Updates From the Northern Montezuma Field Office
Staffing
Daria Sparks and Jarod Ruffle should remain on staff through November. They will continue to assist with a variety of tasks including herbicide applications, seed collection, seeding, tree planting and pheasant stocking. Nate Carlton will remain on staff throughout the year.
Management
Re-watering our drawdowns has already begun. Most impoundments including the ones de-watered this spring, are saturated and have at least some standing water. Howland Island drawdowns (Breeder and Coot Ponds) will begin to be fully re-watered starting October 1. Moist-soil units are already holding some water. Pumping into Carncross Flats will begin the week of September 27th if the Seneca River is high enough to allow it. Otherwise re-watering Carncross Flats will be delayed.
The 10-acre Fallow Field sedge-meadow restoration is slated to be seeded this October/November. It was fully disked this past week, and is ready for a dormant seeding. We would also like to come up with a better name for this unit (at least locally).
Phragmites control work started in August, and happens as time and weather allows. So far this year we have made applications to Unit 1, Unit 2, Deep Muck and Mitigation Muck. We’ll continue to make applications up until a hard frost with Guy’s Marsh, Torrey Marsh, the TNC Salt-Marsh, the DEC Salt-Marsh and a few smaller sites as priorities. Other control work off-site include: Junius Ponds, Conesus Inlet, Honeoye Inlet and Catherine Creek Marsh, but again, as time allows. A new 100 gallon skid sprayer was purchased by the FOTMWC, and should allow for increased control work moving forward.
Plans for Reimagine the Canals Restoration work are still moving forward, although there have been delays. SHPO review (Archaeological Review) is currently holding up several aspects. A contractor has been hired to investigate specific sites, write a summary of findings and make recommendations for the work moving forward. The 1A/1B (compiling of available literature and report of initial findings) has been completed. Phase 2 work still to come.
The GLRI Grant Restoration Project (south of Carncross bridge) is slated to begin sometime this fall. The team is currently waiting on permits.
Other
The DeRoo Youth Pheasant and Duck Hunt is scheduled for October 2nd (ducks) and October 9th (pheasant). Youth duck hunting to be held at the Montezuma NWR and the N.Montezuma WMA. Youth pheasant hunt to be held at the Montezuma Audubon Center. A pre-youth Waterfowl Hunt dinner was held at the MAC on 9/24.
MARSH seed collection
2 dates cancelled due to weather. Event scheduled for September 29. Some independent collection by volunteers at Seneca Meadows.
Fostered trees return to Northern Montezuma
The bare-root seedlings fostered by volunteers since the Spring of 2020 were returned, and have been planted at the DEC’s Bassett Rd forest restoration site in Butler. The trees look great and include: White Cedar, American Elm, Red Maple, Sugar Maple, Cherry and Witch Hazel. The DEC would like to attempt this again in 2022 if volunteers are willing.
Duck Trapping
Minimal effort was put into trapping and banding ducks in 2021 with results being generally poor for various reasons. With just a few days left to band the DEC will have 2-3 more attempts at banding mallards. Others have been able to put in more effort this year, and have picked up a bit of the slack in our strata. The hope is we will still meet quota.
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