road that lies between Pad A and Pad B roads on the northwest side of the refuge during this period.  You can also put in a canoe or kayak at these sites, or launch by hand anywhere off the pad roads, at Big Mineral Day Use Area, at the Goode Day Use Area, or near the low water crossing at Meyers Branch (just north of the Visitor Center).  Basically, hand launching is allowed anywhere except along the main Wildlife Drive.

Late in 2011, Refuge staff submitted the required paperwork that will make changes to 50 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) related to boating on Refuge waters.  As soon as the 50 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) Proposed Rules that were released July 11, 2012 are finalized later this year, the new regulations will be in effect and the following rules will apply:

·       Entry into refuge impoundments and ponds by any means (i.e., foot, boat, other floating device) for any purpose is prohibited year-round.  Ponds are open to fishing March 15 – October 1.

·        Airboats, hovercraft and personal watercraft (jet skis, wave runners, jet boats, etc.) are prohibited year-round on refuge waters.

·       Boats and all other floating devices are prohibited on all open waters of Lake Texoma except Big Mineral Creek from October 1 through March 14 annually.

·       October 1 through March 14, non-motorized boats only are permitted in Big Mineral Creek from the point where it joins Lake Texoma to the upstream end of navigable waters. This includes any type of gas or electric motor that is on-board and capable of use.  Launching is permitted only from L Pad Road or by hand at the Big Mineral Day Use Area.

·        At the point where Big Mineral Creek joins Lake Texoma, Big Mineral Creek becomes a year-round no wake zone to the end of upstream navigable waters.

Basically this means that non-motorized boating will be allowed year-round in Big Mineral Creek, and it should be safer due to the no-wake requirement for boats.  You may want to check back this fall or winter to see if CFR has been finalized and the new rules have gone into effect.  In the meantime, from now through September, you are allowed to boat anywhere on the Refuge.  As always has been the rule, swimming on the Refuge is and will remain prohibited.  If you need more information, please call (903) 786-2826 or stop by the Visitor Center Monday-Friday and ask for Kathy, Gayle, Rick or Kevin. 

Ed.  Note: July is Lakes Appreciation Month - Take time to enjoy our freshwater resources!

Photo:  Big Mineral Creek, by Joe Blackburn (2008)

July 14 Second Saturday Activities

By Kelby Archer

Wildflowers will be the featured topic for Second Saturday at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge on July 14. Dr. Connie Taylor, Professor Emeritus of Biology, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, will be the speaker for the program, which will begin at 10 am in the Multi-purpose Room of the Visitor Center at the Refuge.

Dr. Taylor, who now lives on her own prairie east of Durant, Oklahoma, retired after teaching at Southeastern Oklahoma State University for 28 years. She holds three degrees in Botany from the University of Oklahoma. Among her special research interests are the goldenrods of Oklahoma and Texas and Southwestern U.S.; the distribution of all the native and naturalized plants of Oklahoma, and study of the seeps and bogs in southeastern Oklahoma.

Dr. Taylor and her husband reported over 150 species of plants new to the Oklahoma Flora, and collected several plants new to science, including 3 in Costa Rica and 2 goldenrods in Oklahoma. Together they were named Oklahoma Scientist of the year in 1993. She is the author of several publications on Oklahoma flora.

Also on the calendar for July 14, early-birds can meet at 8 am at the FOH Center at the Refuge for a nature walk, led by Dr. Wayne Meyer and assisted by Vance Wolf. The walk will conclude in time for Dr. Taylor’s presentation.

Second Saturday for Youth at 10 a.m. will be about the Bald Eagle, with hands-on nature crafts and games for youngsters ages 4 -10. Reservations are required for the youth program, to insure adequate materials, and children aged 6 and under are to be accompanied by a parent or other responsible adult. To reserve a spot, call the Refuge, 903 786 2826.

The FOH Nature Photo Club will meet at 12:30pm in the audio/visual classroom of the FOH Center.  “Bugs” is the theme for sharing for July.  Sally Papin will present a program on creating art from photographs using layered textures.  There will also be a presentation of the Spring Photo Safari!

These programs, sponsored by Hagerman NWR and the Friends of Hagerman, are free and open to the public. The Refuge is located at 6465 Refuge Road, Sherman, TX, 75092. For more information, call the Refuge or see www.friendsofhagerman.com.

Hagerman NWR to Serve as Test Site for Road Dust Control

According to a collaborative project report from the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 92% of the roads in the National Wildlife Refuge System are unpaved.   Visitors to Hagerman NWR who travel Wildlife Drive can imagine the dust problem, magnified among the more than  500 refuges in the U.S.  “Dust can impair visibility, creating driving hazards…and decrease the quality of public use such as wildlife observation and photography.”

Studies of various dust control methods to date have not included determination of environmental impact. The current collaborative project addresses environmental effects directly and is seeking to identify safe and effective dust control products for use on Refuge and other Federal lands; the goal - to reduce dust, improve driver safety, and reduce road degradation, at the same time protecting fish, wildlife and plants.

Testing at Hagerman NWR is the third and final phase of the project, evaluating “product performance and verifying environmental safety under real-world conditions.”  There will be a pre-application assessment, application of various products, and follow-up monitoring of environmental effects and effectiveness of the products applied.

Kathy Whaley, Refuge Manager states "Because of the importance of this study not only for Hagerman, but for the Refuge System, we will be closing the Wildlife Drive to ensure road preparation and product application is able to be completed without interference. The expected closure dates are July 8th through July 13th (two days per company)." 

The process will begin July 8 along Wildlife Drive, which will closed to traffic July 8 -13.  Whaley says," If the work is completed before Friday, we will re-open the road." 

The project report describes the three phases of the work at Hagerman:

a. Pre-application surveys—To accurately establish biological baselines prior to product application, roadside vegetation, vertebrates, and possibly invertebrates will be surveyed along each test section. Water quality conditions (e.g., dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity) will be measured when roadside aquatic habitats occur, and soil samples will be taken for analysis at several distances along transects perpendicular to the road.  Dust production will be quantified with mobile-mounted and/or stationary  real-time aerosol monitors. Baseline road condition (e.g., presence of washboarding/raveling) will also be assessed.

b. Product applications—Three dust control/soil stabilizer products  representing different product classes (organic, synthetic fluid, and  chloride-based; …) will be applied  to road sections in a  eplicated design that will allow comparisons among products and between treated and untreated sections. Prior to applications, road surfaces will be brought up to optimum moisture content (OMC), bladed and shaped. The application procedure for each product will follow vendor recommendations, including tank mix dilution, application rate, number of passes, and compaction.

c. Post-application monitoring—Roadside plants and animals will be monitored at intervals as described above, and product performance will be evaluated concurrently, using established metrics of road condition.  Soil samples from established transects will be analyzed periodically throughout the monitoring period to track any changes in soil chemistry associated with transport of dust or treated dust. Mobile-mounted and/or stationary aerosol monitors will be used to quantify airborne particulate matter throughout the monitoring period, and particulate sampling devices may deployed along the roadside transects described above. Samples of treated aggregate will be taken as products weather in the field for use in laboratory-based tests. In-situ tests with plant seedlings or caged aquatic organisms may be deployed in areas adjacent to treated sections during

and immediately following applications.

Visitors to the Refuge should be able in the future to look forward to less dust and more enjoyment of their visit, while  the environment is being protected, not only at Hagerman NWR, but throughout the Refuge  system and Federal lands, as a result of the project. 

Information provided by Kathy Whaley, Refuge Manager and USGS-USFWS, "Field Test of Dust Control Methods for USFWS Refuges"

Rainy Day Memories

There is a “Five years ago” feature on the Featherless Flyer Archive page of the Friends website;  while updating the information for July 2007, we were reminded that on July 7, 2007, Lake Texoma topped the spillway, 640’ and areas around the lake, including much of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge,  remained flooded for several months.   According to the US Army Corps of Engineers, the lake's highest elevation was recorded on May 6, 1990 at 644.76’.  The top of Denison Dam is at 670’ elevation.  This photo of Dead Woman's Pond was taken in August, 2007:

What a contrast to the summer of 2011, when the shoreline retreated a half mile or more as the drought wore on and on, and you could walk underneath Harris Creek Bridge! 

During the 2007 flood the Visitor Center could not be reached from the driveway off Refuge Road, but by walking from the parking area for the Audio/Visual Classroom and the maintenance area.  For many months after the waters receded visitors would remark on the dead areas on the cedar trees, where they had been partially submerged.  With Wildlife Drive under water, travelers had to find new routes around the Refuge, and who knows what kinds of adaptations were made by wildlife during that summer.

The Friends even received emails urging the Refuge to “do something” about the flooding. 

Lakeside areas were also flooded in 2008, and at the Refuge, fishermen were in in the wheat field near the Visitor Center and Refuge Road was looking like a boat ramp:

Waters rose again  in 2009, and  shown here, the finale for the historic kiosk that used to stand alongside Wildlife Drive, near the historic marker.

One more blast from the past, a youtube video of water going over the spillway in 2007!

In the Texoma area during rainy seasons and drought alike,  “What’s the lake level today?” is asked almost as often as “What’s the weather today”!

If you are interested in the history of the Hagerman area and Lake Texoma, plan to attend History Day at Hagerman on Sunday, July 29.  Drs. Jerry Lincecum and Peggy Redshaw will be on hand to facilitate sharing of stories, and representatives of the Friends of Hagerman  would love to copy any clippings or photos brought in, for the Refuge files.

Post by Sue Malnory

Photos by Dick Malnory

Always Something at Hagerman

Post and photos by Skip Hill 

It was a typical Thursday morning at Hagerman and  my day to monitor the Bluebird houses on the Harris Creek Trail. I arrived around 9:30 and went into the Visitor Center to get the bucket of goodies we use for monitoring the trails. I had a relaxed and enjoyable time driving the golf cart along the trails while checking out the 35 boxes along the way. Finally I finished up and headed back to the Visitor Center to return the bucket and cool off.

It was now around 12:30 and  hot outside,  and I was getting very hungry. It felt very good inside the Visitor Center. I washed up and while I was enjoying the coolness of the air-conditioning I was visiting with Lee Hatfield, the Nature Nook volunteer for the day. She had a really nice camera sitting under the counter and being a fellow photographer I asked her about it. She told me a little about the camera and said she had gotten to the Refuge early to drive around and take some photos. Lee said she had gotten some shots of the Bar-Headed Goose. I told her I had never heard of that Goose and she said she had looked it up in the reference manual we keep on the counter and discovered that it was from India. No idea how it got here but here it was. We talked about it for awhile then she got busy with visitors and I was really getting hungry so I headed back to town. I had an errand to run in Denison before going home to eat and it was already 1:00.   I was almost all the way to Hwy 289 when I talked myself into

putting the errand off until tomorrow, holding off on lunch a little longer and going back to

Hagerman to find that Bar-Headed Goose.

 I was driving down Wildlife drive at 1:30 thinking how I never see the good stuff this time of the day and maybe I was wasting my time. Lee told me she had photographed the goose on Egret Drive so that’s where I turned. Way up ahead of me I saw, what looked like a Coyote ambling down the middle of the road. As I got closer it dove into the brush along the shore. I lost him but stopped where he went in and since it was a pad road I knew he couldn't go far. I looked along the shore and then out in the water and found him. The coyote had jumped into the pond and swum the short distance to the shallows on the other side. He looked like he was enjoying to coolness of the water but a little perturbed at me for being there.

  

I was very excited since I had never seen a coyote out on the pads. I took a few more photos before he got in the tall grass on the other side and I could no longer see him.  I continued on with my “Quest for the Bar-head” but got to the end of the road with no luck and headed back towards Wildlife Drive. As I got closer to the end of Egret Drive I noticed something in the road again and thought the coyote had returned but soon discovered it was a raccoon. It was digging in the gravel and eating something and not very interested in me so I was able to get some good shots of him.

I have been coming to Hagerman for a long time and this was the first Raccoon I have seen here. He finally got leery of my lurking around and jumped into the thick grass and scurried out of site. I had not found the Goose but had lots of new experiences so I was thinking it was time to call it a day. By this time it was pushing 2:00 and I had to get home. I quickly drove to Plover Drive in a last ditch effort to find him but no luck there either.

I headed up the road towards the Visitor Center and was just getting ready to leave when I decided to try Egret Drive one more time. I turned around and as I drove up the road, this one last time, a group of Cormorants drew my attention because they were doing the thing where they were all perched on a fallen tree out in the water and they looked like they were on bleachers watching a sporting event.

As I was photographing them something flew by that caught my eye. Oh my gosh! It was the Bar-Headed Goose! I looked up and saw it flying in a holding pattern over a group of Canada Geese in the pond near me and the Cormorants. The Cormorants looked as surprised as I was. I was able to get some quick shots of him in the air and then some more when he landed among the Canada Geese. I probably got 20 photos of him but couldn't tear myself away.   I finally stopped photographing and just sat there and watch as he dipped his head in the water and groomed himself along with all the Canada Geese. He looked like he was having a good time and I was getting tired of hearing my stomach growling at me so I headed home.

My family and I have been visiting and photographing Hagerman for many years and most times, just when you think there is nothing special going on and the wildlife is kind of slow, out pops something that makes it all worthwhile. 

Always something at Hagerman!

ED Note:  Hagerman NWR offers over 11,000 acres of wildlife habitat and the Friends of Hagerman sponsor a Nature Photo Club, with photo safaris, photo contest, and Photographer of the Month programs.

Greater Roadrunner

Written By: Skeeter & Marolyn Lasuzzo

Photography By: Skeeter Lasuzzo

Have you ever been riding down a dirt road and have a bird run out in front of you and sprint down the road then dart to the side into the brush?  If so, it was probably a Greater Roadrunner and this situation is believed to be how it got its name.  The Roadrunner's home was originally in the desert southwest, but by the 20th century it had spread as far east as Louisiana and Missouri.

There are some interesting facts about the Roadrunner.  A Roadrunner will warm up after a cold night by fluffing its back feathers, exposing its dark skin.  The dark skin will absorb heat from the sun.  A Roadrunner can run over 20 miles an hour.  It is carnivorous, feeding on snakes, insects, frogs, and even other birds.  

Marolyn and I have seen a roadrunner crouch down below a small tree next to our bird feeder and wait for small birds to get a seed from the feeder and fly to the tree.  It would then leap straight up with lightening speed and grab the bird.  We have observed the roadrunner eat the bird feathers and all, but sometimes, we think when it was feeding young, it would pull all the feathers from the bird until the bird was featherless and head toward the woods with its prey.  Roadrunners have been known to capture a snake and beat it on a rock until it was dead.

The Pueblo and Hopi Indians believed the Roadrunner would protect them from evil spirits and early frontier people believed if you were lost and followed a Roadrunner, it would lead you to a trail.

We see quite a few Roadrunners at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge.  We watched this one continually catch insects and run into the woods only to return in a few minutes to catch more insects.  We think it was feeding young. 

ED:  Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge is located on the Big Mineral arm of Lake Texoma, at 6465 Refuge Road.  The refuge lands are open daily from sunrise to sunset, free of charge.  Stop by the Visitor Center and Refuge Office, posted hours, for maps, printed wildlife and trail guides and other  literature and information.  The Visitor Center is staffed by Friends of Hagerman and other volunteers.

Butterflies Topic for June 9

Want to identify those beautiful butterflies visiting your garden this summer?  You can learn names and identification tips at Second Saturday at Hagerman NWR on June 9.  Butterflies of North Texas will be the topic, featuring Dale Clark, founder of the Dallas County Lepidopterists’Society.  The program will begin at 10 a.m., in the Visitor Center at the Refuge, located at 6465 Refuge Road in Sherman.  The weather forecast for Saturday is “sunny”, in which case the program will include a short field trip on the Refuge to identify resident butterflies, like the Fritillary, below, photographed by Karen Skogsbergh, May 2012 Photographer of the Month for the Friends of Hagerman.

Clark is the creator of Butterflies Unlimited, a butterfly farm south of Dallas.  He provides over 50 species of live butterflies and moths to zoos and other exhibits throughout the country, and is the editor of the News of the Lepidopterists’ Society, the international newsletter devoted to the study of butterflies and moths.

Birding expert Jack Chiles will lead a guided nature walk on one of the Refuge trails at 8 am Saturday morning, weather permitting.  To join the walk, meet at the FOH Center at the Refuge and wear sturdy shoes; insect repellent is advised.  Participants may bring binoculars, cameras and field guides if desired.  The walk will end in time for the Butterfly presentation.

Youngsters ages 4-10 are invited to the Second Saturday for Youth program on butterflies, also on June 9.  This will be led by Katie Palmer, and will start at 10 a.m. also, ending at 11:30.  Children under age 6 must be accompanied by a parent or other responsible adult!  To assure adequate supplies for each youth, advance registration is required; call the Refuge, 903 786 2826.

All Second Saturday activities are free of charge and open to the public. In addition to programs, the Refuge offers an 11,000 acre habitat for wildlife and wildlife viewing, with five trails and extensive driving possibilities, fishing, boating and more.  Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge is located on the Big Mineral Arm of Lake Texoma.  For more information, call the Refuge or visit friendsofhagerman.com.