Caddo Lake is an international treasure

This is something I wrote for the newsletter sent out by the Galveston Bay Area chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists.

......................

Caddo Lake's winter look.

We know our favorite wetlands are valuable, however Caddo Lake is the only site in Texas that has earned a Wetlands of International Importance designation under the Ramsar Convention.

Residents have long appreciated the beauty of the 8,000 acres of flooded bald cypress forest.

“It’s a mystical place,” said Stella Barrow, Cypress Basin TMN chapter president who can launch a boat from her home on Caddo Lake.

“You have to experience Caddo Lake to get why the adventures are special. The bald cypress trees and the Spanish moss provide the quiet peace and the mystical beauty. I swear as soon as we push off my blood pressure drops. The sunsets are breathtaking. I don't know the words. It's just another world.”

Members of the Cypress Basin chapter are among those working to preserve the wetlands. Chapter members maintain the walking trails on the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge and conduct most of the training for new members at the refuge. The chapter is a sponsor for the Earth Day, April 22, paddling regatta.

“Our chapter and the refuge Friends group received an $11,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to install an e-bird kiosk, build two bird blinds and a walking trail on the refuge,” Stella said. “We are super excited!”

Having the Ramsar designation gives Caddo Lake an advantage to get federal grants, attract research projects and obtain technical support for long-term protection of wetland resources, including the ongoing fight against giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta).

The Ramsar Convention was formed by countries and international organizations concerned about the loss and degradation of wetlands habitat for migratory birds.

A call for a global environmental treaty began in the 1960s. The language of the convention was negotiated for eight years before the first conference was held in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971 and a treaty was signed. Australia’s Cobourg Peninsula became the first Ramsar site in 1974.

Today there are 2,250 sites and 169 member nations. The U.S. has 38 sites. The latest U.S. site is Chiwaukee Illinois Beach Lake Plain, on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan.

In 1993, Caddo Lake became the 13th Ramsar Site in the U.S. The original designation area included about 8,000 acres of public land, 500 acres in Caddo Lake State Park and 7,500 acres in the Caddo Lake State Wildlife Management Area. In 1998, the site was expanded to include about 11,700 additional acres, including 1,400 acres of the old Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant, which became the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and some private lands.

To earn the designation, a Ramsar site must contain a unique example of natural wetlands, support important populations of plant and animal species, support animals at critical life stages, and support indigenous fish to contribute to global biological diversity.

According to the Caddo Lake Institute website, the Texas site meets the criteria because:
•    It is one of the best examples of mature flooded bald cypress forest in the U.S.
•    The area supports about 216 bird, 47 mammal and 90 reptile/amphibian species, including peregrine falcon, alligator snapping turtle and Eastern big-eared bat. Bald cypress trees up to 400 years old are stars among the diverse plant life.
•    It is popular on the Central Flyway for migrating birds, including wood ducks and prothonotary warblers.
•    Lake diversity includes up to 86 fish fauna and 18 species of game fish.

When you visit the area, plan to get on the water to experience the unique environment, said Richard Lowerre, Caddo Lake Institute executive director. “That means a boat.”

“But a place I take people to get a feel for the system is the Mill Pond at the Caddo Lake State Park. It is the easiest place to find, and you can drive to it,” Richard said. “There are also great CCC cabins to rent at the park, and you can put in your canoe or kayak or fish off the fishing pier. The lake is 26,000 acres, and there are many different environments and conditions to explore.”

We rented a place on the water when we visited in February.

Attwater's Prairie Chickens get privacy for breeding

Males inflate their yellow sacs to make a booming sound during breeding season

The male Attwater's Prairie Chickens, which are booming for the females, have been paired with potential mates at the Houston Zoo's breeding facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

So that means that the volunteers have been kicked out to give the birds their privacy.

Today was our last day of weeding in the pens until late June or July.  Then we will continue our battle against deep-rooted sedge.

By the summer we hope there will be chicks to add to the population of endangered APC.

What a nice tail.

All these pics are of the same bird. Here is his "stay away" look.

This is his "I will peck that camera" look.

APC pens

Live long and prosper, Attwater's Prairie Chickens. We'll see you again this summer.

Fishing tackle out on a limb

The fish are safe, but the birds may get caught.

During the winter it is easier to spot tangled lines in the trees, especially around Caddo Lake.

Hanging out with a friend

Tangles in the limbs.

I spy something orange.

Who will rescue it?

Caddo Lake wildlife refuge's version of Stonehenge

Yes, it looks like No. 4 escaped.

After a prescribed February burn, the old TNT plant at Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge took on an eerie atmosphere. The crunch of the blackened ground was the only sound as we walked around the abandoned facilities.

It looks like Caddo Lake's Stonehenge.

The refuge was formerly the Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant built in 1942 with backing from Lyndon Baines Johnson, a young congressman who would be president 1963-69.

In 1998, about 1,400 acres of the site became part of the area designated a wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar convention. In 2,000 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service added the site to the National Wildlife Refuge system to preserve the bottom land hardwood forest ecosystem for a migratory and resident wildlife species.

Admission to the refuge is free. There is a driving loop and some spinoff trails with picnic tables and bird blinds. The old TNT facilities are just one of the stops.

Production area

Info sign at the site

The black form looks like phoenix rising or perhaps a sentinel dragon or just a tree burned to a delicate crisp.

Building remnants