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• <br />♦ 1- * <br />■ CONSTRUCTION GUIDELINES <br />I. PERMITS. Wetlands arc protected by several laws, <br />and a permit may be required for your project. Four <br />government agencies regulate wetlands, and should be <br />contacted if j’ou will be working in an existing wet­ <br />land. These agencies arc: U.S. Army Corps of Engi­ <br />neers, USDA - Agricultural Stabilization and Conser­ <br />vation Service (ASCS), the DNR Division of Waters, <br />and your city or count}' zoning office or local water­ <br />shed district. Phone numbers for the first 3 agencies <br />arc given at the end of this brochure; check your local <br />directory for the number of your local office. <br />2. DEPTH AND SLOPES. Waterfowl need shallow <br />w-ater. When filled with water, your dugout should be <br />no more than 5 feet deep. In mid-summer, much of <br />your dugout should be less than 3 feet in depth. Your <br />pond should generally have the following depths <br />when it is foil (as in spring): <br />Water Depth <br />0 to 1 loot <br />1 to 3 feet <br />:) to 5 feet <br />Pet. of Pond <br />at this Depth <br />5 to 15 <br />40 to 70 <br />25 to 40 <br />Likelv Result <br />CattaiLs/emergent <br />vegetation, usually <br />dry by July. <br />Mixed cmcigent <br />vegetation and <br />open water, dry in <br />droucht. <br />Mostly open <br />water, drv in <br />severe drought. <br />If you are constructing a dugout in cattail-choked <br />wetlands, you will ni)t be able to achieve the above <br />depths. In these cases, the slopes of your dugout will <br />have to be fairly steep. This is okay as these dugouts <br />will function mostivas territorial sites, and mav not be <br />heavily used for feeding. Maximum depth still should <br />not exceed 5 feet. In mineral soils, steep slopes prohibit <br />growth ofdesirable vegetation, encourage erosion, and <br />reduce waterfowl use. As much as possible, grade the <br />slopes of your basin at a 3:1 (steep) to 10:1 (flat) ratio. <br />Flatter slopes are better, which is not the same as a flat <br />bottom. , - ‘ * - <br />( <br />Figure I. Topographic diagram of a good basin design; <br />this design emphasizes shallow slopes and depths (each line <br />represents one foot of depth), and good shorelinefeatures. <br />Adjacent uplands are seeded to native grasses. <br />A pond bottom with variable depths (i.c., an undulat- <br />ingbouuMi' is very desirable. This allows an intersper- <br />sion ol veget.ition and open water which is very <br />attractive to » Tcrfowl. .Some biologists prefer to <br />construct dugouts with one deep side to ensure water <br />availability and allow for viewing of waterfowl. Figure <br />1 show's an example of a good basin design from the <br />perspective of slopes and depths. <br />3. SIZE. W'aterfowl use .ill sizes of wetland, but <br />usually, bigger is better. In building your pond for <br />waterfowl you should consider a minimum size of <br />2500 square feet (equal to a square with 50 foot long <br />sides). Larger, irregularly shaped ponds are preferred, <br />however costs get quite high. <br />4. SHORELINE FEATURES. A pond with a shore­ <br />line which is irregular, and has many points and bays, <br />is more attractive to waterfowl than a dugout with a <br />straight shoreline. Flan your dugout to have as much <br />shoreline as possible, as in figure 1. <br />c <br />. V. . <br />. V • V >• .A i *t M