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 ← Guadalupe River
On their wintering grounds along the Gulf Coast of Texas, Whooping Cranes feed almost exclusively on blue crabs. The coastal marshes (right, photo by Dave & Liz Smith) provide excellent habitat for the crabs if salinity levels remain moderate, which is determined primarily by the amount of freshwater flowing into the coastal waters from the Guadalupe River basin.
When freshwater is reduced, due to drought or use of the river's water upstream, fewer crabs are available for Whooping Cranes. In such cases, the cranes weaken, resulting in higher mortality on their wintering grounds and fewer chicks on their breeding grounds in Canada the following spring. How will this affect the future of this endangered species?
ICF in Action
During the winter of 2008-09, a prolonged drought coupled with upstream water use resulted in insufficient freshwater inflows to the coastal marshes of southeast Texas. Continued upstream use of water resulted in a longer period of very high salinity levels along the coast than would have been the case under natural conditions. When the cranes arrived from their long migration, many former feeding areas were either dry or had few crabs. Some cranes were forced to move to other wetlands in search of food and drinking water, and others died on their territories. That winter, from a population of 273 cranes, 23 perished, or 8.5% of the population.
Droughts are natural in the southwest, and the Whooping Crane population can recover from such setbacks when they occur infrequently. However, the State of Texas is granting permits for upstream water withdrawal from the Guadalupe basin to such an extent that freshwater inflows to the coast are expected to be significantly reduced or even eliminated on a much more frequent basis. At the same time, the continued loss and degradation of key wetland sites further limits the potential for the Whooping Crane population to find suitable habitats along the coast. We expect increasing mortality of cranes in the coming years, and possible extinction of the flock, unless a more sustainable approach to water and wetland management is undertaken.
To address these critical issues, ICF and our partners in Texas are undertaking new research and outreach activities aimed at securing the long-term survival of Whooping Cranes on their wintering grounds, and – by extension – the coastal economy of southeastern Texas.
Whooping Cranes in flight over Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.
Photo by Dave & Liz Smith
The Way Forward
ICF is an advisor to The Aransas Project, a Texas-based non-profit organization that promotes reasonable, sustainable and environmentally sound water management in this ecosystem that is so important to people and wildlife. To further strengthen our mission in the Guadalupe River basin, ICF recently hired a Texas-based Whooping Crane Conservation Biologist. Through the experience and expertise of our staff and our key partners, our conservation goals for wintering Whooping Cranes include:
• Identify important habitat areas for Whooping Cranes under current and projected sea level conditions, and assist in securing conservation easements or other land set-asides from private landowners in cooperation with USFWS and Texas Nature Conservancy staff.
• Determine information gaps to clarify the relationship between Whooping Cranes and freshwater inflows with respect to dietary requirements, water availability, and vulnerability to disease, and work with relevant universities and institutions to implement and supervise critical research needs.
• Conduct outreach in the Guadalupe-San Antonio-Mission-Aransas basin, focused on coastal dwellers who depend on freshwater inflows and wider basin water users to better understand water demand, discuss drought preparedness, and options for sustainable water management that can meet the needs of both upstream water users and coastal communities.
• Study and implement management solutions for the movement of black mangrove into Whooping Crane range in cooperation with USFWS.
• Assess crab management practices to reverse the trend of declining blue crab populations in Whooping Crane areas in cooperation with Texas Parks & Wildlife.
• Participate in local citizen efforts to secure land and water resources for Whooping Cranes
ICF is further supporting these goals through outreach efforts to engage the media, civic groups and schools in Aransas County, San Antonio, Austin and other basin communities. Our outreach activities in Texas include:
• Participating in the Port Aransas Whooping Crane Festival and provide interactive education programs including curricula and support materials as part of the festival, at local schools.
• Conduct multi-disciplinary teacher workshops for educators in the Guadalupe River basin to introduce them to crane and wetland education curricula.
• Coordinate and lead an outreach series with presentations to schools, Whooping Crane boat tours, partner organizations, and civic groups in the Guadalupe River basin.
• Develop and produce a poster and complementary brochure explaining connections among blue crabs, freshwater inflows, and the survival of Whooping Cranes that winter in Texas.
• Incorporate artwork from schools in Texas into ICF’s Children’s International Art Exchange, which connects children from different parts of the world (often from schools near vital crane wetlands) through their art.
ICF educators visit Texas schools in the Guadalupe River basin to engage students in crane and wetland conservation activities.
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